How come some people can't write?

[one more cast]

Often I try to post on iboats and I cancel my post because what I am trying to say and what comes out are two different things. even this post isn't quite right.let me try again. When I write something I can't seem to put my true feelings into words. But why?

 

[Bigfun]

Re: How come some people can't write?

Me to. <br />Why? Well it's ah, wait ah, because when you ah, your thoughts are important and ah, when you write and then ah, well.......I feel your pain! <br />The most used key on my board is the backspace.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: How come some people can't write?

Sounds like your politician material OMC

 

[PW2]

Re: How come some people can't write?

Writing is possibly the most difficult of communication skills, for lots of different reasons. <br /><br />First and foremost, you are requiring the reader to suppy his own definitions of the words you use, and to the extent they differ from your definitions--and you can not control that, of course--it can change the meaning dramatically.<br /><br />Second, you do not have the luxury of seeing how the audience reacts to a statement, as you do in verbal communication, and altering the emphasis as required. Emoticons can help sometimes, and they are often used, but they are not the same.<br /><br />Third, No one shares your life experiences, and therefore cannot understand exactly how and why you would react one way, when they would not.<br /><br />My best advice is to try and tell people what you think--and not to try to communicate what that makes you "feel" or why. Let them figure that out for themselves.<br /><br />trust me you can get in plenty enough trouble for what you think, but return attacks on what you think is simply an intellectual excersise, and should not be personally threatening. OTOH, when a person is attacked for how they "feel" is an attack on one's person itself, and impossible to not take personally--which of course leads to all manner of problems.

 

[12Footer]

Re: How come some people can't write?

What PW2 said.<br />Just keep trying tho. If someone don't get your opinion, reply, and straighten them out. But tell it like you think it is, let the rest of us chips fall where we may.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: How come some people can't write?

My best advice is to try and tell people what you think--and not to try to communicate what that makes you "feel" or why. Let them figure that out for themselves.

I was going to let this go but I can't. This is the biggest mistake made in the business world today IMHO. That is, in email, people too often say EXACTLY what they think, often in blunt, harsh terms and without any context at all. They assume people understand what they mean and fail to consider the reaction of the reader receiving the message out of the blue. They don't take the time to consider how others will react to the message as written. This almost never happens face-to-face or on the phone because people naturally moderate and alter their message in real-time due to feedback from the listener. <br /><br />I have seen lots of unnecessary wars start this way. Always try to put yourself in your reader's shoes and try to anticipate how your message will be received. Give context and explanation to ensure you have truly communicated your message w/o unnecessarily POing your reader.

 

[one more cast]

Re: How come some people can't write?

Thanks for the replys, I'll keep posting and if anybody don't get what I mean just ask. see, that doesn't even sound right.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: How come some people can't write?

People feel emboldened by one way blast ability of e-mail or letters. My wife is one of those. She always said she was known for her poison pen, and spoke of it kind of proudly. Over time I have tried to coach her that this is really the easy way out and that engaging in a dialogue is sometimes the most admirable yet difficult ways to handle a situation.<br /><br />I tend to be very diplomatic and craft the tone very carefully when corresponding via the written word as it creates a record. In person, however, you can be freeer and change up the tone within the course of a discussion.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: How come some people can't write?

I guess I am guilty of just saying what I think.<br /><br />That's the way I have been my whole life.<br /><br />Maybe I am wrong, dunno, but that's the way I am.<br /><br />What did I just say?

 

[tylerin]

Re: How come some people can't write?

OMC, I feel the same way I'm much better in person 6000 Spinner

 

[RetNav]

Re: How come some people can't write?

<br /><br /><br />One other reason it is so hard to communicate your true meaning via written means is according to statistics approximately 7% of the real meaning you are trying to communicate is in the spoken/written word. The other 93% is conveyed via tone, gestures, body language (non-verbal means)

 

[Boomyal]

Re: How come some people can't write?

OMC, I don't mean to impugn all of the answers given to your question but I don't really think they understood what you meant.<br /><br />Writing is a complex skill that has to be learned. We, all here, are at a slight disadvantage, having been bequeathed one of the most difficult and complex languages in the universe. I think you are suffering from nothing more than having spent your english composition classes dreaming about cars and girls. Such is certainly the case for me. I start many a post, sentence or paragraph that I scratch rewrite or edit because that kernal of thought will not lay down on paper as I want it too.<br /><br />Just keep trying to express yourself, taking into consideration many of the ideas above.<br /><br />Practice will head you in the right direction.

 

[roscoe]

Re: How come some people can't write?

The problem, in my opinion, is that "our" "english", has gone to the dogs. Our speaking, word use, sentence structure, grammar, etc, have become so poor that it is nearly impossible to communicate an idea without the instant feedback of a conversation and the ability to ask the reader if he/she understands.<br /><br />We must learn to separate ideas, convey them in the correct sequence, and separate them by periods. It will "sound" a bit more formal, but will be more concise.<br /><br /><br />

Thanks for the replys, I'll keep posting and if anybody don't get what I mean just ask. see, that doesn't even sound right.<br />

Thanks for your input. I will continue to post my thoughts. Please ask for further explanation if I am not being clear.<br />Any questions? <br /> <br />

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: How come some people can't write?

yep, practice makes perfect and don't be afraid<br />to use the "edit" button here... I know I do, ALOT!<br />mostly it comes down to vocabulary IMO. maybe pick<br />up a thesausus and keep it handy.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: How come some people can't write?

Originally posted by mellowyellow:<br /> yep, practice makes perfect and don't be afraid<br />to use the "edit" button here... I know I do, ALOT!<br />mostly it comes down to vocabulary IMO. maybe pick<br />up a thesausus and keep it handy.

What did MY say?

 

[dhud64]

Re: How come some people can't write?

eh huh? kan u repeet all that???

 

[lakelivin]

Re: How come some people can't write?

PW2, Ralph, and RetNav have good points.<br /><br />Also, don't forget how different people are (look at all of the personality type evaluation tools used in the business world). My simplified way of thinking about it is that people are just 'wired differently'. People will interpret the same experience differently based on how they are wired. <br /><br />Think of it this way: our experiences and biases leave us with unique 'filters' through which we process the world around us. Then our personality differences and communication styles add another filter which can 'color' our true intent regarding thoughts and feelings when we try to communicate them to others. On top of that, the individual on the receiving end has their own unique set of filters through which they must process information in order to try to interpret the intent of the sender.<br /><br />Alot more efficient to overcome these obstacles through an interactive conversation than through a series of discrete forum posts.

 

[one more cast]

Re: How come some people can't write?

" . maybe pick<br />up a thesausus and keep it handy. <br /> "MY, But I thought they were extinct.<br /><br /> EDIT: My wife just read this and said " now your really going to confuse everybody."

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: How come some people can't write?

OMC,dont let it bother you at all.There are just as many people if not more that would rather express themselves in writing rather than speaking to others.Email has given these people a whole new outlook on communication.My wife loves that she is able to request days off and vacation via email rather than in person.Use your better skills to your advantage and just keep posting,it WILL get easier,I guarantee it!!!!! Charlie

 

[SlowlySinking]

Re: How come some people can't write?

One thing that helps is to read your post, if you don't understand it nobody else will either, then use the EDIT feature and this very handy<br /><br />Riterz Gide<br /><br />Each pronoun agrees with their antecedent. <br /><br />Just between you and i, case is important. <br /><br />Verbs has to agree with their subjects. <br /><br />Watch out for irregular verbs which has cropped into our language. <br /><br />Don't use no double negatives. <br /><br />A writer mustn't shift your point of view. <br /><br />When dangling, don't use participles. <br /><br />Join clauses good, like a conjunction should. <br /><br />Don't use a run-on sentence you got to punctuate it <br /><br />About sentence fragments. <br /><br />In letters themes articles and stuff like that we use commas to keep a string of items apart. <br /><br />Don't use commas, which aren't, necessary, <br /><br />Its importan't to use apostrophe's right. <br /><br />Don't abbrev. <br /><br />Check to see if you any words out. <br /><br />In my opinion I think that an author when he is writing shouldn't get into the habit of making use of too many unnecessary words that he does not really need. <br /><br />And, of course, there's that old one: Never use a preposition to end a sentence with. <br /><br />Last but not least, and I've mentioned this a million times; lay off two many cliches and allwais yous yore spel cheker.