Virginia Shaffer posed an interesting question on her blog- what rules of writing do we follow on the Web? Do we adhere to the same rules of writing that we follow in traditional mediums when we write on a blog or other online medium?
It seems obvious that there are less (or maybe no) rules to online grammar. There is no almighty English teacher on the Web going through blog posts and comments and deciding if the writing is properly proper to be seen by the public. However, there is a reason that languages have grammatical rules, right? I would hope so or there are a lot of teachers out there wasting their and their students' time. I think the reason is that the rules help ensure that the author is understood. If the author and the reader are working within the same guidelines, there is less of a chance for miscommunication, right?
With that being said, I think the bottom line of writing is to be understood. When writing on the Web, the writer, I think, needs to ask himself or herself two questions to determine how formal to be- what is my purpose and what does my audience expect. If you are posting on a web site, like I am here, in a professional setting, you need to write well enough to indicate you deserve a job! However, if you are posting to a personal blog where your audience does not expect the formality, you can play more loosely with the rules.
So, how much do you cling to the conventions of grammar when writing on your blog? Do you think less about grammar when writing on the Web than other mediums?
This is my first comment on a Blog.
ReplyDeleteIt seems Blogs are just another writing medium. Yes, you should follow the formal writing rules to communicate to an audience that expects that. The potential for a more creative approach is tempting as long as it is consistent, clever and challenging.