Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
|
|
|
RE: less of the back-biting guys!
|
You are logged in as Guest
|
|
Users viewing this topic: none
|
|
Login  | |
|
   
Arash
Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
|
 RE: less of the back-biting guys! (in reply to estebanana)
|
|
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: estebanana
My point about clarity in writing was not to put anyone down, but to say since English is the medium of communication on the Foro, it's helpful to write with economy and precision. That goes for native English speakers as well as non. I find that many native speakers can get lazy and write unclear posts if they don't work harder to reread a post and ask themselves, is this really what I want to say?
Correcting a non native speakers poor English composition is not pernicious. I think it is wrong to allow someone to make the same basic error in writing if it causes me or others difficulty in comprehending the writer. It is pernicious to think that a non native speaker cannot help themselves. I think it is wrong to let someone one continue to make the same mistake over and over if all it takes is a kind word to say that way of using the language does not work. I think everyone has the capacity to be more succinct and clear whether they are native or non native speakers. Again, the native speakers get slack and often times do not articulate as well as those who use English as a second or third language.
I would rather read two or three well thought out and edited down sentences that are direct, than a page of mish mashed words that don't convey the intention as well as those few crafted sentences. That said, I appreciate the different ways people from around the world say things and conceptualize language based on the constructions of their own first language. Often it leads to refreshing ways of putting English together.
When I can, I look over a post I've made and scrutinize the words; did I really need ten sentences when four clearer sentences actually got my point across better?
God I feel like such a wonk now.
Funnily sometimes its less difficult for us (or me) non-native english speakers to understand Ruphus posts (i admit i use the online dictionary for most of his words ;D) , than understanding some american or british phrases, slang terms, type of talking, etc. which you have never heard and also can't find in the dictionary. For instance i sometimes really didn't understand what you were talking about :D (not this post but some posts in the past). But almost always understood what Ruphus is talking about (after looking up the unknown words in the online dictionary). Its also not that bad, i learn new words daily.
Just giving another perspective from a non-native english speaker.
Definately NOT saying this is better than the other one or anything like that. I enjoy all styles and posts.
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date May 28 2013 17:18:23
 |
|
estebanana
Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009
|
|
RE: less of the back-biting guys! (in reply to Sr. Martins)
|
|
|
I remember when teachers used to send your papers back to you with red marks and notes on them. Notes with circled phrases and sentences, punctuation marks where none existed, heavy angry underlining where you knew you messed something up, but it was so obvious they left no words to describe the grammatical offense.
Teachers would prescribe Strunk and White's 'Elements of Style' to solve punctuation and tense issues. The same teachers where tedious yellow toothed old bastards who would implore students to reduce, reduce, reduce clutter in the structure at all times. They would send you to the library to fetch yourself a copy of the William Zinsser masterpiece 'On Writing Well' in hopes that you weed through your language and pull up the water wasters. No, not in hopes of, they would actively red mark you and brow beat you until you rewrote those sentences clearly.
I am glad I had those teachers who would not praise me for writing in a style that was based in excessive verbiage and emotional posturing. I was lucky because they taught that English was never set, they wanted you to leave the semester understanding that they would not be with you to pat you on the back. They turned you out and you knew you were never done learning English. It is a struggle and you cannot rest on your alma mater laurel leaf cluster and delude yourself that that is communication.
Perhaps I should make some guitars in which I leave off the tuners, half the frets and glue the seams with grease instead of glue? That would not go over well I think; those guitars would lack detail, proper process, integrity, correctness and fail to communicate themselves as guitars.
Guitars are just like English, the cruel Iron Mistress; each medium simply demands honesty, simplicity and clarity from the maker and user. There is no yesterday, there is only now. Gene Clark the guitar maker said to me: "The difference between good work and great work, is rework."
_____________________________________
How's that for 'emo'?
_____________________________
https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date May 29 2013 1:50:42
|
|
Paul Magnussen
Posts: 1805
Joined: Nov. 8 2010
From: London (living in the Bay Area)
|
|
RE: less of the back-biting guys! (in reply to estebanana)
|
|
|
quote:
I am glad I had those teachers who would not praise me for writing in a style that was based in excessive verbiage and emotional posturing.
“Style is the dress of thoughts; and let them be ever so just, if your style is homely, coarse, and vulgar, they will appear to as much disadvantage, and be as ill received, as your person, though ever so well-proportioned, would if dressed in rags, dirt, and tatters.”
Lord Chesterfield
_____________________________
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date May 29 2013 15:53:55
|
|
estebanana
Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009
|
|
RE: less of the back-biting guys! (in reply to Paul Magnussen)
|
|
|
quote:
Style is the dress of thoughts; and let them be ever so just, if your style is homely, coarse, and vulgar, they will appear to as much disadvantage, and be as ill received, as your person, though ever so well-proportioned, would if dressed in rags, dirt, and tatters.”
Lord Chesterfield
He was a large man with a strong physique, a fisherman who fished the lagoon. His boat had a sturdy keel, the white paint old and cracked. He scraped the ribs clean with a piece of machete blade and traded his morning catch for a pot of white lead. The next morning he sold his fish to pejo soccer moms in the new market on the chi-chi side of the port. That night the fisherman ate steak.
Lord Hemingway
_____________________________
https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com
|
|
|
|
REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jun. 1 2013 0:47:18
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts
|
|
|
Forum Software powered by ASP Playground Advanced Edition 2.0.5
Copyright © 2000 - 2003 ASPPlayground.NET |
0.0625 secs.
|
Printable Version
