Punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, and spelling have all been degrading lately. Much of it may be due to the influences of email and IM. Writing evolves but its basic purpose to convey information remains constant. Poor writing remains a pet peeve of mine.

Handwriting is atrocious as well.

I watched a scene in the new Nancy Drew movie where two girls are texting each other. "im siting nxt 2 Martha Stwrt"

I broke out in hives. I understand the idea of shorthand, but if kids can't spell, they won't learn by texting.

I firmly believe that poor writing can make you appear stupid, when you very well may not be. If you want to be taken seriously, you really need good communication skills, written and verbal.

Great comments! Yes, bignosemousie, perception is very important. I struggle whenever I hear, for instance, someone interviewed on TV using tortured syntax. Contrary to popular opinion, words do matter and the ability to form understandable sentences is the cornerstone of meaningful dialog.

I'm wondering though if, as wiccantexan points out, handwriting is that relevant these days. With the ubiquity of keyboards and voice recognition software I can imagine that handwriting will one day become a quaint pastime much like calligraphy is today.

I think that until we can read each other's minds handwriting will be important. I think partially, it's just about perception. It is a reflection not only of one's abilities (per se) but also a reflection on the recipient. If I can't be bothered to write legibly for you, what does that say about either of us? Either I can't be bothered in general, or I can't be bothered for YOU.

Does this make sense? I haven't had much coffee.

If I can't be bothered to write legibly for you, what does that say
about either of us? Either I can't be bothered in general, or I can't
be bothered for YOU.

I think an argument can be made that since writing, unlike typing, requires a more refined hand/eye coordination that one's ability to write legibly has more to do with practicing a skill than about empathy towards another person. Quite frankly, the only time I communicate with pen and paper is putting stickums up on my door for delivery men.

I have no idea how penmanship is taught today, if at all! Even the term "penmanship" sounds like something from a bygone era. I feel, as I mentioned earlier, that technology has relegated this to a footnote in education.

I see your point about technology rendering hand written things obsolete in the future, but we could produce most things electronically now (even signatures), and we don't. For example:

the only time I communicate with pen and paper is putting stickums up on my door for delivery men.

Don't you want him to be able to read it? LOL.

Don't you want him to be able to read it? LOL.

Well, sure! But I think that's somewhat stretching the point. Earlier you mentioned legibility as a symptom of lack of regard for someone else which I think was too judgmental. If we were dancing together and I stepped on your toes, does this mean that I don't care about you or does it indicate I can't dance? (Purely hypothetical, I'm an excellent dancer! )

I do enjoy seeing a legible note or a grammatical sentence and the opposites make me cringe. I just think it has to be viewed in perspective.

I'm taking off my lecture robes now. They're much too hot and stifling to wear for too long a time.

as a symptom of lack of regard for someone else which I think was too judgmental

Ah, yes. I didn't mean to imply intent on the writer's behalf, only perception on the recipient's behalf.

When I was in college I wrote my papers by hand. I'm not all that old (yet).

I don't even know if they teach penmanship anymore, beyond how to form a letter correctly. I think writing by hand will always be around. What shall we do when the power is out and the batteries are dead? The pencils will just exist to mock us.

When I was in college I wrote my papers by hand.

Ouch! You've brought back painful memories. I think I alone kept the Whiteout industry in business. After typing a lengthy paper the amount of Whiteout used would weigh down the paper so heavily I ended up using a handtruck to cart the damned thing around with.

The pencils will just exist to mock us.

This reminded me of the Nasa project to come up with a special pressurized pen that would write in space. Cost the tax payers millions. The Russians used pencils!

Ah, yes. I didn't mean to imply intent on the writer's behalf, only perception on the recipient's behalf.

Touché.