Is the Internet damaging the QUALITY of the written word?

Problem with "writing" on the internet, aka emails (I'll throw in SMS as well) is that there is no grammar sense. What with expressions like LOL, :) and so forth. Grammar is not the criteria for communicating online (alas!). I prefer the old-fashioned ink-on-paper type where you actually write letters with the proper salutation, address, subject, body and signature with all the indentations and paragraphs. In our fast-paced online world - email just kills all the finesse in writing a good letter and grammar skills.

I beg to differ. You should have seen the many email communications I receive from people who run the gamut from bank officers to business managers and you are going to wonder if they really went to English school. They are not sending me friendly emails but official ones - sales quotations, bank records, etc. Maybe because people think it is just an email and don't really recognize the importance of being "official" in its appearance. Unless it contains a lot of "legalese" and has to be in its legal format.

Sorry hun, I have to disagree with you. In business, I have sent many daily emails that require proper salutations and professional writings. No hacker language or "common" computer lingo allowed!

I agree with you. However, I think the biggest problem is math. Everything is done on a computer, and nobody uses their minds. People cannot do simple adding and subtracting. Writing skills are corrected automatically, so perhaps they are suffering a bit too.

ya i agree... many of my frndz including me hav even forgotten d grammar which v hav already learned.... its ruining our future in unversities

in my opinion, the meaning that you want to express is the most important! spell and grammar is also important which can make your sentence more beautiful!

Thank you to everyone for their reply. Over 200 replies in 18 hours makes this a hot very topic. I can't reply to everyone, but it looks like we share a common view here. The Internet is changing the written language, just not for the better.

So if anyone says that the internet has gotten everyone into more writing - yes, but writing what? In my old school days, we were taught nothing less than Queen's English, with every emphasis placed on grammar, spelling and precise pronunciation. My English Teacher would turn in her grave if she finds me (and the modern generation) writing like what we do on the internet :)

I think the Internet is getting much more criticism than it deserves, though yes some aspects are a contribution. It may be a combination of technological "advances" say games for instance, how many kids are growing up on XBox and PSP ... so they are using vocabulary skills less, then say if they were engaged with their peers in a setting where they communicate verbally (play outdoors, going out with friends) But who contributes to this ... parents (some), succumbing to the tech whims of their kids and not setting limits. Conversely, on the positive side, speaking of the Internet, with the advent of blogs there are many more people,including teens, engaged in writing. Blogs are competitive and some will aspire to be better writers as a result. More people are reading as well. On another note, in the 80s we thought calculators would destroy our kids' minds. They/we survived and I think we will survive in tact also.

My teenage daughter's favourite line "dot-dot-dot-dot" What expression is that, especially when she rolls up her eyes with it

text messaging is much worse nothing is professional when it comes to text messaging

If that is true, why didn't your proofread for mistakes? I think actually that computer has destroyed the skill of proofreading.

They are also NOW adopting it, but they didn't get to you fast enough!