I don't get it

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

I understand dumbing things down for the masses. In my job, I have to hand over anything I write to a support assistant who has the luxury of turning what I write into drivel that can be read at a 4th grade level. That frustrates me, but I understand being able to reach the lowest common denominator. Why in my inbox with PMs though?

At my job, every time I write a new training or revise an old, sh*tty one that was written by a sloth with a leaky pen, my boss calls me and says "This is a great training, but your writing is too educated for our audience. Can you bring it down to their level?"

I'm always tempted to ask, "What level is that, you condescending *kitten*?"

I have laws that force me to write to the 4th grade level. Seriously. 4th grade. I fear for the US future.

CarlieeBear

Intelligence isn't shown by the words you use as much as by the concepts you express. Being able to say intelligent things using language the general public can understand is a gift. Saying something in a way your "audience" won't understand or that will turn them off (as in seeming pretensious or high-falootin') is pointless.

chessgeekdavidb

I have laws that force me to write to the 4th grade level. Seriously. 4th grade. I fear for the US future.

It depends on the reasoning for writing at a 4th grade level. Sometimes at work I write at a lower reading level because the target audience is non-native speakers of English.

BurtHuttz

Both actually, and as I was driving to pick my son up from a dance, I thought more on this. In the forums where things fly at a frantic pace,and you need to rapid fire your responses, or you can fall behind quickly. It makes sense that you don't have the time to formulate a completely coherent response and write it well. That makes sense.

However, I guess I will stick to the PMs and wall posts, when I say sometimes I am looking for serious responses and perchance to engage someone in an intellectual discussion to find myself annoyed by grammatical issues that make the other side incomprehensible. Else, I find mindless drivel in return. I expect that in the forums, not in personal conversation.

I have no idea whether this is a roll bread or not, and that is a refreshing change of pace.
Suffice it to say, you should probably eliminate mouthbreathers from your friends list. That crap is contagious.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Both actually, and as I was driving to pick my son up from a dance, I thought more on this. In the forums where things fly at a frantic pace,and you need to rapid fire your responses, or you can fall behind quickly. It makes sense that you don't have the time to formulate a completely coherent response and write it well. That makes sense.

However, I guess I will stick to the PMs and wall posts, when I say sometimes I am looking for serious responses and perchance to engage someone in an intellectual discussion to find myself annoyed by grammatical issues that make the other side incomprehensible. Else, I find mindless drivel in return. I expect that in the forums, not in personal conversation.

This post actually about me? :sad: Because I am 100% positive I send you stuffs that are totally incoherent in PMs.

Mr_Bad_Example

Intelligence isn't shown by the words you use as much as by the concepts you express. Being able to say intelligent things using language the general public can understand is a gift. Saying something in a way your "audience" won't understand or that will turn them off (as in seeming pretensious or high-falootin') is pointless.

Or you present something to them and then explain what it means and how it applies - then they learn something that helps them be better at what they do.

Or something.

Mr_Bad_Example

I understand dumbing things down for the masses. In my job, I have to hand over anything I write to a support assistant who has the luxury of turning what I write into drivel that can be read at a 4th grade level. That frustrates me, but I understand being able to reach the lowest common denominator. Why in my inbox with PMs though?

At my job, every time I write a new training or revise an old, sh*tty one that was written by a sloth with a leaky pen, my boss calls me and says "This is a great training, but your writing is too educated for our audience. Can you bring it down to their level?"

I'm always tempted to ask, "What level is that, you condescending *kitten*?"

I have laws that force me to write to the 4th grade level. Seriously. 4th grade. I fear for the US future.

I worry more about the present, myself... mostly because I think that in the future, 4th graders will rule the world, and that keeps me up at night.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Intelligence isn't shown by the words you use as much as by the concepts you express. Being able to say intelligent things using language the general public can understand is a gift. Saying something in a way your "audience" won't understand or that will turn them off (as in seeming pretensious or high-falootin') is pointless.

Yep, cater to the lowest common denominator so no child is left behind.

BurtHuttz

Yep, cater to the lowest common denominator so no child is left behind.

Young lady, if you were a child, I would never leave your behind.

With love,
Burt

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Yep, cater to the lowest common denominator so no child is left behind.

Young lady, if you were a child, I would never leave your behind.

With love,
Burt

So I'm too old for darts?

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

Both actually, and as I was driving to pick my son up from a dance, I thought more on this. In the forums where things fly at a frantic pace,and you need to rapid fire your responses, or you can fall behind quickly. It makes sense that you don't have the time to formulate a completely coherent response and write it well. That makes sense.

However, I guess I will stick to the PMs and wall posts, when I say sometimes I am looking for serious responses and perchance to engage someone in an intellectual discussion to find myself annoyed by grammatical issues that make the other side incomprehensible. Else, I find mindless drivel in return. I expect that in the forums, not in personal conversation.

I have no idea whether this is a roll bread or not, and that is a refreshing change of pace.
Suffice it to say, you should probably eliminate mouthbreathers from your friends list. That crap is contagious.

No. It wasn't supposed to be a roll bread. I can be serious sometimes. I think.... a lot. Sometimes, I let some of my musings out to see what others think.

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

Both actually, and as I was driving to pick my son up from a dance, I thought more on this. In the forums where things fly at a frantic pace,and you need to rapid fire your responses, or you can fall behind quickly. It makes sense that you don't have the time to formulate a completely coherent response and write it well. That makes sense.

However, I guess I will stick to the PMs and wall posts, when I say sometimes I am looking for serious responses and perchance to engage someone in an intellectual discussion to find myself annoyed by grammatical issues that make the other side incomprehensible. Else, I find mindless drivel in return. I expect that in the forums, not in personal conversation.

This post actually about me? :sad: Because I am 100% positive I send you stuffs that are totally incoherent in PMs.

You do at that. I understand you have a condition. MRF is something I can accommodate by asking you for clarification, or elucidation. The second time around, I can get it.

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

Intelligence isn't shown by the words you use as much as by the concepts you express. Being able to say intelligent things using language the general public can understand is a gift. Saying something in a way your "audience" won't understand or that will turn them off (as in seeming pretensious or high-falootin') is pointless.

Or you present something to them and then explain what it means and how it applies - then they learn something that helps them be better at what they do.

Or something.

Exactly my friend.

MyChocolateDiet

On my FL, there are several friends who are the most intelligent and highly educated people. Yet, when we converse on walls or in PMs, or even when they make or reply to forum posts, they really dumb down their language. What's up with that? Is it a leftover defense mechanism from when they were in school and had to play dumb to fit in with the cool crowd? Laziness?

Do you have any thoughts?

laziness and in a rush to get to the next good thing. lots of thoughts little time. (from a former mensa candidate)

SpeSHul_SnoflEHk

Yep, cater to the lowest common denominator so no child is left behind.

Young lady, if you were a child, I would never leave your behind.

With love,
Burt

I don't plan to.

MyChocolateDiet

Is it mostly women playing dumb? Some do that because they think it's what men want.

Why the hell would they want dumb? :shrug: (Yes, I want new smileys) I like to actually interact with people on a level that doesn't annoy the p!ss out of me. I have low tolerance for dumb.

But...men only like women who flip their hair and giggle and talk about shopping and their latest mani-pedi, right? Intelligent, opinionated women are either uppity or "intimidating".

these men may politely line up to the right to be added to my friends list. thank you.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Yep, cater to the lowest common denominator so no child is left behind.

Young lady, if you were a child, I would never leave your behind.

With love,
Burt

I don't plan to.

You are wise to not let my advanced age and occasional senility scare you off.

likeschocolate

Maybe they watched too much C-SPAN?

Mustang_Susie

Scratching my head...

So....
Do you want to know why your friends "dumb down" their Internet posts or...
Why you're a chameleon?

MyChocolateDiet

^hahahaha. I think he fears HIMSELF being dumbed down by getting sucked into it. Kind of how when I go to a place with an accent i adopt that accent and when i realize it go "Oh no, i don't want to end up sounding like THOSE people." lol.