A few moments ago, I put forth a question to my Twitter and Facebook followers, and it only seemed apropos to pose the question here as well.
Is it really that difficult to apply elementary levels of grammar, spelling, and punctuation to online communication?
If you spend any amount of time whatsoever in the world on social media, it would seem that the answer is a resounding yes! It seems that people largely believe that it is far too much trouble to apply those basic rules of grammar that Mrs. Finkelstein beat into them back in the second grade. And if people (in general) believe otherwise, their actions don’t seem coincide with their words.
To me, this is not a matter of formality or tailoring your behavior to the circumstances. I have heard some argue that social media specifically, and electronic communications in general are by their nature less formal than other types of interaction and therefore do not require the same level of formality. I disagree wholeheartedly. I do agree that there different audiences and situations allow different levels of sophistication in language. However, that doesn’t mean that there is ever a circumstance where simple, basic grammar, spelling and punctuation shouldn’t be followed.
When you send a Tweet, post a Facebook status or comment, send an email, or submit a blog post, you are adding to a permanent electronic fingerprint of yourself. Like it or not, how you say things often leaves just as strong an impression on people as what you say. Leaving out all of the capital letters and punctuation from a Facebook status is the online equivalent of showing up for an office job with a wrinkly, dirty shirt, torn up jeans, and hair that hasn’t been washed or combed in a week. It leaves a bad impression on people.
What impression do you want to leave?
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