Many of us communicate via the written word with people quite often. Both on informal sites like this as well as at work. Sadly, people don't seem to care how they write anymore. Why is that? Especially when impressions on sites like this are made via writing? And business is done the same way?

I often get emails where it's tough to read from lack of punctuation, text speak and just bad spelling. This actually happens at work as well. Sometimes, I wonder why people would think of typing that way in a professional setting.

What do the rest of you think? Has spelling and grammar really become so much less important that people just don't care how they come across anymore?

if enough people are doing it, then I would have to say yes, it's less important,.,.,.!!!??

Why do you think it's less important? Or is it just people being lazy?

I'm just saying if there are so many people doing it then it must not be that important, at least to the people doing it.
as far as text talk goes, I thing it would be harder learning the text language than spelling out the words. JMHO

Spelling and grammar are very important to me. As a writer, I believe that good written communication is an absolute must in a venue such as this one, in which all our communication is of a written nature.

And it's disheartening sometimes to see the level to which we have sunk. Laziness? Yes. I also think it says a lot about the state of our schools, when otherwise functional adults can't write at a third grade level.

But there's no point in complaining about it. You can't cause people to develop writing skills by complaining about it. All you can do is ignore the ones whose efforts are so incomprehensible that they're not worth getting the headache it would take to try to understand them.

I believe it's all part of pop culture.

For some people it is laziness but unfortunitely a lot of it is due to poor education. It is disappointing to see how many people cannot spell even simple words correctly. They don't know the difference between "there" or "their" or "they're" for example.

In my opinion, men who continously misspell is a huge turn-off. A mistake or two is okay but when you need to go back to school it is another matter.

Ah, so you think things automatically become less important just because many people think that way?

I believe that is why there are so many classes on writing in college. Technical writing can evolve into Business writing. English Composition writing can evolve into Creative writing. Rough drafts can evolve into Final drafts. Targeting one's audience is important when you are trying to get a desired effect. I guess it all depends if you want to be formal or informal when you are writing. If you know you will be edited then one can get lazy. Frustrating as it can be editors can make good money. I tried to write how I feel about it in a poem I wrote.

My Bloody Editor

At first I got mad.
Red lines all over my paper.
My poem was so soaked with blood.
So many comments that were rough.

I read what you said, again.
I realized that you read my poem.
You liked my poem.
I smiled.

My content was OK.
My poem was rough.
Your input was right.
I rewrote my poem.

I rewrote it for you.
More blood you added.
I love the blood.
My poem bleeds for you.

I have a bloody smile.
You bloody well liked it.
I am in bloody hell.
I am in bloody heaven.

I am a bloody fool.
It doesn't matter
if you read it, again.
It matters that you commented.

Bleed for me
and I will bleed for you.
Revenge is so sweet.
I can't stop laughing.

I work for a company where there are people spread out all over the world, so much of our work is done via email. What I find disturbing is seeing even managers with such poor writing skills. We are in contact with coworkers via IM as well and it gets even worse when chatting that way.

On a site like this, I would think many would want to make good impressions and would try to write well, but that's often not the case.

When there are such things as spell check, I find it hard to accept excuses when it comes to spelling. Sure, typos will slip through, but if someone knows they're a bad speller, use spell check!

Not knowing the difference between there, their and they're is just laziness. It's easy enough to look up online if they're unsure.

I also have wondered if it is poor education. I know University students I worked with about 3 years ago could not do basic math with pen and paper or could spell. I think they have depended technology so much that they don't know the basics of math or english.

lets just say less important to them.

i dunno wot u tarking boot i tark wrike dis in reel rife two lol rofl i rite engrish jest fine thank u

Reminds me of a conversation I had with my father once. We were talking and all of a sudden he said, "Nuff said". When we would have letters to each other he would end the letter with, "Nuff said". The only way I could talk to him was to get just as inebriated as he was. Of course, he could always drink me under the table so I am not sure if he kept talking after I passed out or not.

I agree about the technology. Our country that was once a leader in many ways now ranks 28th in the world in education !!! That is way too far down the rankings :( We are becoming an entirely differnt country and I hate watching it all go downhill.

DIFFERENT !! That was a typo! I may be a bad typist but I'm not a bad speller :)

Ignorance and those lacking in common sense bother me more than spelling and grammar.

Spelling and grammar can be fixed relatively easily but you’re either born with common sense or you aren’t.

Do you view horse sense and common sense as being different? My mother asked me one time if I had enough sense to get out of the rain.