Well said!



Too often we discourage those who might wish to participate but get the message that they simply don't measure up.



Ann Marie Wood

Mountlake Terrace, WA



----- Original Message -----
From: "Renee Marth/ Bill Voss" <marthvoss at hotmail.com>
To: "Tweeters UW" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 6:19:46 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: FW: [Tweeters] words, words, words

Amen and FM.
-Bill Voss, Port Townsend, WA


From: rupertgrove at msn.com
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] words, words, words
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:25:31 -0700


Tweets,


I am concerned about all of the recent dialog regarding grammar, usage and vocabulary. I myself am generally a stickler for such things and can become irate at poor?English (I'm talking to you Tacoma News Tribune, The Olympian).?However, surely the reason we all subscribe to this service is to gain topical knowledge of bird activity within Washington and, perhaps, to enjoy the occasional anecdote from others. It seems counterproductive to these goals to fuss over grammar, spelling, or usage and it disrupts the sense of community that I gain from being connected to all of you.?


I am not trying to invalidate the frustrations of those who are bothered by such things, but surely kvetching about the writing of others will not encourage them to post. You do not have to be poorly educated to have be poor at English; are we trying to discourage immigrants who could be birding geniuses but not nuanced in English, for example? (I myself am an immigrant, though I grew up in England. The language there is now used so haphazardly that I don't?necessarily?consider that an exception!) Am I the only one concerned about creeping elitism here? If we truly care about the fate of birds, shouldn't we make every effort to encourage peoples' interest? If not, what is the point?


I hope I do not come across as a scold. I only wish to make an appeal for some?latitude?for those who might not be as skilled in language as others. It does not have any?correlation with one's birding skills or birding knowledge.


Please, let us have a?moratorium on all this.


Rupert Grove
Tacoma, WA


p.s. I proof read this, which seems funny to me, somehow.

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