Sam wrote:
> To the Grammar Sheriff
> Please let me off with just a stern warning this time. Please
> do not publish a citation on the list advising everyone that you
> find proper and due cause to accuse me of violating the law
I do not recall the incident Sam, but I empathize greatly with receiving
unnecessarily stern responses to relatively minor variations from what
someone considers the correct, normal, required - - .
Frequently, such folks claim they are doing this on behalf of the rest of
the group, or listserv participants everywhere. But also typically, they
have not asked anyone else if they care.
We both contribute to the newsgroup comp.mail.pine, and I think I can
share that I was on the wrong end of a similar episode by a knowledegeable,
but rather arrogant programmer who contributes, often useful knowledge
to that group: After receiving reply mail filled with descriptions of
my bad grammer, ``poor'' descriptions, omission of important details,
actual rewrites of my paragraphs to show me (like a teacher) how I should
have posted some prose -- a wrote back.
I pleaded with the fellow to more kind in less critical in tone, even
while pointing out the same deficiencies. There is so much competitive,
combative, inconsiderate interaction these days -- how you say things is
often more important than the content.
My recipient, as expected did not get it. ``I chose to focus on how
he said things'' rather than (the truth of) the content of what he
corrected me on.
I am not sure what the motivations of group police are. The all have
in common that they are smarter, better, know more than others on
some subject or other.
