quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw

and learning cursive is a waste of time! I fully support that. I see no REAL use for cursive and I didn't at 7 either. I actually was so stubborn I had to get out of "Guidance Class" (I know right...) to go take special handwriting lessons with a teacher.

I still managed to just barely learn it and then never use it again.

quote:

ORIGINAL: RockaRolla

I disagree.

-Easier to write on cakes (which, admittedly, isn't a draw for most people)

quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw

I know. ALL folks over 30 just love cursive.

Name a practical purpose for it in this day and age other than "I had to learn it! and I think I'm better for it cause I had to walk up hill both ways to school!"

sorry- it just isn't practical. Really.

(I realize that is a gross generalization...please...relax, its cursive we are talking about...)

quote:

ORIGINAL: RockaRolla

quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw

and learning cursive is a waste of time! I fully support that. I see no REAL use for cursive and I didn't at 7 either. I actually was so stubborn I had to get out of "Guidance Class" (I know right...) to go take special handwriting lessons with a teacher.

I still managed to just barely learn it and then never use it again.

I disagree. I've found at least 2 uses for learning cursive:

-Easier to write on cakes (which, admittedly, isn't a draw for most people)
-Being able to read handwriting from older folks (and translate for the people who refuse to learn cursive like it's a secret alien code.)

But maybe you're right, because outside of those two applications I have no use for loopy letters.

quote:

ORIGINAL: inkedone

In my opinion cursive is a fundamental learning tool as well.
1. A prescription looks "official" if written by a Doctor in loopy scroll or slant of hand.
2. Unless your name is X or Blockhead, has society reverted back to prehistoric times as far as personal signature? Is the new method just carrying around a rubber stamp in your pocket?
3. Finally, professionalism in business correspondence not of the electronic variety. I would rather be fancy with curves than look like the note was written by a first grader using a Big Chief tablet and a crayon.

quote:

ORIGINAL: inkedone

In my opinion cursive is a fundamental learning tool as well.
1. A prescription looks "official" if written by a Doctor in loopy scroll or slant of hand.
2. Unless your name is X or Blockhead, has society reverted back to prehistoric times as far as personal signature? Is the new method just carrying around a rubber stamp in your pocket?
3. Finally, professionalism in business correspondence not of the electronic variety. I would rather be fancy with curves than look like the note was written by a first grader using a Big Chief tablet and a crayon.

quote:

Cakes- is the only valid answer thus far- cursive DOES look bangin on cakes.

also-
HOW DID THIS BECOME SERIOUS?

quote:

ORIGINAL: inkedone

quote:

Cakes- is the only valid answer thus far- cursive DOES look bangin on cakes.

also-
HOW DID THIS BECOME SERIOUS?

Just friendly banter of the non-serious nature, personal preference of having "bangin" penmanship.

quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw

quote:

ORIGINAL: inkedone

quote:

Cakes- is the only valid answer thus far- cursive DOES look bangin on cakes.

also-
HOW DID THIS BECOME SERIOUS?

Just friendly banter of the non-serious nature, personal preference of having "bangin" penmanship.

My thing is, seriously millennials are looked down upon by baby boomers all the time, for a lot of things. Cursive is the stupidest one of those things. Not knowing cursive isn't going to doom my generation. It is not a travesty. No one is going to have a summit to discuss what will happen if we lose cursive.

Maybe writing just flows together naturally and a bunch of people decided teachers needed more to do...BOOM cursive.

Learnin' to rite is important. learnin' fancy rittin' just ain't.

quote:

ORIGINAL: freedomdwarf1

I think cursive is paramount learning.
I also think it looks a whole shitload better than block capitals - and it's faster to write too.

It can also tell linguistic analysis experts a lot about the person in the way certain things are written.
<snip>

quote:

ORIGINAL: freedomdwarf1

quote:

ORIGINAL: RockaRolla

quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw

and learning cursive is a waste of time! I fully support that. I see no REAL use for cursive and I didn't at 7 either. I actually was so stubborn I had to get out of "Guidance Class" (I know right...) to go take special handwriting lessons with a teacher.

I still managed to just barely learn it and then never use it again.

I disagree. I've found at least 2 uses for learning cursive:

-Easier to write on cakes (which, admittedly, isn't a draw for most people)
-Being able to read handwriting from older folks (and translate for the people who refuse to learn cursive like it's a secret alien code.)

But maybe you're right, because outside of those two applications I have no use for loopy letters.

I think cursive is paramount learning.
I also think it looks a whole shitload better than block capitals - and it's faster to write too.

It can also tell linguistic analysis experts a lot about the person in the way certain things are written.

All too often I see this dead-spider type of writing and I absolutely hate it and often can't read it at all.
Personally, I think it should be banned until pupils reach upper school grades.

And grammar??? Oh fuck yes!!
Sometimes no grammar (especially punctuation) can make a sentence have a completely different meaning altogether depending how you read it.

Examples
Sought: Two strong, clean youths for sausages.
Wanted: Precast concrete man.
Need: Woman to run up curtains.
Wanted: A room by two gentlemen 30 feet long and 20 feet wide.
Butcher's sign: Try our sausages. None like them.
A tailor's guarantee: If the smallest hole appears after six months' wear, we will make another absolutely free.
Lost: A small pony belonging to a young lady with a silver mane and tail.
Barber's sign: Hair cut while you wait.
Lost: Wallet belonging to a young man made of calf skin
It takes many ingredients to make Burger King great but, the secret ingredient is our people.
Slow Children Crossing.
"Should Madonna be aloud to adopt again?"
Automatic washing machines. Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.
"Elephants Please Stay In Your Car." (Warning at a safari park).

Using the wrong words also make me wince; the typical were/where/wear, bare/bear, to/too/two, there/their/they're, you/your/you're etc etc mistakes are really unforgivable..... it's basic English (and even basic American), so there really isn't any excuse not to learn to use the correct words.

And to be honest, most (*ahem*) 'intelligent' people can tell if a dyslexic person has written something properly or made an effort, even with the typos and speeling mistooks, than something that has been just poorly written or just plain sloppy.
Text speak should be just plain banned completely. There is no need for such crap these days - it's sheer laziness and I refuse to read it.
Eulero is one such poster on here where English is obviously not his native language, but he still manages to put together some decent posts. Some on here are just sloppy and it makes me cringe trying to read what they have typed.


And a funny poem that caught my eye -
Funny Plurals In the English Language
We'll begin with a box and the plural is boxes.
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.

The one fowl is a goose but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may found a lone mouse or a whole set of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I speak of a foot and you show me your feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why should not the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural wouldn't be hose.
And the plural of cat is cats and not cose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say Mother, we never say Methren,
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis and shim,
So English, I fancy you will all agree,
Is the funniest language you ever did see.


Am I a grammar Nazi?? You betcha - and proud of it.
In essence, grammar is everything and says a lot about the writer. [:D]

quote:

ORIGINAL: FieryOpal

quote:

ORIGINAL: freedomdwarf1

I think cursive is paramount learning.
I also think it looks a whole shitload better than block capitals - and it's faster to write too.

It can also tell linguistic analysis experts a lot about the person in the way certain things are written.
<snip>

Agreed. Your (plural) paycheck might contain an electronic signature, but it IS a signature.

Two words: Legal Documents

People who refuse to learn cursive are a forger's dream come true, not to mention those who would commit identity theft. 'Nuff said.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MariaB

Thank you Peon. Its good to know that I come over with patience, at least to you [:)]. More than anything I find it hugely frustrating. I compare these sort of threads to the “fat threads.” There will always be people who state, “most fat people are just lazy.” and we can't change their mind through debate. I absolutely know I should stay away from threads such as this but there must be some negative persuasion going on [:D].

If we didn’t have poor grammar, most editors would be out of work. Some renowned authors, who have a place among the literary elites, never conquer/ed basic writing skills. I used to work with a number of lawyers that employed an in house editor. She made a reasonable living making smart men appear just as smart on paper.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MariaB
I’ll say it again; there is no correlation between keen smart minds and good grammar. If that were the case we wouldn’t see so many dyslexics holding down prestigious jobs and earning high salaries and we wouldn’t see so many poor spellers with PhDs. Of course we need good grammar if we want to be a grammarian or even a mathematician. Its often a requirement for many low salaried white collar workers but if you have the brain power, you don’t necessarily need it to be successful.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MariaB

@ freedomdwarf1 And to be honest, most (*ahem*) 'intelligent' people can tell if a dyslexic person has written something properly or made an effort, even with the typos and speeling mistooks, than something that has been just poorly written or just plain sloppy.

I disagree. I don’t think most intelligent people can spot a dyslexic person from the written word. Can we also spot someone with general learning difficulties? If so, is it out place to ridicule their handicap? If not, should we be a little more hesitant before slapping a lazy label on their backs? Its very clear that some of the contributors to these forums have learning difficulties that go way beyond the written word. Good for them for coming here and making an effort. Whilst many deem such people as lazy or uneducated, I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt.

quote:

ORIGINAL: inkedone

quote:

ORIGINAL: FieryOpal

quote:

ORIGINAL: freedomdwarf1

I think cursive is paramount learning.
I also think it looks a whole shitload better than block capitals - and it's faster to write too.

It can also tell linguistic analysis experts a lot about the person in the way certain things are written.
<snip>

Agreed. Your (plural) paycheck might contain an electronic signature, but it IS a signature.

Two words: Legal Documents

People who refuse to learn cursive are a forger's dream come true, not to mention those who would commit identity theft. 'Nuff said.

Cursive and proper grammar is not just for babyboomer's anymore must have reach a point of being an old fart of the Gen Y variety (Giggles).

I think that UnholyBear and FieryOpal have added some valid points to this topic of discussion. Maybe the point of learning of having good grammar skills and penmanship is a reference to legality and a chosen niche career field. Where drafting procedures and negotiating legal contracts that require theses skills before it becomes computerized print.
I am referenced as a niche accountant within my chosen career path as a manufacturing accountant. I work with engineers on a daily basis, and over the years have drafted many white papers and procedures converting sales agreements and engineering math into financial formulas for such things as thermal sales, energy capacity, and fuel margins based on efficiencies such as heat rates or fuel to power math written to become electronic form. To be honest, I have never seen a legal contract with edits or signed into execution without some form of red line edits written in cursive or a variation between print and cursive. Perhaps there is more to having proper grammar and penmanship than a generation gap.

quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw

Penmanship, cursive, and grammar are all different things.
And the first two have little to do with the last.

Grammar IS still rightfully taught in school and I never said anything about a generational gap there.
Writing and learning how to write isn't a waste of time. Learning useless cursive IS.

Cursive is not good penmanship universally.

I have not written in cursive since grade school. I don't just write my signature on a legal document in capitals with a crayon either.
Good grammar and penmanship (especially penmanship) do not necessarily point to a smarter person.

quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw
Penmanship, cursive, and grammar are all different things.
And the first two have little to do with the last.

Grammar IS still rightfully taught in school and I never said anything about a generational gap there.
Writing and learning how to write isn't a waste of time. Learning useless cursive IS.

quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw
Cursive is not good penmanship universally.

quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw
I have not written in cursive since grade school.

quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw
I don't just write my signature on a legal document in capitals with a crayon either.
Good grammar and penmanship (especially penmanship) do not necessarily point to a smarter person.

quote:

ORIGINAL: freedomdwarf1

But I would contest that there is no correlation between the two.

quote:



If you want to keep picking out exceptions, it doesn't break the general rule of thumb that fits most people.
You would be the one that says hearing isn't important to musicians because Beethoven was deaf and a great success of his era.
Talk to the majority of half-decent musicians and they will tell you otherwise.
It seems to be a trait with you.... pick an exception and extrapolate that to everyone.