Well, so much to think about this week. So sorry I am responding late, but since I was not in class last week, I missed that discussion on effective communication and therefore had to not only read our assigned readings, but really wanted to read everyone's blog so I could see what was on everyone's minds. Wow. Great stuff out there.
So, on to effective communication. First, I am in awe of some of my fellow students who are talented with graphic arts and blog design, however, this is part of what is lost in effectively communicating electronically. Some of the websites and blogs are too "busy" and therefore it takes the reader awhile to navigate through them to find what he/she is looking for. Jenna claims to "hate blank space" and although I think her blog is really cute and clever, I had a harder time reading the text because I was distracted by all the busy-ness of her lack of blank space. And I don't think that is just my generation speaking. The more distracted our minds are, the less likely they focus and retain. Hmmm... perhaps why reading scores are going down?
Aaron claims that "in fact grammar has little to do with effectively relaying ideas or arguments. We speak using poor grammar constantly, but we are still understood." Okay. Is that really a fact? Where is your evidence? I get what you are saying about letting students know that there are different audiences in which writing laced with poor grammar will still get the point across, but if you state your line I quoted to a director of an English department in any school or institute of higher learning, I doubt you will get the job. And you will be asked about grammar. They always ask.
Plato states in the Phaedrus that "the first rule of good speaking is to know and speak the truth; as a Spartan proverb says, 'true art is truth'; whereas rhetoric is an art of enchantment, which makes things appear good and evil, like and unlike, as the speaker pleases." Essentially, speaking well will always enable one to get truths or lies across most effectively. If President Obama spoke using incorrect grammar, I doubt he would be president today. The poet Keats also said "beauty is truth -- truth beauty," which I think can refer to truth being found most effectively in the beauty of language. Whether that means "correct or incorrect" I guess depends on what one deems "beautiful" language.
Plato also states that "living is better than the written word" which is translated to me as a man's actions are the best example of the story of his life -- not what he says or writes. However, Plato means it more in that truth comes better "live" from the open mouth. Which makes me think of Twitter, but I will get back to that. Plato does realize that the best reason for the written word in contrast with the spoken word is its permanence. It guards against memory loss, yes, but also that it "will bring forth fruit in the minds of others as well as his own." (bugs me that I cannot cite because of Kindle having no page numbers!). Anyway, that's my ADD-type problem -- I like structure and tradition and order over chaos. Grammar is just one way to bring order to the chaos of communication. I am not a grammarian, however, so it's not like I'm in love with it. It's just a road map that helps aid in efffective communication. The written word, retained, because it is valued will be able to, as Plato states, allow fruitful ideas to form in the minds of people who read it.
Which brings me back to Twitter. Twitter, more than any other form of the written word is "live" truth (or lies) instant and spontaneous as the spoken word, but translated not from human voice to human ear, but from human thumb, to electronic device, to human eye. But are these "Tweets" of value, truth to be retained? Some may be. Others are self-involved musings clogging the minds of others, rather than being fruit. Does Twitter make our minds, for lack of a better word, constipated, rather than providing the fiber of energy the fruit of knowledge would inspire? Oh hell. I'm just trying to be humorous and it's epic failing. So, instead, I will let You-Tube and the talent of actual communicators by comedy do this for me. For, in closing, I do believe comedy or satire to be a wonderful tool in effective communication. As Jonathan Swift was aware, especially when writing essays like "A Modest Proposal," sometimes the best way to get society to think about its foibles is to get them to laugh at themselves. Enjoy the attached.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Axzxe1a78E
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