Rod, at 14:47 on May 26 1995, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BG> However, there is still no substitute for having
BG> learned correct grammar, syntax etc at school,

RS> Particularly when thats accompanied by copious use of the lash.

Damn right too.  Didn't do me any harm.  |-)

RS> Does wonders for the commercial prospects
RS> of the S&M institutions in later life too.

Dunno yet, I'll keep you informed though.  Some people put up with it,
others rebel, while I just kill cats.  In my case, a damn good result IMO.

BG> and as far as poor spelling is concerned, I'd rather
BG> keep my comments to myself, lest I offend others.

RS> Yeah, we know you never ever intentionally offend Bill |-)

Well, not "never ever", but no more so that you do Rod.  |-)

BG> Take RTL for example (please!), he professes to be a programmer,
BG> yet his spelling is so atrocious, that I can't imagine any of his
BG> programs ever compiling or running correctly.

RS> Very simple really, what affects good spelling has SFA to do with 
RS> what affects being a good programmer, or getting programs to compile 
RS> or run.

We have discussed this previously in Avtech (I think), and I disagree no
less now than before.  Complex code is completely unforgiving when it finds
a spelling error, you know that as well as I do.

BG> As an aside, Brisbane City Council held their annual school 
BG> spelling bee last week, and it did not surprise me in the least 
BG> that it was won by a 12 year old Vietnamese boy.  Why do Asians do 
BG> so well in our educational institutions?  The only explanation I 
BG> can offer is that their attitudes towards learning are far more 
BG> intense than ours, which is very much in keeping with my own 
BG> observation that the majority of local school kids are simply lazy 
BG> little shits.

RS> Or they have enough sense to realise that there are
RS> more important things in life than perfect spelling.

Missing the point utterly.  The spelling was merely an example of what
appears to be the Asians' totally different mindset and attitude towards
learning in general.  Maybe possible loss of face comes into it, I don't
know.

Regards, Bill
@EOT:

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