The Way It used to Be

[pdub]

I can remember vaguely, I asked my Mama one time how to spell a particular word. I was little, doing a homework assignment or something. Mama said, "Go find it in the newspaper."

And there was a newspaper in the house. Way back then. Two of them got thrown on the front porch every day, the Charlotte Observer in the morning and the Rock Hill Herald in the afternoon.. That was the way the news got out, it used to be. And those folks could spell words perfectly, the newspaper was just like a dictionary as far as grammar and spelling, there were copy editors who made sure everything in the newspaper was perfect before it went out, way back then.

Not so anymore. With the internet news. I've got some issues with my spelling and grammar, but I don't get paid to publish the national news. And paper is a dying dog, at the end of my career. I've asked groups of new hires at the paper mill, "Who subscribes to a newspaper, who gets one delivered to your door?" Blank stares every time. They've never heard of it. And I work where the paper is made.

[Deaf Bob]

They do not support their industry..
Buddy and his wife work at the Post Office... He always jumps on "new stuff". At the time it wa auto pay of bills, his wife sys, "No you are not! You will keep sending the payments thru the MAIL so we have WORK"

[Big Dave]

I have the news on all day. I'll read the stroll across the bottom of "Breaking News", can't tell you how often there are missed spelled words or abbreviations that are not understandable. I guess it's part of the dumbing down of America.

[Loren]

Newspapers being costly to produce and distribute, the editors usually worked hard to see they'd get it right or at-least make a good presentation, the prestige from doing that day after day was vital to sell papers and advertising and make those costs back. A dumb typo or incorrect fact sat there on that newsprint for everybody to hand around and made the whole organization look bad, why trust a paper for information that couldn't be relied on to get their own details correct? Then, good newspapers helped build communities and keep them together...right or wrong. A writer who drove the same streets you did, who you might see at local events or even at the diner. Advertising from the department store you bought your own socks from. Ah the olden days.

[Loren]

those folks could spell words perfectly,

From a local TV station which shall go unnamed, the last one just this morning:

[studemax]

I'm with you, P. I was trained as a kid about proper spelling, punctuation, and use of English. I'm a spelling and grammar Nazi for sure. I HATE IT when any media - newspaper, magazine, or broadcast TV - misspells words and generally effs up the language. They are in the communication biz, and should know and do better. They have no excuse in my opinion. Not to mention, spellchecking and grammar checking programs are scattered throughout the internet (even here), and people ignore them. Really burns my grits.

[Deaf Bob]

Local news reporter Marilyn Deutsch
Closed captions: Maryland Ditch

[Loren]

Here's a couple more, from Gail's files; these are classics from the past with special comical value:

[DanStokes]

I DO hope they can shut down all those damn math labs (I don't do numbers well).

Dan

[studemax]

Just today I saw a crawler running about the Georgia special elections.... "DISCRICT" instead of District.....

[pdub]

Local news reporter Marilyn Deutsch
Closed captions: Maryland Ditch

That right there, not knowing anything about anything at all, I'd suspect that there was some sort of an embedded spell checker in whatever kind of closed caption software they were using.

Like for a long time, the "Auto Correct" function on some smart phones made for some might funny "corrections," too.

I'm glad I don't have a smart phone, I never will. It's just another drug, a strong one. Another addiction, in hand every waking moment. No, I don't want that, I've seen it too much, what it does to people. It uncontrollably rules their day. No.

[DanStokes]

I'm glad I don't have a smart phone, I never will. It's just another drug, a strong one. Another addiction, in hand every waking moment. No, I don't want that, I've seen it too much, what it does to people. It uncontrollably rules their day. No.

That's big 10-4! I just got me a new phone - and it folds in the middle! I dunno why but many folks think you HAVE to get a smart phone or no phone at all and that just isn't true. US Cellular has several flip phone options and I picked the zootiest one. Nice screen. No, don't text me (sorry, Bob).

Dan

[tardis454]

One of my favorite news stories of this decade (so far)...

[studemax]

It's just another drug, a strong one. Another addiction, in hand every waking moment.

Preach it, brother Peewee!
I love my dumb phone - no texts, just actual phone calls.

[pdub]

It's like a vision or something. The folks with smart phones who are actually addicted, and there are MANY of them in my own circle on a daily basis, they can't even see it. They can't see what it's done and is doing to them. We don't really need the internet videos of folks walking into a fountain pool at the mall while texting, it's way obvious long before that. The people who are doing it can't actually "see" themselves doing it. All freaking day, every day.

It's an addiction. It's a real one.