Shaming

I highly recommend the book So You've Been Publicly Shamed, by Jon Ronson.  I also just finished Eats, Shoots, and Leaves, by Lynne Truss, but I do not recommend it to anyone unless he or she needs a basic grammar refresher (and doesn't mind keeping the UK/US rules straight while refreshing).

Reading these two books in sequence made for an interesting view of two dynamics.  One book shames improper grammar usage, and the other considers the ramifications of over-shaming in the Internet age. 

Such matters leave me torn.  On one hand, I am absolutely in favor of standards, and I like to shake my cane at anyone who can't write a proper sentence or who minimizes the clarity that grammar provides.  I hate to see people hold themselves to low standards, and I do think grammar matters.  On the other hand, I really think people get way too uptight about it.  It's a balance, and no two people seem to have the same breaking point.  Watching people balance that in public becomes its own "failbook" live feed.

My preference w/r/t grammar is to avoid shortcuts and maintain complete sentences whether in e-mail, text, or formal document.  Like any good habit, strength comes from regularity.  But, I really don't like to see people riding in high-horse competitions, either.

The Internet/text age is here, and it has ramifications.  The world won't end as a result, but those who know how to communicate more clearly will hold an advantage.  I prefer to strive for that distinction than to herd cats into my way of thinking, but to each her own.

Truss' book left me feeling a little lectured, and made me think of all the times when people went way overboard on innocent mistakes.  Typos vs. ignorance isn't always clear.  It comes with the territory.  Ronson, on the other hand, holds a mirror to us all.  He takes the shaming out of "their" hands and places blame into the hands of us all. 

I really enjoyed Ronson's exploration of humanity.  As usual, his book was entertaining and enlightening.  I have come to expect that from Mr. Ronson, and he did not disappoint.  After finishing the Truss book, on the other hand, I must fight the temptation to search for evidence of her as a regular Internet "shamer."

Of course, my biggest shame is waiting almost four months to write my first 2015 post.