[Sokal]

Hi,

Someone's written to me, and it's a very important email. However, the person has left out or forgotten to put a full stop at the end of the sentence, in this case, the email is one sentence. Because of this, I doubt the person's sincerity.

Therefore, I was wondering if you could tell me if you've ever left out a full stop or comma anywhere in an email, or at the end. If you have, please explain why, and also if you haven't, please explain why. It would help incredibly.

Thanks,

S

 

[Clyme]

Hi,

Someone's written to me, and it's a very important email. However, the person has left out or forgotten to put a full stop at the end of the sentence, in this case, the email is one sentence. Because of this, I doubt the person's sincerity.

Therefore, I was wondering if you could tell me if you've ever left out a full stop or comma anywhere in an email, or at the end. If you have, please explain why, and also if you haven't, please explain why. It would help incredibly.

Thanks,

S

You doubt the person's sincerity due to a grammatical mistake? I don't see why.

No, I always add the appropriate commas or periods in my emails, even if it is only one sentence or if it is the last sentence. Proper grammar promotes clarity, so that's why I do it. Clarity is the purpose of communication.

 

[VinnieBob]

You doubt the person's sincerity due to a grammatical mistake? I don't see why.

No, I always add the appropriate commas or periods in my emails, even if it is only one sentence or if it is the last sentence. Proper grammar promotes clarity, so that's why I do it. Clarity is the purpose of communication.

must be a INTP:laughing:

 

[Wisteria]

Are you joking? If that is true, then they probably have dyslexia. What a random question though.

 

[Sokal]

The person I received the email from has lied in the past, hence why I doubt the person's sincerity. I don't find it a strange question, it's like saying 'don't listen to him, compared to, don't, listen to him - has no importance in what the difference is.

 

[Another Lost Cause]

Maybe his keyboard sucks and the punctuation keys don't work. Maybe he's writing on his phone, and it's a true pain in the ass to use those buttons, maybe, maybe, maybe... In any case, if you don't feel he is saying anything important, then why waste your time? Is there some reason he needs to show sincerity? Is he expressing love for you or something?

 

[Stickman]

You doubt the person's sincerity due to a grammatical mistake? I don't see why.

No, I always add the appropriate commas or periods in my emails, even if it is only one sentence or if it is the last sentence. Proper grammar promotes clarity, so that's why I do it. Clarity is the purpose of communication.

The purpose of communication is to exchange information. Clarity is the measure of how well the information is presented as to ensure the correct interpretation of the information. Clarity is important, but it's not the purpose of communication.

 

[Stickman]

The person I received the email from has lied in the past, hence why I doubt the person's sincerity. I don't find it a strange question, it's like saying 'don't listen to him, compared to, don't, listen to him - has no importance in what the difference is.

So you doubt the person's sincerity because of past transgressions, not because of that person's faulty interpunction.

 

[Clyme]

The purpose of communication is to exchange information. Clarity is the measure of how well the information is presented as to ensure the correct interpretation of the information. Clarity is important, but it's not the purpose of communication.

True. I thought about that in hindsight after posting, but alas, I had things that had to be done. I would say that clear communication is intrinsic to the purpose of communication though because it is a key quality to the actual exchange, and this is more-so what I was getting at. Without clarity, information cannot be exchanged. At the one extreme, you could view a bunch of scribbles on a page and despite it being a message intended for you, no information would actually be communicated. Everything else, from grammar to spelling to rhetoric and more, facilitates this exchange. They are more than just being important: they are the mechanical underpinnings to the communication itself.

 

[series0]

It is very common for people to treat email or texting with absolutely no respect whatsoever. That means essentially that because it is a new form of communication they take liberties with it. The very word OK in language is an example of this type of shorthand that gains cultural inertia and becomes ingrained. Email and text messages like:

1 B there ty

and

btw r u c?

Are normal. They certainly do not have punctuation often enough. A lot of people do not even properly understand where commas go in normal formal English let alone in informal email and text.

I suggest to you that on the surface there is no slight implied by someone not including these punctuations. I also suggest that you worry to much in general. Cut the world and everyone in it (yourself most of all) some slack.

 

[niss]

If you have an open mind about their intent, then ask them to clarify. If you aren't going to believe their response if it is different than your presupposition, then don't waste either his or your time.

 

[Sokal]

If you have an open mind about their intent, then ask them to clarify. If you aren't going to believe their response if it is different than your presupposition, then don't waste either his or your time.

There's no need to go into intent, I asked all here a general question, it's been answered once, not as much as I'd hoped, but it will have to do.

Thanks anyway!

S

 

[Sokal]

Maybe his keyboard sucks and the punctuation keys don't work. Maybe he's writing on his phone, and it's a true pain in the ass to use those buttons, maybe, maybe, maybe... In any case, if you don't feel he is saying anything important, then why waste your time? Is there some reason he needs to show sincerity? Is he expressing love for you or something?

I can't say yet, I'll write about it in my book.

 

[tanstaafl28]

Not if I can help it.

 

[95134hks]

You doubt the person's sincerity due to a grammatical mistake? I don't see why.

No, I always add the appropriate commas or periods in my emails, even if it is only one sentence or if it is the last sentence. Proper grammar promotes clarity, so that's why I do it. Clarity is the purpose of communication.

Exactly.

It is interesting to note however that ancient Hebrew and ancient Greek are both written without punctuation.

Punctuation evolved during the European Middle Ages with the re-transcriptions of the Bible by Catholic monks.

Thus punctuation and grammar in English are always evolving.

The current trend is towards less punctuation however.

These days you have to see if you can leave out things from your writing and have them still be clearly understood.

The issue is critical in legal documents and in legislating and regulating the law.

But you are right -- clear communication is the most important thing both in writing and in speech.

 

[niss]

There's no need to go into intent, I asked all here a general question, it's been answered once, not as much as I'd hoped, but it will have to do.

Thanks anyway!

S

Intent is always the most important aspect.

 

[Stickman]

Intent is always the most important aspect.

If you accidently shoot someone in the head, what's more important? Intent or result?

I'd rather have someone try to kill me and fail, than someone not trying to kill me accidently succeed.

 

[niss]

If you accidently shoot someone in the head, what's more important? Intent or result?

I'd rather have someone try to kill me and fail, than someone not trying to kill me accidently succeed.

If some is killed, we always seek to find out why. It is the difference between murder, manslaughter, or justifiable homicide.

You have to assume the same end result, in order to compare the crimes.

 

[Stickman]

Intent is always the most important aspect.

If you accidently shoot someone in the head, what's more important? Intent or result?

I'd rather have someone try to kill me and fail, than someone not trying to kill me accidently succeed.

If some is killed, we always seek to find out why. It is the difference between murder, manslaughter, or justifiable homicide.

You have to assume the same end result, in order to compare the crimes.

Yes, but that doesn't adress the question(in bold).

Is intent always the most important aspect?
Is intent always more important than result?

 

[Sokal]

Exactly.

The issue is critical in legal documents and in legislating and regulating the law.

You just said it, it is a legal document, and relevant to regulations of the law.