Dee Flint wrote:

Nope but it isn't worth my time to compose if people aren't going to bother
reading it. If I'm not going to take the time to do it reasonably well, I'm
not going to bother at all.

Well it is your choice but frankly I skip any message that takes extra
effort to decipher. I keep my spell checker and grammar checker turned
on
at all times despite the fact that I received straight A's throughout
elementary school, high school, and college in all the English classes
(and
related classes) that I took. Even with these aids turned on, I take
time
to look through my message and make sure that it is as clear as possible.
I
want people to read what I've written. Otherwise why bother to write
anything?

I agree 100% with Dee's ideas expressed above. If something is worth
writing, it's worth writing clearly.

This doesn't mean we're all Shakespeares. It does mean we can at least
do what we can to use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and
capitalization.

--

An analogy:

Suppose there are a group of hams who regularly QSO on VHF or UHF FM.
Although they use different rigs, all have signals with "good audio" -
clean, crisp, clear, easy to listen to and understand.

Then a newcomer shows up, with a signal that has really poor audio.
Muffled, distorted, very unclear. Not weak, off-frequency or
over-deviating,
just not clear. Varies from 'requires a careful listen' to 'completely
impossible to understand'.

Fortunately it is discovered that the problem lies in the microphone
being used by the newcomer. It's the original that came with the rig,
which is no longer made. Nothing wrong with the rig itself, it's the
mike which is the problem.

But the newcomer refuses to replace the microphone. Says it's too much
trouble, costs too much money, and a new mike wouldn't be as easy to
use as the old one. Plus he doesn't think his audio is all that bad in
the first place.

Newcomer finally says that if the group can't understand him, it's
*their* problem, not his, and he shouldn't be expected to spend money,
time and effort to get a new microphone for his rig.

How should the group respond?

73 de Jim, N2EY