Monday, July 28, 2008

books r gr8

Ah, nothing like the irony of reading on the internet about the decline of reading due to reading things on the internet:

Published: July 27, 2008
Is the Internet the enemy of reading, or has it created a new kind of reading, one that society should not discount?
[...]
As teenagers’ scores on standardized reading tests have declined or stagnated, some argue that the hours spent prowling the Internet are the enemy of reading — diminishing literacy, wrecking attention spans and destroying a precious common culture that exists only through the reading of books. But others say the Internet has created a new kind of reading, one that schools and society should not discount. The Web inspires a teenager like Nadia, who might otherwise spend most of her leisure time watching television, to read and write.
And yes, I also see the irony of creating a blog (an enemy to reading) to promote my book (which is best consumed by reading). But, you have to give me some credit. When I blog, I try to use complete sentences and proper grammar. It's the same thing with emails and text messages. Not only do I capitalize letters and punctuate sentences but I seem incapable of not double-spacing after a period and I don't think I'll ever be able to bring myself to use an "lol". Heck, I may even close with a "sincerely".

Of course, while all of this would make my former English teachers proud, it doesn't do much to encourage people to reply without fear of getting graded.

But one shouldn't worry. I grade on a curve.

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