tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612630.post8013715030144376448..comments2008-04-25T09:21:03.525-07:00Frank Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02013947594577099189noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612630.post-72345619548280150022008-04-25T09:21:00.000-07:002008-04-25T09:21:00.000-07:00Terry, Thanks for your comment; your question is a valid one. In my view it depends on the context in which you are writing. My observation is that many people err on the side of informality and that it hurts them in the long run. There is certainly a time and place for a more informal and conversational writing style, but there is also a time and place for a more formal one. The biggest land mine created by this trend is a propensity for people to become so relaxed in their writing that they go beyond informal to unprofessional and sloppy.Frank Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02013947594577099189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21612630.post-54492680755533401652008-04-25T08:47:00.000-07:002008-04-25T08:47:00.000-07:00This brings up an interesting question. Is formal writing on it's way out? Don't people engage with written communication more when it's informal and conversational? <BR/><BR/>I'd have to say that I retain much more information from blogs than I do from formal publications. Not only do I retain more information but I have more fun reading. It lets me read quickly and gets right to the point. <BR/><BR/>I'm not saying that we should start allowing emoticons and symbols in our writing. I'm just saying that informal writing when it's more conversational might be better. It's not as stuffy and I think it tends to put people in a better mood.Terry Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13952724100800924105noreply@blogger.com