Topic: What is style, why do we write things down, and in what ways does technology determine style?

To begin at the end, there are myriad ways in which technology determines style. First, we select tools such as writing instruments (there's a descriptive term for the technology of pencil and pen), then we select a medium in which to express our thoughts, and finally we form a discourse community, which is dependent on the technology selected.

Available technology determines if we IM sans discernable grammar or tweet for 140 characters. Our audience is important as we write. We observe the norms of the discourse community, as Baron notes, in our writing for the virtual community. If we violate the norms of style to which the community is accustomed, we are flamed nearly instantaneously. This has the effect of helping us to self-regulate our style.

Some of us write to think, some of us write to remember, some of us write to empathize in tragedy or great joy. We mix both public duties and private thoughts in the stream of words that symbolically represent ideas  otherwise fleeting and inscrutable. Our style emerges from the choice of graceful or clunky phrases, our mastery or ignorance of contemporary grammar rules, and our purpose in putting writing tools to work.

Why is Style Important in my Workplace?

Style is critical in my job teaching writing for an online college. I facilitate asynchronous conversations among 40 students from all over the country in two classrooms. I have nine weeks to teach the fundamentals of persuasive writing and grammar.

My students sometimes write badly; Joseph Williams in Style nails the causes of bad writing (Chapter 1): students have been scarred by overcritical English teachers; students try too hard to make simple ideas impressive; students are writing about subjects outside their experience.

Sadly, I also find regional differences in students' ability to compose the simplest sentences. As Baron notes in A Better Pencil, literacy separates the disadvantaged from the advantaged in our society (23).

Regardless of background of my students, I enforce high standards for virtual writing. I agree with Baron that virtual communities are self-regulating, and that norms are emerging ("spelling counts online, just as it counts on the page" (xiii)).


I work on style issues with every student. I model college writing for students who struggle with clarity. Others explore stylistic consequences of passive voice and danging modifiers and finding voice. The technology my school employs makes it possible for me to provide virtually a personalized writing seminar to every student, no matter what level of expertise they possess. My goal is to encourage students to think of themselves as writers, even if they are studying to become a medical assistant or a police officer. As universal access meets digitized instruction, writing teachers have extraordinary challenges and exciting tools for working with students.

Keep the Texting Where It Belongs

English is a rich and descriptive tongue. We can pick from gutteral Germanic words or elegant French synonyms depending on our mood. Our Latina/o neighbors contributed a fiesta of descriptive and joyful words. Why, then, are our classrooms afflicted with students who write: "RUK"  and "OMG" and "LOL" like they are instant messaging their friends?

Even worse, young writers have to be reminded that, yes, in English, we capitalize the "I."

If we're not in IM, leave out the texting language. There is no English teacher in the country who wants to see that stuff in the classroom.