Forums Help People Learn to Write

College Life
21

<p>^Depends on the forum's subject matter. If I'm there long enough to become slightly bored witht he forum I'll move onto the "Life the Universe and Everything" type sections. But if I'm really getting bored with the general purpose of the forum, don't find the LUE forums interesting and haven't made any friends on the forum, then I have no purpose and therefore leave. I can't imagine how many thousands upon thousands of online posts and (to a lesser extent) guestbooks I have signed through the years.</p>

<p>It seems as though most of the people here had their first experience with a games forum (i.e. gamefaqs/gamespot). I bet Juniorita has seen a lot of gaming threads discussing why there are fewer girls playing videogames. It's a shame that hardtoimpresses' Hatrack forum by that famous sci-fi author was destroyed, but there are (to my knowledge) some so-so replacements: the elite skills forum comes to mind.</p>

<p>But I do think that even when you're discussing trivial material such as which video game is better, you're still arguing for a case in writing. Nevermind the shorthand which crops up in typing-the argument is still structured the same and people still need to defend their arguments (especially against Gamefaqs adolescent trolls) and in the process refine their abillity to argue.</p>

22

<p>Honestly, I don't think so. There are people who post frequently on message boards but whose posts hardly make any sense. I think that if you're already a clear writer, what you post will be readable. If you're not - and make no effort to improve - then your posts probably won't be very clearly written.</p>

23

<p>Forums are probably most helpful as far as helping people formulate thoughts and express them more concisely. They wont help you with composing, mechanics, and such. Having said that, I feel forums are better at making you think better rather than making you write better.</p>

24

<p>yep i stick with outside discussions..</p>

25

<p>It depends largely on how you approach it. </p>

<p>There are many on this forum that write like they just don't care and in that way, forum writing isn't beneficial.</p>

<p>Then you come across those who do write with certain standards in mind and those are the people who influence those who want to learn to write better.</p>

<p>The more you surround yourself with better writing, the more your subconscious will absorb and mimic those styles. Reading literature and essays are the best ways to do that.</p>