If everybody wrote the way they do on Yahoo Q & A, how far would it take them in their careers?

Question

For example, would they even get past filling up the interview form?

And even if they should make the grade, what kind of a career do you think they’d be in?

Note: of course there are many well-written Q & As on Yahoo – but you also know the other half of it, at least.

No, I don’t think I’ve really opened a can of worms.

I mean, I have put my words very mildly. Besides, I wouldn’t expect any boss to be as nice to you as I would be. LOL.

I am genuinely curious about this matter.

No worries, Iain. LOL means laughing out loud (not little old lady). LOL.

Answer 1

Interesting question. Well I guess since some people don't like to take the effort to type the "whole" word they use short terms such as 'u, r, me 2, ya, iuno, lol' things like that. If everybody wrote like that then it would probably just assimilate into the language: i mean, as in if everyone did it then we wouldn't really think it's weird to see it on a legal document or something, because everyone would do it!
But, if there were an individual as such who 'happened' to end up with a job, i guess they could be a graphic designer? Someone who comes up with names for businesses or something because they seem to be very creative with their words.
Maybe someone who monitors msn? They can 'read' all the acronyms we're putting such as 'btw, brb, lol, tyvm'
as you can see, i am not one of those people :P

Answer 2

Some people would have no job at all. They don't answer the question being asked or are so offensive that no one would even finish looking over their application. Some would be offered help filling out a new application so they could do some sort of menial work. A few would be offered jobs far beyond their ability because they use bits copied and pasted from other sites without listing their source. Some would be given positions of great responsibility that they are ill-epuipped to handle because it's easier to pontificate on here than it is to make the right choices in real life. And then there are participants like myself who would be offered a job writing scripts for hypnosis tapes.

Answer 3

I doubt I would even let them ASK for an application, let alone fill it out.
But for arguments sake, let's say I did. I would assign them the job of communicating to others who spoke the same way. They could translate the following:
"We're sorry, but we don't hire lazy morons who talk the way they write and/or spell."

You know what scares hell out of me? That the English language could well end up just like that in say, a thousand years. Damn!!!!!!

This is for FaZizzle. I take extreme exception to your comment about those of us over 60. Who do you think started this hi tech age? I would guess that most of us between 60 and 70 are much more "up"on technology than the younger "kids". We know what makes things work because we invented them. You just use them. SO THERE!!!!!!!! :)

An addition after reading the answers below mine.
I'm not hacking those that don't speak English as their primary language. At least they try and I commend them for that in every way. Who they are is pretty easy to figure out by their spellings and sentence structure. It's those that DO have English as the mother tongue. I don't care if they text on their cell phones or not. This isn't a cell phone and they should write in the proper manner. There is no "typing fee" for how long it takes you to type your answer.

Answer 4

There are a few well written and thought out answers and you are correct to a certain degree but it is yahoo who has provided all the short forms of writing. I found these short forms on my computer so if you encourage people to write like that they will do so. They are also used to writing in these short forms because they text messages on their mobiles and need to write things quickly. You know that young people today are always in a rush.That does not mean they are not good at their work. Sometimes people who work faster and use abbreviations are more accurate than people that plod along.
To say that all people over 60 are unable to cope with the new technologies is also wrong because I know many older people who know how to text and how to use the computer. They have a lot of time to play around with the computer and can many times help you out to solve problems that you yourself are not capable of resolving.
There are also people on this site who are unable to spell because English is not their first language but given work in their own language I am sure they would be able to cope with it as well as you or I.
At least, if there are some who resort to foul language and who think only of sex questions and, are English speaking ,whatever they say and think they are learning how to speak better ,learning how to read and getting to know how the rest of the people on here talk and speak so it is not such a bad thing.
The world needs all sorts of people. It does not just need educated and learned people...we need people who will do menial work for us and we all fit in like a jigsaw puzzle. If we all worked in executive positions who would do the work in the office? Who would look after the crops and the animals? Who would look after the sick and ailing? Who would collect our dirt?There are many jobs that don't need the written word and some don't even need the oral word either. The person that works silently and unnoticed is often the one that does work that no one else wants to do.

Answer 5

Hi show room Dummy! I am pleased that you brought up this subject!
How many on this site have read the terms and conditions of this site? It stipulates that you must write correct English with grammar
included. At least that is what I read before answering the first question. You also must not offend, be impolite nor be provocative.
I have already alerted Yahoo on this subject, suggesting that they
should employ at least ten trainees, working undercover, as if
they were one of us, with the possibility of being taken on as permanent staff at a later date. Their duty would be to act as
umpires, reporting abuse and disqualifying when necessary, say
after two or three major abuses. I never received any reply. I was
born in Glasgow, studied at Fettes College in Edinburgh, and you
will notice that I do not ask questions, I only answer without any
research via Google/Yahoo or Wiki. Why? Because I am 69 and
am semi impaired to doing anything else (I have an inoperable
fractured spine (L5) and have little else worth while, to pass my time away. I do write blogs, contribute to several magazines and
other sites including Wiki. Study Astrophysics, ecology, maths
and physics, nanotechnology, and science in general. I do this
for my son who has three Phds, three Doctorates and two post
doctotrates. He only does not like computers. So I send him all
the alerts he needs to keep ahead. His name is Thomas Logan Ritchie and you can Google him if you wish. I am, once again,
writing a little more than I should, which is on purpose in order
to draw Yahoo‘s attention. Some day they will waken up to the
facts. This Q&A must cost a lot to maintain and I could not praise
them more for their efforts. So, their intention should be respected,
or they will cut us off. By the way, I would like to know what is
the meaning of LOL? Shows you how dumb I am. I do answer a
lot of questions for those in need and there are plenty of them.
Therefore I think there is space for all, but respect must be
maintained. Thanks again, and if you manage to read all of this,
I think you are a builder of ideas and not a destroyer.
I sincerely believe we need more guys, like you, on board.
Yours aye, Iain Ritchie

Answer 6

Not too far off,sometimes people are more impressed by the way you speak and not the way you write,but i think yahoo Q&A educates you to be a better person through and through,so i would agree with you if you suggested a certificate to be awarded to every yahoo Q&A user. But indirectly it should help improve your careers or studies,I don't see why not.And since it's open for advice,it's useful for just about all kinds of career.

Answer 7

When I hear an ITV reporter talikng about Madonna being, 'more richer', I don't think English can be much of requirement nowadays. Especially when considering the large number of immigarnats who cannot speak English properly. If an employer critised an Engishman on his English, he would probably start running to the Racial Discrimination Tribunal, saying his was better that Ali Somebody, and he was being discriminated against.

Answer 8

You have to realize that a lot of people DO write like people on Yahoo! Answers or really any forum site like this.

If a person only has to write a name, it would be fine.

It would be passing a typing test that 90% of people would fail.

Anyone older than 60 has an 80% chance of failing due to lack of technological skills.

Anyone younger than 30 has a 75% change of failing due to the poor grammatical influences of the Internet.

Crazy, isn't it!?

Answer 9

If they wrote the way they do on this site! They would have not career. But you have to remember. Their are some very young people here. And also people from other countries.

P.S. You do know you just opened a can of worms with this question, don't you?

Answer 10

Given how many ways I've seen the English language mutilated here I'd say they should be sent all the way back to first grade and forced to go through school and college all over again!