Cursive Writing?

[ponyboy]

lol...learn to sign your name in cursive...thats all you need. Who still writes in cursive? Anyone under the age of 40? People use this strange device called a computer now. Computers are so small that they actually fit in your pants pocket now. You press keys and they magically show up on the screen. Maybe school should start having kids write using a quill pen and ink?

Its time to move forward people. Its called progression. Stop acting like cursive is some sort of lost art form. lulz

[Badger]

If the argument is that we have computers and therefore no need for writing in cursive then why not take this a step further. There is no need to be able to read or write anything whether block printed or cursive or in any language since computers can already type out your voice message and also read typed messages back to you in any language you prefer.

Cheers!

[Amethyst]

Yes, the "computers can do it, so why bother" argument can be picked like a Thanksgiving turkey. Computers can talk; why should we? Computers can give directions; why bother learning how to get anywhere? (Meanwhile, where are those computers that will clean my kitchen floors, including getting into the interstices between the hardwood boards?)

Computers also have a pesky need for a constant flow of electrons, so until we solve that problem we cannot always use "computers" as the reason for throwing something else away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger If the argument is that we have computers and therefore no need for writing in cursive then why not take this a step further. There is no need to be able to read or write anything whether block printed or cursive or in any language since computers can already type out your voice message and also read typed messages back to you in any language you prefer. Cheers!

[ponyboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger If the argument is that we have computers and therefore no need for writing in cursive then why not take this a step further. There is no need to be able to read or write anything whether block printed or cursive or in any language since computers can already type out your voice message and also read typed messages back to you in any language you prefer. Cheers!

You sound like my FIL. I know who you're voting for in the election! lol...can you list why its important that people still write in cursive vs regular print? Out of my entire family, parents, sister, relatives, etc...I can only think of 1 that has a need for writing period...not cursive writing...just writing...and that person is a teacher. They still use white boards. Actually I scrible on post its throughout the day. Guess I still enjoy killing trees. I could just as easily fire up notepad or something basic on the computer and type my notes there.

Its odd how people react when something they consider to be important is no longer "important" to the rest of the population. They become defensive and and will say the most extreme things and blow it out of proportion. My FIL did the same thing with same sex marriage. If people can marry the same sex where does it end...can they start marrying animals, etc etc. True story. Very conservative! He's what you call an echo of a dying generation.

The problem with voice typing is its disruptive to anyone around you. Sure computers can do it kinda ok...its not perfected yet. Could you imagine an office environment where people speak out loud to their computers? Wouldnt work so well. Its disruptive enough when people are on the phone.

[MichaelB]

In addition to cursive, schools could also cover the basics of Dale Carnegie.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB In addition to cursive, schools could also cover the basics of Dale Carnegie.

Ding ding ding.

I learned more useful information in 12 weeks of Carnegie than 12 years of public school.

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[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ponyboy You sound like my FIL. I know who you're voting for in the election! lol...can you list why its important that people still write in cursive vs regular print? Out of my entire family, parents, sister, relatives, etc...I can only think of 1 that has a need for writing period...not cursive writing...just writing...and that person is a teacher. They still use white boards. Actually I scrible on post its throughout the day. Guess I still enjoy killing trees. I could just as easily fire up notepad or something basic on the computer and type my notes there. /snip/

WOW... what does your family and friends do

EVERYBODY that I know writes... they write notes, they write lists, they write thank you messages, phone numbers, messages off the phone etc. etc... lots of things to write..

I would say of the people that I remember, half write cursive... my mom does, at least two of my sisters, my DW... now, my kids do not as they did not learn... I do not, but have not since I had a drafting class in college and found out I could write faster with block letters and much more readable...

I do not use my phone for a crutch... my oldest sister still uses a paper calendar... so does my DW most of the time...


I do not go with the argument that we do not use a quill or some long lost language that we should just abandon cursive writing.. the examples given are of things that went away a century ago or longer... cursive 'going away' is pretty new...


BTW, does anybody know what is happening in other countries I would be interested in what is taught in the UK or other places that has cursive writing...

[6miths]

All of the exams I am marking in my hobby job are hand written. Many of them are just nasty. In fact I advise students beforehand (only half jokingly) that there are bonus marks for legiblity and humour! I would say that more than half of them, 20-somethings, write in cursive.

[niven]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ponyboy You sound like my FIL. I know who you're voting for in the election! lol...can you list why its important that people still write in cursive vs regular print? Out of my entire family, parents, sister, relatives, etc...I can only think of 1 that has a need for writing period...not cursive writing...just writing...and that person is a teacher. They still use white boards. Actually I scrible on post its throughout the day. Guess I still enjoy killing trees. I could just as easily fire up notepad or something basic on the computer and type my notes there. Its odd how people react when something they consider to be important is no longer "important" to the rest of the population. They become defensive and and will say the most extreme things and blow it out of proportion. My FIL did the same thing with same sex marriage. If people can marry the same sex where does it end...can they start marrying animals, etc etc. True story. Very conservative! He's what you call an echo of a dying generation. The problem with voice typing is its disruptive to anyone around you. Sure computers can do it kinda ok...its not perfected yet. Could you imagine an office environment where people speak out loud to their computers? Wouldnt work so well. Its disruptive enough when people are on the phone.

OK, I'll probably get in trouble for this.

Personally, I don't remember it taking that long to learn how to write cursive in school, but even if it was a huge waste of time I think not even being able to read cursive can cause issues for an educated, well-rounded person even in today's society.

I also think a software developer who doesn't understand binary and hexadecimal (and I've seen them) is at a possible disadvantage, even though those skills aren't used a lot in modern languages.

But wow, ponyboy, I can't believe you don't think a liberally-minded individual could ever have a problem with cursive being totally ignored in schools. If you're this narrow-minded at what I assume is a younger age, how are you going to be when you get old? Just something to think about.

[jazz4cash]

Quote:

Originally Posted by niven OK, I'll probably get in trouble for this. Personally, I don't remember it taking that long to learn how to write cursive in school, but even if it was a huge waste of time I think not even being able to read cursive can cause issues for an educated, well-rounded person even in today's society. I also think a software developer who doesn't understand binary and hexadecimal (and I've seen them) is at a possible disadvantage, even though those skills aren't used a lot in modern languages. But wow, ponyboy, I can't believe you don't think a liberally-minded individual could ever have a problem with cursive being totally ignored in schools. If you're this narrow-minded at what I assume is a younger age, how are you going to be when you get old? Just something to think about.

+1. You said what I wanted to say and more. The hex/binary piece I noticed too even though it's not my field.


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[Act2]

Ok, I admit I have difficulty imagining that cursive writing is no longer considered important to educated people. How will future generations read my grandparents' love letters, my Mom's journal? But then I remember when I was in high school math and we were required to learn slide-rule because although calculators were gathering a following all educated math students surely should be able to still do slide-rule.

And I sigh. Gotta let this one go the way of slide-rules.


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[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazz4cash +1. You said what I wanted to say and more. The hex/binary piece I noticed too even though it's not my field. Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

Of course. If you don't understand how data is represented it's like being illiterate(you could learn on your own). Of course it depends on what you do, you need to understand data today. In my career we understood data and the instructions. How else do you change a hard branch(x'47') into a no op(x'07')? Post an ECB? With what? I remember some id10t(me*) putting an x'80' in there!

*Should have been a x'40'.

[niven]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Act2 Ok, I admit I have difficulty imagining that cursive writing is no longer considered important to educated people. How will future generations read my grandparents' love letters, my Mom's journal? But then I remember when I was in high school math and we were required to learn slide-rule because although calculators were gathering a following all educated math students surely should be able to still do slide-rule. And I sigh. Gotta let this one go the way of slide-rules. Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

I might be wrong, but I doubt you'll find many here wishing people still used slide-rules.

[RobbieB]

I had slide rules, they're all in the trash. Replaced by calculators as they should be.

But understanding how a slide rule works is still important, one of the fundamentals of math.

[Sasset]

What are you going to do when the solar flares knock out the power grid?

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB I had slide rules, they're all in the trash. Replaced by calculators as they should be. But understanding how a slide rule works is still important, one of the fundamentals of math.

Unfortunately I forgot how to use slide rules. But fortunately I can still do arithmetic by hand. Somehow I got through high school Trig and Calculus without a slide rule or a calculator.

[jjquantz]

I love slide rules. I have about a half-dozen. Still know how to use them, too, even if I don't use them for anything. I don't really collect them, but if I run into one at a garage sale for a quarter or something I'll pick it up if it's a bit different.

[Texas Proud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 Unfortunately I forgot how to use slide rules. But fortunately I can still do arithmetic by hand. Somehow I got through high school Trig and Calculus without a slide rule or a calculator.

Yes, by hand. I still remember a high school teacher who taught calculus.... it was amazing to watch her do a problem on the board... she would start at one end, work her way across the board, turn the corner and continue down that side... I wished the other two walls had boards to see if she would have kept going... but, all done on the board and in her head... that sad part is there were probably two students that could follow what she was doing... (and yes, I was one of the two)....

[Amethyst]

No calculator for school here, either, since they were not allowed in class. The teachers cautioned us not to get dependent on calculators, and stressed doing arithmetic and simple algebra in your head so you could calculate unit costs, discount percentages, and so on.

My mother dug out my older brother's high school slide rule (he went to college when I was 4) for me to use in trigonometry. I remember getting so I enjoyed it, but I can't remember anything except the terms interpolate and extrapolate!

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 Unfortunately I forgot how to use slide rules. But fortunately I can still do arithmetic by hand. Somehow I got through high school Trig and Calculus without a slide rule or a calculator.

[Amethyst]

Just had a flashback to my Great-Aunt (born 1888) who amazed me, as a kid in the 1960's, by drawing a perfect outline map of the United States from memory and filling in most of the states (the ones that had existed when she was a schoolgirl, probably around 1900). She had had to learn to do this in school. It definitely wasn't part of my school curriculum. In fact, geography was practically nonexistent as a school subject.