Re: AUE as chatroom [was Re: Racists In This Group]

J. W. Love wrote:

Purl wrote:

I am still not sure what this group is all about. Seems to be
more of a "chat room" than anything. There are some, though,
who might like to rename this group, alt.english.grammar.rules
with so much discussion about strict grammar.



It's the other way round. Until certain arrivals during the past few
weeks, this newsgroup didn't at all resemble a chatroom. Tony's
epistolary ventures with his sister notwithstanding, the proportion of
diversionary posting was tolerably low, and many regular posters &
readers liked it that way, as their plonking implies. (Just before the
attempted changeover, with curiously timed foresight, Charles was the
first to leave.) The most fecund of the newcomers---especially those
who prefer to exemplify, rather than discuss, English usage---might
attract a larger number of readers by posting in alt.misc.writing or
some other apter forum.


My belief is this group's charter sets an intent of discussing
usage of English language, not grammar nor roots.



Tradition limits the subject-matter of this newsgroup to English usage
(including spelling, pronunciation, etymology, semantics, grammar,
style, and literary criticism & history), local foodways, and sheep.



Nicely put. And I applaud the use of "fecund", a sadly neglected word.

I'm intrigued by the notion of a chatroom, as used pejoratively in discussions of the quality of aue. (The nearest I've ever come to one is the entertaining column that Tim Dowling used to write in the Guardian.) What precisely is the difference between a chatroom and a newsgroup? Most of the limited number of newsgroups I've ever lurked in seem to have a similar range of conversations to that of aue, ranging from the strictly on topic through the frivolous to the downright irritating and best ignored. Is the proportion of what might be termed "serious" discussion lower in chatrooms than in newsgroups? How can this be known?

--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email)
.

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