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We are lousy readers. To quantify the matter I am going to use a scale of reading ability ranging from 1 to 10, with ‘1’ being barely literate and ‘10’ being 30% comprehension of a difficult text after a first quick reading.I would judge that the average reader is a ‘4’. The first time a form member reads a posted paragraph I guess that the forum member comprehends less than 10% of the meaning of the post. All evidence points to the conclusion that almost no member reads the post more than once.In most cases my observation leads me to conclude that 90% of the time the reader does not comprehend the point of the paragraph.
I have for four years browsed Internet discussion forums. I use McLuhan’s insight to peer into the brain of the forum member and this is some of my observations.We are lousy readers. To quantify the matter I am going to use a scale of reading ability ranging from 1 to 10, with ‘1’ being barely literate and ‘10’ being 30% comprehension of a difficult text after a first quick reading.I would judge that the average reader is a ‘4’. The first time a form member reads a posted paragraph I guess that the forum member comprehends less than 10% of the meaning of the post. All evidence points to the conclusion that almost no member reads the post more than once.In most cases my observation leads me to conclude that 90% of the time the reader does not comprehend the point of the paragraph.Fibber McGee was a popular radio show in the forties and fifties and a standing joke was Fibber’s closet. He would always open his hall closet and all sorts of things would come tumbling out. I would judge that most reader’s brains are like Fibber’s closet. Any word or phrase, in something the reader sees, triggers an opening of the brain’s door and massive amounts of instant miscellaneous opinions come tumbling out.
We are lousy readers. To quantify the matter I am going to use a scale of reading ability ranging from 1 to 10, with ‘1’ being barely literate and ‘10’ being 30% comprehension of a difficult text after a first quick reading.I would judge that the average reader is a ‘4’. The first time a form member reads a posted paragraph I guess that the forum member comprehends less than 10% of the meaning of the post. All evidence points to the conclusion that almost no member reads the post more than once.
do you actually have a salient point? (and if it's the later could you please tell me in plain English using your own words)
Quote from: JnA on 29/06/2009 12:21:06 do you actually have a salient point? (and if it's the later could you please tell me in plain English using your own words)