Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

Typing Without a Clue, a guest column in the New York Times by Timothy Egan, strikes out at people who dare write or speak publicly without being good at it. The audacity!

Egan's stance is, unfortunately, a common one, and not one of which I approve. The more the merrier, I say! Write on! Speak away! Writing and speaking publicly are not the provinces solely of the good writers or the good speakers. Everyone is welcomed. Of course, everyone should be prepared to have their writing and speaking judged harshly, too, as even the good writers are subject to.

But to argue that you must be good at it before you even begin is either a rather poorly thought out position over-colored with ego and arrogance, or else a clever baiting of people like me intended to generate a lot of response. A troll.

Sure, I'll bite, Egan: you are educated beyond your intelligence and empowered beyond your abilities. How does that feel?

I'd also like to especially criticize his comparison of it to karaoke. Singing isn't solely for the professionals: it's for everyone. When roomfuls of people won't sing “Happy Birthday,” then it's people like Egan who are to blame for making them ashamed for doing something that is fundamentally a part of being, and enjoying being, human.