there is no such thing as the right and wrong way of speaking or of expressing yourself in various written media? That rather, there is the appropriate and inappropriate.

You are entirely correct, maverick. Our ability to select the appropriate mode for the occasion is part of the joy of using language. This is never more apparent than when talking to someone who hasn't chosen the right mode.

Business communication demands brevity. Not necessarily - again, it depends on the occasion. I have, upon occasion, to produce long and closely detailed reports - briefs which are anything but. The ablity to know what is appropriate, once again, is a valuable skill.


And as Spooner himself said, "We all know what it is to have a half warmed fish within us."