About spelling: Wittgenstein disliked rationalised languages like Esperanto, largely because the curiosities of spelling were lost. Each word that has a strange spelling carries part of its history along with it. He likened languages to cities, with an idiomatic ancient centre full of seemingly inexplicable corners, and new suburbs (like scientific language) laid out in straight lines at right angles.

About punctuation: what you say is interesting, but I have always regarded punctuation as an essential element of grammar. Of course this is a recent development, tied to writing rather than speech, but very important, and now surely indispensable.

Old punctuation puzzle:

Caesar entered on his head
A helmet on each foot
A sandal in his hand he held
His trusty sword to boot