"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote in
. 3.70:

I noticed this one in an explosives chemistry forum (speaking of
charcoal types):

"... 18v dewalt saw-zaw ..."

A society in which the members cannot communicate any technical
information in detail cannot prosper.

I work at a research lab in Cambridge, MA, right next to MIT. We have a
program where grad students do their thesis work at our lab, working with
a staff member, but also supervised by a professor on the MIT campus.

I've supervised four Master's theses now, and have read quite a few other
recent ones. Even at a place like MIT, with a world-class reputation,
the writing skills of the engineering students is pretty pathetic. In
reviewing my student's theses, I spend far more time fixing spelling,
grammar & poor organization than I do any real technical issues. If I'm
going to sign off on it, it's going to be readable.

Some professors aren't that fussy. I recently read one that had been
"supervised" by a professor I know & respect, but that was done at a
different MIT affiliated lab supervised primarily by a staff member. It
was so full of mistakes it was embarassing. I suspect English wasn't the
student's native language, but his supervisor's either didn't read it, or
were too used to bad writing to care anymore.

Doug White