this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2025
61 points (100.0% liked)

Excellent Reads

2409 readers
1 users here now

Are you tired of clickbait and the current state of journalism? This community is meant to remind you that excellent journalism still happens. While not sticking to a specific topic, the focus will be on high-quality articles and discussion around their topics.

Politics is allowed, but should not be the main focus of the community.

Submissions should be articles of medium length or longer. As in, it should take you 5 minutes or more to read it. Article series’ would also qualify.

Rules:

  1. Common Sense. Civility, etc.
  2. Server rules.
  3. Please either submit an archive link, or include it in your summary.

Other comms that might be of interest:

  1. [email protected]
  2. [email protected]

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I never learned this, I can read all the examples easily though. They remind me a bit of Feersum Endjin by Iain M. Banks, and True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey.

top 24 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 week ago (6 children)

A Plan for the Improvement of English Spelling by Mark Twain probably not

For example, in Year 1 that useless letter "c" would be dropped to be replased either by "k" or "s", and likewise "x" would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which "c" would be retained would be the "ch" formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform "w" spelling, so that "which" and "one" would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish "y" replasing it with "i" and Iear 4 might fiks the "g/j" anomali wonse and for all.

Jenerally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with Iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and Iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeining voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x" -- bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez -- tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivli.

Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago

Reading this caused me physical distress

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

Found smortys alt account ;-)

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

Ew.

That just turns into Dutch.

No thanks.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

I swear the final product is like how Spaniard kids that don't know english write it.

Soo... Intuitive for Spaniards I guess? Having coherency in the pronunciation of letters isn't a bad thing per se.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Haha I love this. It breaks my brain, but the end result is so much simpler :D

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Fainali, xen...

Hey, you said no x's!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

You missed the part where they were reintroduced:

Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x" -- bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez -- tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivli.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Well, America has been running another experiment for decades that has left a lot of people unable to spell - or do math, or science or think rationally and critically: the destruction of the education system.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Note that this article is not about the US

Decades ago, a generation of UK schoolchildren unwittingly took part in an initiative aimed at boosting reading skills – with lasting consequences

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Yes, it was a comment on what goes on in another country, for comparison.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

If you think of it as a project to destroy teachers' unions who always favor one political party, then it makes more sense.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Here is the title image

Tap for translationIf you are able to read these words, you might have been part of a failed English teaching initiative

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago (2 children)

TIL I might have been part of a failed English teaching initiative (despite being born after the 60s and not in England)

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's quite easily readable for me as well.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Yeah, I remember you might have sat next to me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Is it instantaneous for you, or do you have to think about it at all?

The only part I stumbled on briefly was faulld

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Inglish was the only thing to trip me up

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Hilarious that they misspelled "failed" anyway.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

ow, my wernicke's area

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Ur spelleeng it rong!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

See also New Math from about the same era.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

I always think of another New Math.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Вполне можно прочитать