I agree with John F, this "academy" probably doesn't exist. Google the phrase...The only other hit is another billboard on flickr.com, the one with the, like, um, the guy on it.
I don't mind "like" as punctuation, and I'm a grammar stickler. I write and proofread for a living. And actually enjoy it. But I agree with several other statements here: that language is fluid, that casual conversation has different rules than formal, that old foggies who had grammar beat into them with a switch have the most problem with this stuff.
....And also that because of the Internet, we are now seeing WAY more crappy writing. Some people say that the country is becoming less literate. I don't think so, I think we're just seeing more of it. It used to be that most writing we read was written by professionals and edited by professionals. Now most writing we see is written by anybody and edited by nobody.
My main feeling on writing is if it is clear and conveys something useful. I'd take casual writing (or speech) with good flow and something to say over perfect Queen's English that reads stilted any day.
--Michael W. Dean
"A language is a dialect with an army." --Bill Bryson
"Rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, for people who can't read." -- Frank Zappa
I don't mind "like" as punctuation, and I'm a grammar stickler. I write and proofread for a living. And actually enjoy it. But I agree with several other statements here: that language is fluid, that casual conversation has different rules than formal, that old foggies who had grammar beat into them with a switch have the most problem with this stuff.
....And also that because of the Internet, we are now seeing WAY more crappy writing. Some people say that the country is becoming less literate. I don't think so, I think we're just seeing more of it. It used to be that most writing we read was written by professionals and edited by professionals. Now most writing we see is written by anybody and edited by nobody.
My main feeling on writing is if it is clear and conveys something useful. I'd take casual writing (or speech) with good flow and something to say over perfect Queen's English that reads stilted any day.
--Michael W. Dean
"A language is a dialect with an army."
--Bill Bryson
"Rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, for people who can't read."
-- Frank Zappa