It has for me. I am amazed at the improvement in my writing. This will all pay off in spades when I start documenting proceedures for my company.
How about the rest of you?
Well, it’s made me be a lot more careful about tossing off absolute words like “always” and “never” and “all.” I guess it’s made me a more precise (or vague?) writer… I think I may have also borrowed some nice turns of phrase from some of you, which has made my writing more colorful.
Well, some 500-odd posts after I first signed up, I’d say I write pretty much as I always have (though perhaps not as formally here). By “always have”, I really mean “since about the ninth grade”.
[list][list][list][list][list][list][list]WRITING SKILLS?
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Well, it’s helped me get rid of my habit of inserting a double-space after every sentence (big thanks to David B for that one). It’s also enlarged my vocabulary slightly. And it’s probably improved my typing speed and accuracy.
I CAN SAY FOR A FACT THAT THE SDMB HAS IMPROVED EVERYBODIES WRITTN SKILLS. THIS IS TRUE AND ALWAYS WILL BE TRUE.AND YOU WILL NEVER TRUELY LEARN HOW TO WRITE UNTILL YOU’VE MADE A FEW POST ON THE BOARD.
[sup]All smartassness aside, yes[sup]
well um yes I would say that I thinl it hes rilly helped,
Not really. I tend to be terse when posting or replying, but do enjoy the high level of many dopers writing skills. And the rapier-like wit displayed so often.
My writing skills have been improving pretty much since I was two years old. My job involves a lot of writing, and we’re pretty picky here about how we write it, so I can’t really separate improvement from Internet posting from improvement from my job from improvement from my creative writing.
Since I imagine ALL writing helps, I’d say yes.
Writing, no; I leave a lot more typos in my SMDB posts than I ever would in my paying gig. I’m a bit rushed, you see.
While we leave other, less highly-qualified persons to document mundane procedures, no doubt…
Now, what the SDMB has done for my sense of sarcasm, that’s another thing entirely
I would say yes. Can you believe my writing skills used to be worse. 
I especially try to be careful with certain posters that are real anal about proper English and all.
Posters who are really anal about proper English.
Sheesh.
I don’t know if it has improved my writing skills, but I find I am more careful about how I express myself in writing.
I’ve found a new friend in the “Preview” button.
I am somewhat more reluctant to post when one of the finer writers has posted. Intimidated, possibly. It’s also deflating to see my thoughts so eloquently expressed by someone else. I used to think I “had a way with words” until I started hanging here.
Well, maybe not improved, but dusted them off and brought them back up to snuff. I have, however, stopped relying on my memory so much, save as a pointer. I’m much more likely to do a little research before posting than when I first joined, to be sure my memory is actually correct.
Well, it has made me a lot more careful about tossing out half-remembered facts. Now I take the time to do a little researce to see if I’m remembering things correctly.
I’d also hope that the practice has helped me to phrase things better, but it’s hard for me to judge my own efforts objectively.
I haven’t posted enough to discern a difference. But I’m sure that being exposured to the writing talent that is on display on the boards will have a positive effect.
Uh, make that exposed. Duh!
My writing skills? I don’t think so.
My critical thinking skills? Most definitely.
Sadly, no, my writing skills have not been improved by my regular posts.
If anything, I find myself making all kinds of silly, simple spelling errors, the kind that would have gotten me a rap on the knuckles from Sister Grace Agnes, once upon a time.
It never fails- every time I’ve written what I THINK is a brilliant/witty/persuasive post, I notice half a dozen dumb spelling errors the instant I click on “submit reply.”
The odd thing is, I’m a good speller! Honest and truly! I can only offer this feeble defense for my errors: most of the time, I’m writing in great haste, off the top of my head, FREQUENTLY right after I’ve been angered or outraged by another poster.
The worst thing is, a stupid spelling error completely undoes the argument it’s contained in. Even if a poster tries to show erudition by quoting Herodotus, or alluding to Shakespeare, all it takes is one dumb misspelling to make him look like an utter dork!
(I’m about to post now, without checking my spelling.)
What’s so wrong about double spaces at the end of sentences? I’ve been taken to task about this before, but with no explanation as to why it’s so bad.
Yes, I know it’s a hang-over from learning on a type writer, but usually I prefer it that way. Ok?
Back to the OP. There seems to be something about the layout of the posting form that bugs my writing style. I think maybe it’s too narrow. Either way, I keep making dumb mistakes in my posts that wouldn’t happen on a WP. Maybe I should write them there first and cut and paste.
Well that’s my excuse anyway!