and found them totally charming.

I had the good fortune to attend school when they were still teaching grammar and all the things included in the posters were actually taught.

If I were dictator of this website, I'd send all those who use it's and its incorrectly, as well as those who clearly don't know the difference between they're, there, and their, to a special remedial part of DU. Not to mention those who have never noticed the check spelling button very near the post my reply button.

I learned English as a second language when I went to school in Germany . It always appalls me to see that people whose mother language is English neither know proper spelling , punctuation or grammar .

... actually most anything makes good gifts for public school teachers, especially cash or gift cards.

My own use of grammar is awful. Most of the time I simply don't care.

The very short paragraphs typical of internet posts have made the semicolon less useful.

Two independent clauses can be held in a single paragraph. Spit them out and hit <ENTER> twice.

There's little reason to "save paper" in the modern world when so much writing is electronic.

that is the problem : people don't care enough to learn the proper use of their own language . So sad . English is such a rich , beautiful and expressive language , composed of a rich vocabulary ( besides the overused f-word ) .

Read Shakespeare sometime . Now there was a master of language !

That's how it came to be the major language of science, law, and commerce.

A language with a simple alphabet that easily adopts new words and grammars is a powerful tool.

The simple alphabet became even more powerful in the age of automation. English was easily transmitted with three bit (dit-dah-pause) Morse Code and early 5 or 6 bit telegraphy systems. For this reason, and not much else, English later became the foundation language of computers and aviation.

I also just learned to put the comma before "but" in a sentence and not after it, a mistake I've evidently been making my entire life. How did I, and all the instructors that graded my written reports, never catch this glaring ineptitude?

but, i still fear the semicolon.

Seriously, I would use a semicolon only in scientific or heavily academic non-fiction. Like your Masters Thesis. I am pretty sure I used some in my Masters Thesis. I would never use one in fiction (except maybe in something written by a real butt-hole of a pedantic propfessor) and never use one in my usual style of non-fiction where I strive more towards Mollie Ivins and Dr. Gonzo than (Lord help us) George "Women Who Have Been Raped Are So Lucky" Will.