RF and Reading Comprehension: Where Do We Stand?

[Sunstone]

If you were to compare RFers as a group to the internet's English-speaking population on the whole, how do you suppose RFers rank in terms of their reading comprehension?

Very superior to most people.

Somewhat superior to most people.

About the same as most people.

Somewhat inferior to most people.

Very inferior to most people.​

This is something I'm genuinely interested in, but I do not believe I am sufficiently qualified to rely on my own opinions in this matter. That's because I seldom read comments left on social media sites other than RF, and hence, do not have much to compare RFers to.

The exception is my blog. I have read almost every comment that's ever been left on it since launching it 16 years ago. Back when I kept it active, my blog averaged about 400 'unique visits' (i.e. different visitors) per day and those visitors left thousands of comments each year. I knew some of the regular commentators well. My commentators (the ones I knew) tended to be scientists more than other professionals, and professionals more than any other occupational group. They also seemed to have superb reading comprehension skills.

To me, RFers as a group are quite distinct from that blog audience. But are RFers also distinct from the internet's English-speaking population, too?

Obviously, I'm most likely to never arrive at a firm conclusion to that question, but perhaps you folks can offer me some insights.

 

[McBell]

I voted somewhat superior.
However, for full disclosure, I am no longer active on other forums.
I do maintain a Facebook page, and let me tell you, the amount of ridiculous is mind blowing.
Now perhaps I am bias, but based on my Facebook experience, I do not have a twitter or instagram or any other social media accounts.

Edit Note:
I take that back.
I do have a discord account...

 

[Altfish]

I put about the same.
For some people English is a second language and their posts can be difficult to understand. BUT if I tried writing in French or German it'd be far worse.

 

[Hellbound Serpiente]

I don't think I am qualified to judge because:

1. English is the 5th language that I speak and only sufficiently mastered it few years ago. I still stutter a lot and take my time to put together a proper sentence when talking to others in English face-to-face. I think my English is mediocre so I don't think I am qualified.

2. This forum is relatively better than other forums I've been to, and they also had great intellectuals. However, at times, people here usually make the same mistakes I have seen others make on other forums, and their reading comprehension was superb. So, I don't think comprehension skills is a factor, something else might be causing that.

Oh and I recently closed down Facebook. Facebook and social media is downright RETARDED!

 

[Secret Chief]

I'm not sure you can say one point. There are people on RF with a university education and have English as their first language and there are people who have had an education only to the compulsory age and for whom English is not their first language (and I don't just mean Americans).

 

[ChristineM]

I voted somewhat superior but the questionnaire really needs a range. I take me as an example, my reading is pretty crap, and laboured but i enjoy putting myself through hell. I believe my reading comprehension is pretty good. Not the best, which some RF posters are, and a long way from the worst that a few RF strive to attain.

On a very broad average somewhat superior thoughts

 

[McBell]

I'm not sure you can say one point. There are people on RF with a university education and have English as their first language and there are people who have had an education only to the compulsory age and for whom English is not their first language (and I don't just mean Americans).

Personally, I make a distinction between reading comprehension and language barrier.

 

[Secret Chief]

Personally, I make a distinction between reading comprehension and language barrier.

I agree, although it's not necessarily possible to separate the two unless the person has stated their language status. I know there are some RFers who have excellent English but it is not their first language. I'm mega impressed, especially since I have previously been very dreadful at French, Spanish, German and Italian.

 

[Sunstone]

I don't think I am qualified to judge because:

1. English is the 5th language that I speak and only sufficiently mastered it few years ago. I still stutter a lot and take my time to put together a proper sentence when talking to others in English face-to-face. I think my English is mediocre so I don't think I am qualified.

2. This forum is relatively better than other forums I've been to, and they also had great intellectuals. However, at times, people here usually make the same mistakes I have seen others make on other forums, and their reading comprehension was superb. So, I don't think comprehension skills is a factor, something else might be causing that.

Oh and I recently closed down Facebook. Facebook and social media is downright RETARDED!

In American terms, you write slightly above the native level.

 

[McBell]

I don't think I am qualified to judge because:

1. English is the 5th language that I speak and only sufficiently mastered it few years ago. I still stutter a lot and take my time to put together a proper sentence when talking to others in English face-to-face. I think my English is mediocre so I don't think I am qualified.

2. This forum is relatively better than other forums I've been to, and they also had great intellectuals. However, at times, people here usually make the same mistakes I have seen others make on other forums, and their reading comprehension was superb. So, I don't think comprehension skills is a factor, something else might be causing that.

Oh and I recently closed down Facebook. Facebook and social media is downright RETARDED!

Until this post, I would have said if asked that English is your native tongue.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

If you were to compare RFers as a group to the internet's English-speaking population on the whole, how do you suppose RFers rank in terms of their reading comprehension?

What the heck is eating comprehension?

 

[WalterTrull]

Isn't it interesting how we like to "label" and "rank"? I wonder what that's all about.

 

[Kenny]

I cast a "somewhat superior".

I remember a business owner who has a program of interning students. He shared with a friend of mine that when her two sons were accepted he said to himself, "Oh well, this is going to be another pain in the neck". All of his previous interns had substandard dedication and capacity. They were too involved in Facebook and video games.

He was surprised at the capacity of the two sons and was ready to hire them on the spot.

I think today's education is reflected in the overall lowering of the average of reading comprehension.

 

[sun rise]

I had the instinctive reaction of wondering how many read the 'read before responding' before responding out of a sense of mischief.

But to the OP... I said equal in reading comprehension which is of course reflective of other places where I spend time.

But what caused me to step back is not the reading question but the considering question. How many of us (and I include myself in the guilty sometimes) read just enough to put a frame on what I want to communicate rather than consider the other person's POV.

I've had the uncomfortable realization sometimes of having gone off 'half cocked' when I misread what someone else wrote.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Somewhat superior. Making allowance for the members who have Enlish as a second or third language, I find what I read here to be somewhat better than the papers that I used to mark of a University of Toronto professor. Yes, it is true that I've read posts by native English speakers that demonstrate somewhat poorer skills, but they are actually in the minority, which I don't think is true of the population overall.

This is opinion only, not backed by any reseach at all.

 

[Augustus]

If you were to compare RFers as a group to the internet's English-speaking population on the whole, how do you suppose RFers rank in terms of their reading comprehension?

Very superior to most people.

Somewhat superior to most people.

About the same as most people.

Somewhat inferior to most people.

Very inferior to most people.​

This is something I'm genuinely interested in, but I do not believe I am sufficiently qualified to rely on my own opinions in this matter. That's because I seldom read comments left on social media sites other than RF, and hence, do not have much to compare RFers to.

The exception is my blog. I have read almost every comment that's ever been left on it since launching it 16 years ago. Back when I kept it active, my blog averaged about 400 'unique visits' (i.e. different visitors) per day and those visitors left thousands of comments each year. I knew some of the regular commentators well. My commentators (the ones I knew) tended to be scientists more than other professionals, and professionals more than any other occupational group. They also seemed to have superb reading comprehension skills.

To me, RFers as a group are quite distinct from that blog audience. But are RFers also distinct from the internet's English-speaking population, too?

Obviously, I'm most likely to never arrive at a firm conclusion to that question, but perhaps you folks can offer me some insights.

Far above average, and imo this is a certainty.

Simply the absence of the barely literate population from these forums would make that true, but it's pretty clear that the users here on average are more highly educated and better read than the average person.

Forums aren't exactly cutting edge these days, and thus tend to retain a certain type of user, and that type is above average in literacy. Compare to social media, tabloid comment sections etc to see what I mean.

It's a bit like assuming book readers have better comprehension on average than non-readers.

 

[Quintessence]

It's too difficult to disentangle reading comprehension from confounding factors, especially when discussing complex topics like religion. Given the inability to do that, I'd rate RF as thoroughly average. I see at least as much miscommunication here - of which reading comprehension is a component - as elsewhere. In some cases I see more issues given the nature of what is discussed around here.

 

[Heyo]

Simply the absence of the barely literate population from these forums would make that true, but it's pretty clear that the users here on average are more highly educated and better read than the average person.

Only that the OP asked how RF compares to "the internet's English-speaking population on the whole" - which already excludes the barely literate.
If I were malicious, Id call that a reading comprehension fail.

 

[Heyo]

If you were to compare RFers as a group to the internet's English-speaking population on the whole, how do you suppose RFers rank in terms of their reading comprehension?

Very superior to most people.

Somewhat superior to most people.

About the same as most people.

Somewhat inferior to most people.

Very inferior to most people.​

This is something I'm genuinely interested in, but I do not believe I am sufficiently qualified to rely on my own opinions in this matter. That's because I seldom read comments left on social media sites other than RF, and hence, do not have much to compare RFers to.

The exception is my blog. I have read almost every comment that's ever been left on it since launching it 16 years ago. Back when I kept it active, my blog averaged about 400 'unique visits' (i.e. different visitors) per day and those visitors left thousands of comments each year. I knew some of the regular commentators well. My commentators (the ones I knew) tended to be scientists more than other professionals, and professionals more than any other occupational group. They also seemed to have superb reading comprehension skills.

To me, RFers as a group are quite distinct from that blog audience. But are RFers also distinct from the internet's English-speaking population, too?

Obviously, I'm most likely to never arrive at a firm conclusion to that question, but perhaps you folks can offer me some insights.

I voted "somewhat superior" but that barely beat "about the same".
Forums (and before that newsgroups) are a self-selecting group of people who like to communicate. That makes them superior to the general public but somewhat homogenous. I have the perception that RF is slightly above the average of other forums and newsgroups I have frequented - but that might be an illusion because of the selection of topics I make.

 

[Augustus]

Only that the OP asked how RF compares to "the internet's English-speaking population on the whole" - which already excludes the barely literate.

No it doesn't

Barely literate = literate but struggles with fairly basic written language

There are a large number of internet users who struggle with basic written English as large numbers of people in society struggle with basic written English.

If I were malicious, Id call that a reading comprehension fail.

As your comprehension is excellent for a non-native speaker, I'll forgive you