If I can't read it, I won't!

[doctorwayne]

Who makes the decision that a member can or cannot do better?

I think that the onus is on the Member him(her)self to decide that. Beyond that, a little one-to-one communication with those who seem to be having problems can often clarify the situation. As Don points out, we had Members at the Gauge who appeared to me to be either blatant troublemakers or lazy s.o.b.s, but, in conversations with Don, I learned of their various disabilities, which altered my perceptions greatly. :oops:
I think that Squidbait's point is valid, and he's also stated his personal solution to the problem. As Mods and Admins, though, it's up to us to learn what we can about things that might affect a Member's ability to post coherently. Let's face it, our hobby attracts people of varying abilities and we want to make sure that they all feel welcome here. I don't find it terribly difficult to look past poor spelling or grammar, but poor punctuation can dramatically alter the meaning of a sentence. And over-use of texting shortforms, to me anyways, calls for a PM. Nobody's saying that you can't use texting shortforms, but I'd certainly not hesitate to point out that doing so may limit the number of people willing to respond. Or, perhaps dozens of texters (textors?) will respond, and I'll be the illiterate one wondering what the heck they're talking about.

Wayne

Your response makes no sense. It was clearly stated that the forum members should give the benefit of the doubt until it was decided that the member wasn't competent in posting.

I repeat: Who makes that decision? Clearly it CANNOT be the member himself.

Who better to judge? A Moderator or Administrator? You? I stand by my original answer: the Member has to be the one to decide if he's putting adequate effort into his posts. While it is my nature to give others the benefit of the doubt, others have no tolerance for apparent rudeness and react accordingly. As long as it doesn't degenerate into name-calling or arguements, either way will work.
Some with disabilities of some sort probably feel, rightly so, in my opinion, that they are putting forth their utmost effort, while others, with no valid excuse for poor communications skills, may realise that they could do better. Conversely, just as many of these may say "Who cares?", and continue to post in a manner that is unacceptable to some. Then it becomes up to the reader of the post to determine whether that post is worth reading, not whether the Member posting it is competent or not. No one here needs to censure another personally for some perceived inadequacy: simply say nothing - ignore what displeases you or struggle through it if you feel it worth the effort.
In my opinion, Squidbait's point is that he will choose to ignore those posts of which he disapproves, and, by implication, that perhaps many others will, too. A warning shot across the bow, so to speak. Obviously, the topic has hit a nerve, as we're already up to page four.

Wayne