Okay, So They Don't Teach Cursive Writing Anymore - Is Reading Comprehension Also Extinct?

[tiramisu41]

Yesterday, I had a prospective buyer inquire what pattern a piece of china was.  Title and description of the item?  "XYZ Maker ABC Pattern Bread and Butter Dish 6-1/4" 1930s Vintage"

Just received a message from another prospective buyer.   "What color is the top?"   Title and description of this one?    " ABC Maker Womens 3X Black Short Sleeve Sweater Knit Top"   All pix of the top featured in the listing?   Yeah, you guessed it:  Black.

I realize when people use the eBay mobile app that in order to see details they have to click on a link to the description, but what in heck are they seeing (or not) when the answer to the question they need to know is right in the title of the item?   Or, can people just no longer read or comprehend what they read?  Have things gotten THAT bad?

[ymeagainlord]

Don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[emerald40]

Ebay attracts people with various levels of education and English as not their first language.

When I shop on ebay france and ebay germany, I have probably asked some really obvious questions.  And thankfully everyone has always been nice in their responses.

[gkyn29]

Better to have buyers ask questions, rather than buy and complain later. Also, the buyer inquiring about color may be older and/or not have good vision. regardless of the quality of pics, etc.

As a seller, you should have more empathy and be thankful that people are interested in your merchandise.

[7606dennis]

I don't think it is extinct.  It's probably only on the endangered species list.

Of course, you do realize that us old folks will soon use cursive writing as a secret code, right?

[tunicaslot]

If it's the Sag Harbor top - the top does indeed look like a dark purple on my monitor and the close up is even more of a light purple. Could be people see that and wonder if the top is truely black or you used sell similar and forgot to change the color.

FYI - take a look at your pic as with the way the lighting hits the top - it actually looks quite faded in spots and not new at all.

[dhbookds]

How many sellers post that they aren't getting free listings, when, in fact, the promo has something to do with fvf? 

[fashunu4eeuh]

I believe this is a universal experience among sellers. When it happens, i always respond politely with the answer and thank them for their interest, regardless of how frustrating it may be to me personally.

Sadly, literacy in the US is falling rather than in an upswing. A 2012 study of 160,000 people showed that Americans are below average and declining in reading levels ( Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).

So the problem is not likely to go away anytime soon.

[sharingtheland]

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@7606dennis wrote:

I don't think it is extinct.  It's probably only on the endangered species list.

Of course, you do realize that us old folks will soon use cursive writing as a secret code, right?

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Ha, mine has been Super Secret Code for some time.  Not only are my cursive skills deteriorating from old age, my printing isn't much better.  The brain neurons aren't playing well with the fingers; *I* can barely figure out what I've written.   Try to decipher something more than a few days later ? fuhgeddaboudit.

[hollysfinds]

Just to give you some encouragement, they teach cursive writing at my grandsons school. 

He doesn't like writing it, but he WILL be able to sign legal documents with more than an X, LOL. 

[tiramisu41]

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@tunicaslot wrote:

FYI - take a look at your pic as with the way the lighting hits the top - it actually looks quite faded in spots and not new at all.

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Yep, and it's the fault of my camera which is also noted in the description, but thanks for weighing in anyway!

[tiramisu41]

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@gkyn29 wrote:

As a seller, you should have more empathy and be thankful that people are interested in your merchandise.

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Hmmm...   Never said I didn't *respond politely and promptly* to the seller's inquiry, but I'm not the only one that has posed the same question here in the forum regarding people seemingly not reading listings/descriptions.   Makes one wonder whether there isn't yet another glitch which is causing people NOT to see your listings in their entirety.   If so, it would be helpful to know that, especially since lately it seems like there have been more of these types of inquiries than usual -- at least for me.

[tiramisu41]

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@hollysfinds wrote:

Just to give you some encouragement, they teach cursive writing at my grandsons school. 

He doesn't like writing it, but he WILL be able to sign legal documents with more than an X, LOL. 

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LOL... Glad to hear that @hollysfinds!    Maybe there is some hope!   😉

You may find this humorous...   At a place I used to work there was 30-something graphic artist.  He did some artwork for me and I made notations on the proof.  Went in to discuss what needed to be changed and he kept asking me questions that I already explained and/or notated on the hard-copy proof.  I said:  "I'm confused -- We've already gone over that and there's a note about it right here."  His answer?   "I can't read writing."  Huh?  I laughed and said:  "My hand-writing's not that bad -- what do you mean?"  He says:  "I don't know how to read or write hand-written stuff.  I've only ever used a computer."

Second example:   We had a college intern and asked him to put stamps on about 100 envelopes that needed to go out in the mail that day.   After about a half-hour he brings the envelopes back and on every single one, the stamp was in the upper-LEFT-hand corner.   We asked him why did he do that (especially because they were the non-removable, self-adhesive ones!).  The stamp always goes in the upper-right-hand corner.   His answer?   "I've never used a stamp to send anything before."

Sad, but true...      😞

[thallidguy]

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@7606dennis wrote:

Of course, you do realize that us old folks will soon use cursive writing as a secret code, right?

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And so I am reminded of that Simpsons episode in which Homer takes a new job and moves the family out of Springfield into a model suburb-type town.

Bart's new teacher is appalled at his educational level and takes him aside, and part of the exchange goes like:

"Do you know long division?"

"I know of long division."

"How about cursive?'

"Well, I know 'hell,' '**bleep**,' and 'sonofa—'

[hollysfinds]

Those are sad stories indeed.

I have one for you too.

The youth leader at our church sent a birthday card

to one of the kids in the youth group.

At the next meeting he brought the card with him & thanked her for the card.

She had written a note to him in the card,

& he brought the card with him because he didn't know what it said.

She asked him " What do you mean? "

He said he didn't know how to read cursive writing .

   this was a 17 yr. old

She was flabbergasted !

That's when I told her that a lot of the schools are no longer teaching it.

A lot of people aren't aware that they aren't teaching it anymore.

Parents need to get in the loop & demand that it be brought back, imo.