It's indicative of the mood of Mudcat these days that a significant number of people seem to be focusing on the naked and uninteresting skeleton - grammar and spelling. Pedanticism is the refuge of those lacking in creativity or passion. It's not a bad thing to care about the mechanics, but if you think it's what makes good writing, you're missing the point.

Communication's important, but it's not what makes good writing. Well, it does in technical writing. I understand maybe that appeals to some, but I still sort of like creativity.

It's been said that the internet is a 'posters' medium'. People write because it floats their boat to see their little words go sail around the world. They don't have to care whether anyone wants to read what they write and they likely don't read what anyone else writes. If they communicate, fine, but that's not necessarily their primary goal, which is shouting "I AM" to an uncaring and bored-out-of-their-shorts 'audience'. Hell, we have people at Mudcat who continuously write inane and should-be-embarrassing one liners, say the same thing over and over, write an enormous quantity of blather or diatribe, often completely ignoring the subject to go have a wee wank at our expense. They read posts looking for anything to disagree with and they correct grammar and spelling because they lack the ability, initiative or simple the courtesy required to do anything else

Good writing is NOT primarily for the enjoyment of the writer. Good writing feels like the writer is completely engaged in telling you about something that excites them, because they want you to understand too. Good writing does not scream "LOOK AT ME" - it whispers secrets, it shows you dappled sunlight and dancing shadow, it makes you understand pain and celebrate redemption. Good writing sounds like, "Hey, here's something to enjoy... just for you."