MegaZone wrote:

Once upon a time David Homerick shaped the electrons to say...

This is rather poor reasoning.  Bad formatting is usually a software
problem and has nothing to do with the ability to write a good story.

I moderated RAAS/C for several years, alone.  Not once was it a problem not
easily resolved.  Most editors have a line wrap feature. 

You don't seriously think people write fanfics with screen editors like
VI, do you?  They use word processors, which can and do introduce odd
formatting problems when used to create e-mail messages.

Good line wrapping, double-spacing between sentences, indenting paragraphs,
etc.  The better formatted, better written a story is, the more transparent
the act of reading is.  A great story makes it completely transparent.
The reading itself becomes instinctive, you don't have to *think* about it.
No keeping track of lines, no stumbling over breaks.  And the reader becomes
absorbed into the narative, it becomes an immersive experience.

This is something I believe in very strongly, especially after years of
personal experience and working with many others both as an amateur and a
professional.

I agree.  I'm simply pointing out that bad formatting does not
necessarily indicate (or "!=" if you prefer) an incompetent writer.

-- David