On Fri, 22 Jan 1999, Doug Murphy wrote:

that might be applicable in fanfic practice.

Then I went back to Sublimation after 160 some odd pages of R.6 and
performed the obligatory grammar check.  Word informed me that I had a
measly 5.3 grade level average reading level in the story, with a miniscule
2.3 sentences per paragraph rating.

Just out of curiosity, I ran your email message through the grammar
checker on WordPerfect and Microsoft Word.

WordPerfect gave your message a 9.51 grade level, so apparently you
become almost twice as sophisticated a writer when you write an email
message as when you actually write a story.

Microsoft Word gave you a 9.7, so apparently the act of opening your mail
in another program increased your grade level.

Honestly, I think that 
1.  The grade level doesn't mean much.  The Word Perfect one listed a
Hemingway story with a grade level of 4.  

2.  a .4 difference is likely simply the result of minor changes in
content or vocabulary.  I don't know what the experimental error is for
something like this, but considering I got a .2 variation on what was
allegedly the same grading method on two different programs with exactly
the same file...To take a second example.  I took the first screen of Nine
Princes in Anime.  It got a 1.5.  I added the second screen and suddenly
it was a 1.8.  I added the third screen of text from the story.  Up to a
2.2.  So apparently I approved by .7 in three screens worth of writing.  




John Walter Biles :  MA-History, Ph.D Wannabe at U. Kansas         
ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu       
rhea@tass.org              http://www.tass.org/~rhea/falcon.html
rhea@maison-otaku.net      http://www.maison-otaku.net/~rhea/

If it has passed from the high and the beautiful to darkness and ruin, that
was of old the fate of Arda Marred; and if any change shall come and the
Marring be amended, Manwe and Varda may know; but they have not revealed it,
and it is not declared in the dooms of Mandos.
--Final Line of The Silmarillion