I have two observations here. The first is to, against my better judgment, take a side in this fray and agree with the posters who feel the language is dying. In the case of misuse of the word "like," I would give the example of anything you're trying to use for information. If a telephone book were filled with unnecessary words, it would become more and more difficult to gather what you want from it until it reached a point where you put it down and found your information elsewhere. If a radio station has too much static, you change the station to one you can hear clearly.
Overuse of "like," or any other word, is simply a form of static in speech. It's extra sound that adds no meaning, and in the most extreme cases, can obfuscate the point the speaker wanted to make. Yes, it's casual speech, and need not be held to the same standards as formal speech (or writing, though I would argue that since the written word lacks facial expression, body language, and other means of conveying a message that clarity is more important here, and some formality should ALWAYS be used). That said, if I'm listening to someone, it's because I want them to communicate a point. If all I'm getting is noise, I may miss their point--or worse, I may decide I don't care enough to continue to listen.
My second point is simpler. We need to be critical of a habit of misuse, certainly. At the same time, however, we need to be tolerant of minor errors that aren't indicative of ignorance or a pattern of error. I would point out that I found an error in almost every "intelligent" post here, including the professional author and proofreader. People make errors which they may fail to notice, despite knowing how the language should work. I'm a nitpicker, right down to comma splices, and yet I suspect that there is an error in my own post somewhere.
To the people who don't care about correctness and feel that if their point was communicated, they did a good enough job, you are lazy. You're opting to be incorrect in speech and writing because the consequences of your errors aren't severe enough to make you care. I would never hire you for a job I want done right; you'll stop when you feel it's passable.
To the people who nitpick every single thing in casual speech and writing, you're wasting energy that could be better spent on other things. If a "like" slips into a sentence alone, I'll bite my tongue. If someone accidentally presses two keys and doesn't notice their typo, deal with it. It's the people who don't know they're consistently making errors, and the people who do know (or worse, assume they're making errors, but don't care to correct them), but choose to be wrong because it's easier, who bother me.
Again, I'm sure someone will find an error in my post. Any such error is fair game. If I chastise people for speaking and writing improperly, I have to be prepared to accept the same. I like being corrected (when it's done with respect and tact). I care about what I write, and want it to be correct.
Overuse of "like," or any other word, is simply a form of static in speech. It's extra sound that adds no meaning, and in the most extreme cases, can obfuscate the point the speaker wanted to make. Yes, it's casual speech, and need not be held to the same standards as formal speech (or writing, though I would argue that since the written word lacks facial expression, body language, and other means of conveying a message that clarity is more important here, and some formality should ALWAYS be used). That said, if I'm listening to someone, it's because I want them to communicate a point. If all I'm getting is noise, I may miss their point--or worse, I may decide I don't care enough to continue to listen.
My second point is simpler. We need to be critical of a habit of misuse, certainly. At the same time, however, we need to be tolerant of minor errors that aren't indicative of ignorance or a pattern of error. I would point out that I found an error in almost every "intelligent" post here, including the professional author and proofreader. People make errors which they may fail to notice, despite knowing how the language should work. I'm a nitpicker, right down to comma splices, and yet I suspect that there is an error in my own post somewhere.
To the people who don't care about correctness and feel that if their point was communicated, they did a good enough job, you are lazy. You're opting to be incorrect in speech and writing because the consequences of your errors aren't severe enough to make you care. I would never hire you for a job I want done right; you'll stop when you feel it's passable.
To the people who nitpick every single thing in casual speech and writing, you're wasting energy that could be better spent on other things. If a "like" slips into a sentence alone, I'll bite my tongue. If someone accidentally presses two keys and doesn't notice their typo, deal with it. It's the people who don't know they're consistently making errors, and the people who do know (or worse, assume they're making errors, but don't care to correct them), but choose to be wrong because it's easier, who bother me.
Again, I'm sure someone will find an error in my post. Any such error is fair game. If I chastise people for speaking and writing improperly, I have to be prepared to accept the same. I like being corrected (when it's done with respect and tact). I care about what I write, and want it to be correct.