Is this an English language group?

A rhetorical question, of course.

However, the 'standard' of prose in this group leads one to think that
it is not populated by educated science types, but by illiterate idiots.

The whole purpose of ones communication is to try to instil in others
what one thinks and / or believes. If your grammar and / or punctuation
is so bad that the reader can't understand your point, what's the point?

I understand that not every bodies mother tongue is English, and I would
be the first to applaud anyone who posts in a language which is alien to
them. My problem stems from the fact that some people here express their
opinion, as fact, in an awfully bad manner yet seem to have English as a
first language. (One can usually tell if the latter isn't the case)

This is all fine and well, and who am I, you may ask, to pose such
questions, but my point is, I stop reading and / or concentrating on
/your/ point if your writing makes for difficult understanding due to
unreadability. Is this what you are trying to achieve?

Thought not.

I know I have put myself up to be shot at with this post, and it isn't
intended to 'troll', but whatever you think, I know you can easily
understand, if not agree with, my point of view, as the expression of my
thoughts is paramount in my writing, rather than a mental rambling, as
often seems the case.
--
Alex Wilde
Motor Sport Photography -
http://www.cizeta.demon.co.uk