WHY NOT TO CALL YOURSELF "A" LITERATE.
Literate; adj.
1. able to read and write.
2. having or showing knowledge of literature, writing, etc.; literary; well-read.
3. characterized by skill, lucidity, polish, or the like.
4. having knowledge or skill in a specified field.
5. having an education; educated.
First of all, being literate is different than being "a" literate. If one refers to oneself as "a" literate, this individual must obviously reflect on the basic roles of adjective, adverb, noun, and verb. You can't be an "adjective". You can describe yourself using an adjective, but to refer to oneself as an adjective or adverb is completely asinine.
In reference to the aforementioned definition of literate:
1. I hope you are. After all, most of us have gone through 12 or more years of school to achieve some amount of literacy.
2. This means you're referring to yourself as somebody with an English Master's. If you do have a Master's in English, please, by all means, call yourself literate. You've had the school enough to earn it.
3. It's okay for someone else to call you "polished" or "lucid" as a writer, but to refer to yourself as literate under this definition is vain and egotistical. If you are either of the aforementioned, you have no place speaking with me. Egotism and vanity are two pet peeves of mine.
4. The example given along with this definition was "literacy in computers," meaning you are well-versed in computers. But to refer to yourself as "well-versed" in writing is another story. Bring me your degree or a sample of your best writing and if it looks good to me by all means I'll call you literate myself.
5. Again, I hope you haven't wasted all these years in school for naught.
I would like to reiterate that this is against nobody in particular. I myself have made the mistake of calling myself a literate and I feel that the term is at best overused and misunderstood. I hope to pass on to others my same dislike of the terminology but to not condone those who use it under false pretenses.
Thanks again and sorry for being a ranty biznatch! 8D
A Curious Distraction Community Member 
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