IMHO absolute descriptivism and absolute prescriptivism are both bullshit. Language evolves, but that doesnโt mean there should be no rules.
Rules definitely help keep a language more consistent! Theyโre not without use. It also helps to teach language to children and makes established parts of a language stay more consisteny over time. However, pretending thereโs a rhyme or reason behind all of them is hard to justify, as well as claiming โx is correct because of rule yโ if a majority decides z is correct instead.
Itโs a bit hard to take in the present era, when the old rules were maintained by highly literate people like copy editors, and the new rules are made by anyone with a smartphone. I didnโt agree with all the traditional rules, but they have an elegance and consistency that Internet discourse usually lacks.
