As an American college student, I'm shocked by how poorly some of my peers write; I suspect that many American high schools didn't put enough emphasis on writing.
This example seems to support that conclusion, but then again, these are comments on a blog rather than formal essays, so maybe the students were told not to worry about grammar or spelling.
these are comments on a blog
And yet, somehow, we seem to manage basic grammar, spelling and word choice on this blog, even though there's more anonymity and less incentive.
I'm shocked by how poorly some of my peers write
This is a fact about the map, not a fact about the territory. You just need to calibrate your expectations downward.
Link.
Given the positive reactions, I think the professor seeded them with a positive impression of the site's content.