A court cannot act on notices of appeal that merely convey diatribes of complaint without identifying specific grounds of appeal, and cannot assume the role of counsel for an unrepresented appellant by formulating grounds or searching transcripts for unidentified error. The latitude extended to self-represented litigants is limited by the need to ensure fairness to the opposing party. Where a litigant persistently refuses to comply with court directions to prepare a matter for trial, dismissal of the proceedings may be the only available course.
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