dialogue-good or bad??

Dialogue...it can make a piece or destroy it depending on how it's used.
If used well...
-it can convey information (realisticly)
-can make your peice more interesting
-it can start or end a conflict
-it can advance the action or story at a faster pace if need be

it visually opens up the page for the reader.

their are endless posibilities-dialogue can do almost anything but only IF USED IN THE RIGHT WAY

dialogue shouldn't be exactly like real life (for example you don't want an entire page of dialogue where nothing happens) but it should still be conveyed as realisticly as possible and should not be awkward on the tongue.

unfortunately if dialogue is done wrong...
it can ruin writing no matter how well the rest of your piece is composed so in that way it holds a unique amount of power.

so do-nots when it comes do dialogue.

-do not have one character say another characters name it is not realistic
-do not have one character say something to another character that the other character would logically already know one of my favourite examples of this is the following.

character1 and character2 have known eachother for years:

character1: so are you married??

character1 would alreadyknow their good friend is married it just doesn't sound right. If you still need the reader to know character2 is married you might do something like this instead.

character1: so, how's your marriage going?

that sounds much better and more natural than the first thing character one said and it is more realistic.

so, what do you think? dialogue: make or break, good or bad??