dejo said:
The trouble is that some of them have good points but poor presentation. I do tend to ignore cries for help when they've admitted to not searching and there are 10 or more threads on the subject, some of which are in plain sight.
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Spelling Errors! Its LOSE not LOOSE
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The trouble is that some of them have good points but poor presentation. I do tend to ignore cries for help when they've admitted to not searching and there are 10 or more threads on the subject, some of which are in plain sight.
When I spot thread titles like "Help!" or "I have a problem", I try to add something specific to the thread title, in parenthesis, to increase the chances that somebody with the answer will see it and to decrease the chances that somebody with no knowledge or interest in that topic will waste a click.
To date I have never gotten a comment back about these changes, pro or con, so at least nobody seems to mind. I can't tell if the thread starters get the hint for the next time.
Using nonspecific thread titles is listed as a "minor rule" in the forum rules, but changing thread titles seems more helpful than making an issue out of it. After all, these posters are already having bad days, and may be on the verge of psychological collapse because they forgot how to sync their iPod or they can't figure out how to delete an application.
To date I have never gotten a comment back about these changes, pro or con, so at least nobody seems to mind. I can't tell if the thread starters get the hint for the next time.
Using nonspecific thread titles is listed as a "minor rule" in the forum rules, but changing thread titles seems more helpful than making an issue out of it. After all, these posters are already having bad days, and may be on the verge of psychological collapse because they forgot how to sync their iPod or they can't figure out how to delete an application.
Glen Quagmire said:
I try. Usually. But you know... sometimes.
Glen Quagmire said:
Which I did censor (to accepted journalistic standards).
Glen Quagmire said:
An analogy dear sir, and I bet it was an accurate one to some. Though I did miss out the word 'dry'. I regret that omission.
Glen Quagmire said:
Well, you never know.
Glen Quagmire said:
Whilst it may be pathetic, it's arguably less pathetic than taking a somewhat condescending attitude to other peoples language skills, and feeling the need to make a post in a thread that does nothing other than correct a previous posters' grammar.
Now that is pathetic. Anal too.
Though it's not as pathetic as those that feel the need to continue the banter with others at the original posters' expense, which usually occurs when people make the seemingly cardinal sin of calling an iPod an I-pod, or a PowerBook a Powerbook or the biggest of them all... a Mac a MAC, which is than usually followed by some oh, so witty banter about a MAC address. Oh the laughter.
Glen Quagmire said:
*shrugs* even The Times has spelling mistakes.
Glen Quagmire said:
In this thread probably. These topics crop up reasonably frequently, usually with the same words causing the issues, so I'm sure we'll all be here again at some point, but hey.
Glen Quagmire said:
I'm not aiming any of my comments at any individual, more a general observation of what frequently occurs on these boards.
Glen Quagmire said:
Then surely the answer is don't.
Glen Quagmire said:
Personally, I can understand, appreciate and accept that not everyone has such a high level grasp of the english language, and that inevitably on a site of this size, that the quality of the language in members posts is going to vary, and will be affected by an unimaginable amount of variables, whether it be related to their age, their nationality, their quality of education (or lack thereof), their work commitments, their time restrictions or a learning disability etc, and that their posts may contain an error or two of some kind, and that maybe, just maybe it's better to not assume a somewhat self-righteous and condescending attitude by feeling the need to correct every little grammatical error that may be present in a members post.
But that's just me.
Glen Quagmire said:
It is isn't it, I'm sure a similar thing could be said about intolerance too.
Regards.
You really should proofread your posts, because I have no idea what the heck you're talking about. The phrase "...which is than usually.." is such a blatant butchering of the English language as to be offensive.iGav said:
If you're going to attempt to communicate on these boards, at least try to post in some sort of coherent way so the rest of us don't have to struggle through your posts. I have half a mind to put you on my ignore list so that I only have to read posts by people who can write as good as me.
If anyone really thinks this is serious, and not poking fun at all the people concerned about these minor typing issues, then, well, I feel sorry for you
I so agree, too.emw said:You really should proofread your posts, because I have no idea what the heck you're talking about. The phrase "...which is than usually.." is such a blatant butchering of the English language as to be offensive.
If you're going to attempt to communicate on these boards, at least try to post in some sort of coherent way so the rest of us don't have to struggle through your posts. I have half a mind to put you on my ignore list so that I only have to read posts by people who can write as good as me.
If anyone really thinks this is serious, and not poking fun at all the people concerned about these minor typing issues, then, well, I feel sorry for you
xov said:
In the UK, upscale publications will often put "an" before any word that starts with an "h". I believe this is because words that start with 'h' usually come originally from French, in which the 'h' is never pronounced. We only re-started pronouncing the 'h' in the last 200 years or so. But in terms of the generally accepted modern usage, you are absolutely correct.
Incidentally, this is also why 'h' is pronounced "aitche" and not "haitche" - which is a sure sign of someone trying too hard sound posh
.
.
Isn't / called a slash? Are there people who doubt this? I've been hearing a radio ad that says to go to
companyname dot com forward slash productname
If they didn't say forward, would people really type backslashes in their URLs?
Doctor Q said:
That's very nice of you. You probably don't get any feedback because the thread starter never notices. If you have time, maybe quickly post in their thread or PM them, explaining what you've done. I'm sure they'll appreciate it and hopefully remember to use a more specific title next time.
Doctor Q said:
Actually, it is quite important to point out other poster's spelling or grammatical errors. Remember that not all members are native English speakers, and therefore may have significant problems understanding incorrect English. Someone who learned English lets say at a school in France or Italy or Germany as a second or third language may be very confused when "their" or "there" is used instead of "they're", and will generally have a much harder time understanding anything with spelling errors. There is also the possibility that a non-native English speaker might assume that British or American posters know their spelling, and start copying their mistakes.
2nyRiggz said:The grammar threads again
Make it a sticky so we don't forget "MR is the Grammar nazi headquarters"
Bless
It's "Grammer Nazi", not "Grammar Nazi"
BTW. I like the use of "rediculous" for things that are so rediculous, they don't even deserve a correctly spelt "ridiculous".
I remember an artical about an English teacher complaining about the use of "kewl" instead of "cool". When I read it, I thought that "kewl" is really the correct spelling for someone desperately trying to be "cool" but failing miserably.
If you see that happening, then the "causing confusion" condition applies and you can correct spelling in line with the rules.gnasher729 said:
But the rules weren't intended to be taken quite so literally, and the rule evolved from our general call for civil discussion, free of teasing and rudeness that can clutter threads without serving a useful purpose.
Doctor Q said:
As should apply in any communication. But the topic of this thread is grammar and spelling, and some people apparently take the view that this thread shouldn't exist at all. Correcting people's grammar or spelling - especially without addressing the subject of their post - is rude. But here the topic of debate is the standard of English in general. I don't see why this is annoying people. Hell, I can stand up and make a statement about my sexual orientation and nobody will bat an eyelid, but mention apostrophes and all hell breaks lose.
MrSmith said:As should apply in any communication. But the topic of this thread is grammar and spelling, and some people apparently take the view that this thread shouldn't exist at all. Correcting people's grammar or spelling - especially without addressing the subject of their post - is rude. But here the topic of debate is the standard of English in general. I don't see why this is annoying people. Hell, I can stand up and make a statement about my sexual orientation and nobody will bat an eyelid, but mention apostrophes and all hell breaks lose.
"As should apply in any communication." is a fragment, not a complete sentence.
You're right, though. More people will react to spelling errors than to sexual orientation or to something else that the general public finds more important. Generally, I let things go but a few people's posts are so incredibly difficult to read that correction has to be done to even come close to the original intent.
English is an odd language because it rarely sounds the way it's written. The only language more obtuse is French and if it were written the way it sounds, it would be a lot shorter.
MrSmith said:As should apply in any communication. But the topic of this thread is grammar and spelling, and some people apparently take the view that this thread shouldn't exist at all. Correcting people's grammar or spelling - especially without addressing the subject of their post - is rude. But here the topic of debate is the standard of English in general. I don't see why this is annoying people. Hell, I can stand up and make a statement about my sexual orientation and nobody will bat an eyelid, but mention apostrophes and all hell breaks lose.
Which is why I started this thread.. as I saw an increase in the number of incidents regarding basic spelling errors such as 'knife/nife' 'knew/new' 'lose/loose/loze/looze' 'quite/quiet' 'then/than' etc. It certainly wasn't a thread to point out mistakes that people make and make them look like idiots. It was more like "Wow, I can't believe how these spelling errors seem to pop up everywhere. It's almost like a new trend"
However, some people actually attacked me instead of acknowledging their errors and trying to make an improvement. If someone criticizes me for whatever mistake I might have made, I quite respect that and try to see what I did wrong.. and correct it. I certainly don't reply back with a rude tone.
With basic courtesy and manners having gone to the dogs, we now seem to be losing our basic language/spelling skills as well.
Ezekiel said:
First of all, it's not a typo. 'Leave' and 'live' are two very different words, with different meanings. If you type 'I want to liv my life/I want to livr my life'.. then yes, it is a typo. When you say 'I want to leave my life' I'm sorry.. that is not a typo. That sounds like you are tired of living and wish to live no more. So get your facts straight. Even Elrond39 corrected you on that.
Secondly, you were the one who commented that people who point out spelling errors are the ones who don't lead complete lives. That was quite uncalled for, and quite a stupid comment. I replied back in a rather humorous manner.. comparing you to Dr. Phil. You never quite understood the entire reason this thread was started in the first place. It was NOT to make fun of people who mess up on their spellings. So I would appreciate it if you would first understand what a thread is about before making retarded comments.
My grammar is average, no doubt about that. However, I do make a conscious effort to make sure that I don't spell like a 4 year old. The way people use words these days don't even qualify as spelling mistakes. They just entirely substitute the word for something else! Your post was the perfect example.
Which leads to another point. [another fragmentbousozoku said:"As should apply in any communication." is a fragment, not a complete sentence.
] While forums are not chat rooms, we still write on forums as we speak, not as we would write. The aim is to communicate as spontaneously as possible, as in face-to-face communication. Therefore, it has become acceptable for formal grammar to be sacrificed...but only to the extent we don't sound like morons. *I know you were teasing, BTW
When I see bad misspellings, I tend to think people were careless. If it's a regular habit of theirs, I assume they are poor spellers or care little for correct spelling. Sometime I figure out that they aren't native English speakers. Of course, they might simply be in more of a hurry than those who proofread more carefully.
If some members are "less educated" about spelling and grammar than others, will posting corrections help them learn? It's a nice thought, but I think that most of the time the cost is too high, namely the chance that they will take offense, become shy about posting at all even when they have something to say, and the requirement that everyone else reading the thread see that "off-topic" discussion.
It occurs to me that "less educated" not only doesn't mean dumb, but it might mean "not yet finished with their basic education". Many of our members have not yet graduated from high school, and even some middle schoolers qualify to join. So perhaps they are still learning to spell and will improve over time. Then again, maybe we should be correcting them all the time to help them improve their grades!
In answer to Music_Producer's original question, I notice the widespread lack of proper spelling, but no I'm not surprised.
If some members are "less educated" about spelling and grammar than others, will posting corrections help them learn? It's a nice thought, but I think that most of the time the cost is too high, namely the chance that they will take offense, become shy about posting at all even when they have something to say, and the requirement that everyone else reading the thread see that "off-topic" discussion.
It occurs to me that "less educated" not only doesn't mean dumb, but it might mean "not yet finished with their basic education". Many of our members have not yet graduated from high school, and even some middle schoolers qualify to join. So perhaps they are still learning to spell and will improve over time. Then again, maybe we should be correcting them all the time to help them improve their grades!
In answer to Music_Producer's original question, I notice the widespread lack of proper spelling, but no I'm not surprised.
Still better than when they say "backslash" for a regular slash, à la "apple dot com backslash iTunes.*" Bugs the hell out of me, because it's just plain incorrect. You can't go to apple.com\itunes; it just doesn't work. Why spend all that energy to add that extra syllable, just to make it incorrect, when "slash" would have been fine in the first place?Doctor Q said:
*I made that one up; don't worry, I've never heard Apple do this. Not that we hear very many Apple advertisements on the radio...
