Why do people on City Data Forum make a big deal out of spelling and grammer? (generation, everything)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Because writing is communication, and communication is most clear and effective when it's done correctly. People who do not spell or punctuate correctly create posts that can be difficult to read and understand.
Because if I'm seeking help or information, I would value it more if I felt it came from credible, knowledgeable sources. If a person's grasp of writing is shaky, I'm not necessarily going to infer that they are credible or knowledgeable on other fronts (note: I fully recognize that the person may well be credible and knowledgeable...but, online, I have nothing to base that on other than his/her words, which may be incomprehensible if he/she does not spell or punctuate properly)
Because, like it or not, your intellect is often judged based on how you present yourself in written formats. This is true on forums, and elsewhere. You might not like that. It doesn't make it any less the case.
I tend to be forgiving and give the benefit of the doubt when it appears as though spelling and/or word errors are the result of the tiresome effects of predictive type software, autocorrect that actually supplies the wrong word/spelling for a given context. I know I hate it when a phone or tablet's predictive type settings toss in a word I didn't intend and I don't catch it in a timely manner. Technology can be more annoying than helpful. And, even if it it's human error, typing isn't everyone's strong suit. Sometimes you miss the window of time to go back and edit.
But it's pretty easy to tell, for people who do write well, when such errors are the result of the above, most likely, and when they are the product of ignorance of how a word is used, spelled, etc.
Would you take the forum advice of a person who can spell and form complete sentences and use logical presentation, or one who can't?
Does it matter?
It's city data forum not a spelling bee forum.
I know if I make a thread here there are times I have to getting going or am in a rush while making a thread.
Whats with people here mAking a deal out of spelling?
Its a forum where you create threads and get help and information
I think you are referencing people who correct the spelling or grammar of others on CD, and on other social media, as a way to "pull rank". To make themselves feel good, and attempt to make the writer look and feel stupid.
It's a form of public shaming, and as such, it is rude.
Typos are usually obvious, as opposed to actual mistakes, and there are still those who "get their jollies" by correcting typos.
IRL I am a stickler for grammar. City Data is a forum that is heavily verbal. People who do not have a good grasp of the English language, may find themselves corrected - or not taken seriously.
As much as I despise public shaming of any one, I would most likely avoid a post that began "What would U think if U seen ppll driving and txting?" - for example.
Using bad grammar and/or misspelling simple words is the internet version of meeting someone while dressed like a slob. Makes you look lazy and apathetic.
And
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl
{snip} But when posters who are obviously educated to some degree, yet choose to write with little regard to the rules of our common language, I'm somewhat offended. It's sloppy and rude. To me it shows a lack of respect to readers and to the quality of the forum as well as a lack of self-respect. A person wants to express his or her opinion, but can't even be bothered to turn on a spell-checker, punctuate properly, or write in complete sentences? (You are obviously one of those people OP because a spell-checker would have caught the mistake in your post.) Languages have rules so that thoughts can be conveyed clearly and without mistaken interpretations. I find it next-to-impossible to take seriously the writing of a person who blatantly ignores those rules.
Amen.
My opinion--to be apathetic about grammar and spelling etc even to a basic extent, it shows to me that you're lazy and you don't care about any type of standards about anything whatsoever throughout the entire world. There is no excuse for a lot of what you see nowadays, what with built-in spell checkers and online dictionaries. Nitpicking a "dangling modifier" or the misuse of the proper person in a pronoun etc is one thing, but these really extreme awful ones such as "your silly" and "the dog wagged it's tail" and "all of these writer's in here are so full of themselves" as obvious as those are--there is no excuse for it.
If you are the one writing and I'm the one reading, it is not my job to "read between the lines" and figure out what you meant by what you wrote if it's full of mistakes. It is YOUR job as the writer to write in such a way that you are clearly understood, and by the established rules of grammar. Those rules are FACT, and are not up for negotiation and interpretation. Learn them, follow them, and stop making excuses.
I'll go one further (or is that farther?). I'm tired of these stupid acronyms such as "DIL" and "OTOH" and "IDK." To me, that isn't "efficiency," it's flat-out tacky and lazy. I can understand ones like FBI, DVR, USA, UK, PC, etc (including etc vs et cetera), but when it's taken to the degree of ones like MIL or IDK, to me that's laziness. I shouldn't have to look up what DIL means, you should spell it out "daughter in law" because I shouldn't have to look it up. It's one thing to look up the meaning of an actual word, but to have to look up what an abbreviation means because you're too lazy to type out the actual word itself? Sorry, I don't agree with that at all.
It makes me wish I'd been an English teacher, just so I can assert these standards on today's students. I would be flunking papers with zeros if they did that "text speak" bunch of malarkey or if there were obvious mistakes like "your cute" and "the car is missing it's wipers" etc. It would matter not if the content of the papers was otherwise correct, they'd be flunked in totality for sloppy grammar and spelling etc. In fact, I've said that if my kids when they become older send me a text full of "DH" abbreviations and obvious typos, and in the text they're saying that they're stranded and need a ride home, I'll reply back that I am not going to help them until they re-send the text with proper spelling, words spelled all the way out, proper commas--ALL of it. I'm that strict about this sort of thing, and frankly I think it's GOOD to be that way.
Just because you were raised in the sticks or the ghetto doesn't mean you have to sound like an uneducated ignoramus. Have some pride in yourself. Get off your lazy butt. People have been making effort towards proper spelling when we didn't have word processors and you could possibly have to retype an entire page to fix a typo in order for it to measure up to snuff. We have word processors now, copy and paste, online dictionaries, built-in spellcheckers. There is no excuse for blatant sloppiness. Period.
don't listen to these people. they have a superiority complex with the whole grammer thing. theres always something people are insecure about, so they find flaws in other and belittle them for it. lack of spelling or grammar is the easiest thing to call out someone on without actually knowing them.
So people who expect others to speak where they can be understood have a superiority complex? Bad grammar and writing on a forum is like speaking badly. All we have to go on here is the way you present yourself in writing. If you don't use paragraphs or misspell every other word, the post is difficult to read and most won't pay it any attention because if you were too lazy to bother formatting it in a way that can be easily read, why should they waste their time trying to decipher it?
Personally I hate grammar/spelling errors, but I'll only say something if it's just so difficult to read that I get a headache.
If I understand a post, I tend to cut the poster some slack. I believe that successful communication is a transaction between people. if the listener cannot understand the post, the language transaction is unsuccessful. If I have to re read sentences to get the gist of the post, or if I can't understand it at all, I would likely mention that--if I decide to answer. Sometimes I get the feeling that the poster is not a native speaker, and I keep that in mind too.
But generally, poorly worded, misspelled, ungrammatical posts are a real pain to read and understand. If grammar (not grammer) and word usage are not your long suits, I recommend reading good books. You can learn a lot from doing that. The older works don't have grammar and spelling mistakes. Also, you can consult this standard for some help: Strunk and White, The Elements of Style. It isn't a comprehensive grammar or usage manual, but it does have lots of simple tips for turning your writing into the good stuff.
But here are some things that bug me in a post:
using loose instead of lose: You lose weight; you loosen your tie.
mixing up affect and effect: Generally, effect is the noun, and affect is the verb. There are exceptions though. Affect is used when describing someone who speaks with no inflection; effect can be used as a verb in some cases.
Pollution is the effect of burning coal.
Burning coal affects the atmosphere by polluting it.
The traumatized man spoke as in a trance, with no affect in his voice.
We can effect change with comprehensive treatment of battlefield trauma.
Forgetting commas: Our party will feature special guests dancing and games.
Our party will feature special guests, dancing and games.
Messing up the possessive apostrophe: We want to honor Brads contribution to our endeavor. (Needs an apostrophe)
We want to mention that the Smith's are guests at our party. (No apostrophe)
I tend to use sentence fragments in my posts, but recently I have been rethinking that. I am trying to use complete sentences now. How you write is a part of how you present yourself. It is almost like the wardrobe you use when you leave your home; your word choices, spelling and grammar represent your self to the rest of the world.
And, I want to mention that you can easily check your spelling on any computer. I do that frequently.
Don't most web browsers have a spellchecker? I thought they're automatically instilled on the browser.....But thanks to the spellchecker, I correct the mistake.
A classic example of why spellcheckers cannot be relied upon completely.
I once saw the word "eyesore" spelled as "eye soar" in a local newspaper. I laughed my head off. Of course, spellchecker did not catch the mistake because both "eye" and "soar" were spelled correctly.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
