Can't you cut people some slack when it comes to spelling, grammar and punctuation?

[Chechosaurus]

I'm dyslexic but I have gotten ALOT better as of late but my grammer is still sketchy at times and I do mispell words and no matter how hard I try to figure out what is right I still can't get it. I have had no trouble from other people about this so far but it does really get to me when people use absolutly no grammer, punctuation and spell like... 'wot u doin omg wtf'

 

[Simski]

Some (okay, many) people in MSN, or in a game say to me: "Oh yea, I leave proper grammer (yeah) to classes." I mean, wtf? School is supposed to teach you how to freakin speak and write in LIFE! Not only in the classroom. If you haven't learned English, fine. You don't have to. But atleast don't be a douche. And saying that is douche.

I've had several friends who do that too, I don't talk to them on msn anymore.

 

[Alex_P]

I like good grammar.

I hate people who think "grammar" is a bunch of rules in a book. You know the type... prescriptivists. Most of them don't know shit about style or language.

-- Alex

 

[Eyclonus]

I think there is correlative relationship between the intolerance of poor English by this forum as a whole, and the intellectualism based arrogance that every member carries like a badge. To contrast forums where grammar Nazism is outlawed, the collective IQ of the members is not even a positive integer and yet the arrogance is present by greater order of magnitude. For example we all say "Sure we may have problems, but at least we're not Cashwh... Gamespot". A forum like Gamespot would simply say: "YO LIKE THOSE E5KAPENISES ARE FUCKING GAY COS THEY GOT NO FUCKING BALLS AND THERE PIN DICKS ARE SO SHIT AND CRAMMED UP THERE ASS THEY GOT NO DICKS COS THEY GAY!!!!!!!SHIFT11111111".

Hence I put forth the compromise that while we must be draconian in the enforcement of grammar, by doing so we shall engage in meaningful relationships with each other, develop social skills and outlast the inevitable Uber-Virus engineered by severely bullied microbiologists, to target all humans lacking the necessary "Space-Brain" to not be idiots.

 

[Alex_P]

Not all that is good is proper.
Not all that is proper is good.
Pity the poor pedant who does not understand this simple truth; his language has no soul.

-- Alex

 

[Anton P. Nym]

If a post is so badly spelt, punctuated, or grammatically butchered that I can't read it easily I skip it. There's plenty of content on Web 2.0; I'm certain someone else has come up with the same insight and posted it in a manner that doesn't require a half-hour of forensic copyediting to decypher.

That being said, I usually don't "call" anyone on such posts unless the poster has made a big deal about it, has cranked out a lot of such mutilated posts (to the brink of spamming), or the poster has called out someone else on a similar issue. The rest of the time I just skip it without comment.

I recommend Eats, Shoots, and Leaves if you want a fun but useful guide to proper punctuation... if for no other reason than how the title illustrates that punctuation marks are there for a reason.

-- Steve

 

[Alex_P]

There's plenty of content on Web 2.0; I'm certain someone else has come up with the same insight and posted it in a manner that doesn't require a half-hour of forensic copyediting to decypher.

Beautifully said, sir!

-- Alex

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I recommend Eats, Shoots, and Leaves if you want a fun but useful guide to proper punctuation... if for no other reason than how the title illustrates that punctuation marks are there for a reason.

Whilst I'd recommend not buying it, because Lynn Truss is a grammar Nazi.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

Though I agree that you shouldn't be slagged for every single grammatical error we must also remember that online forums are a written medium. Unfortunately, reading and writing are not accessibly granted to everyone and it takes proper time and energy to develop those skills.

It is easy for us older people (and those who pay attention to their classes) to take these skills for granted but you should view this experience as an important lesson.

Eduction is important and without it, you look like a moron to smart people.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

I recommend Eats, Shoots, and Leaves if you want a fun but useful guide to proper punctuation... if for no other reason than how the title illustrates that punctuation marks are there for a reason.

Whilst I'd recommend not buying it, because Lynn Truss is a grammar Nazi.

I think she was lured by the spiffy boots.

Actually I don't think she's really that militant a grammar Nazi, at least in that she recognises there are genuine differences of opinion in grammatical thinking (the Oxford comma, for instance) and her over-arching rule of grammar is that the result must be legible and not ugly. Though her "Punctuation Repair Kit" in my copy (stick-on punctuation marks in various sizes, for use on maimed signage) could justifiably be viewed as evidence of extremism...

-- Steve

edited due to OCD to fix some typos

 

[LadyZephyr]

I don't point out people's mistakes, but I sure as hell ignore the person.

I dunno, I was raised with a huge appreciation of grammar and the English language as a whole (though I do mock it mercilessly, but who doesn't?). I prefer forums for this reason; people tend to take their time and look over their writing here. In chat rooms, you get a lot of moronic shoutcuts and the like. I think online discussion too often handwaves the rules of grammar because people are too damn lazy. It only breeds more laziness and allows people to butcher the language. Which Americans knowing less and less about communication, I think perpetuating the problem is a disservice to the world.

Take an extra twenty seconds to looks over your posts to make sure there are no major changes. Why is that so damn difficult for people? If there's a mental reason for it (the OP mentioned dyslexia), that's different. No one else should get that excuse.

 

[Benicus]

To be honest, I am pleased with the overall spelling and grammar on The Escapist.
I live in England also and I do admit that grammar is not taught overly well in most schools.
But I myself have always found it hard to cope with peoples mistakes and often correct them, although not on here.
Though I do think that because written communication is used in threads that people SHOULD take more time and correct THEMSELVES.
And perhaps the person has Dyslexia, or some other reason for their bad grammar/spelling.
BUT they could easily use a dictionary in their browser like people have already stated.
I also admit that I talk in correct English in both my texts and instant messages out of choice.
And people can say that it 'saves them time' but I can write a text just as (or faster) than most.

 

[Benicus]

Another point I would like to add is that, in a large proportion of video games their are subtitles or it is just text driven.
This I believe should make gamers more accustomed to proper grammar and spelling.
Although some may point out that many text driven games are Japanese and are translated badly, so exclude those. =)

 

[BardSeed]

There is an edit button.
You shouldn't be correcting anyone's grammar. Please stop using a new line for every sentence, it is really annoying me. Paragraphs are fine, walls of text are not.

 

[LewsTherin]

hmm...my only problem is that you can't indent new lines here.....

I will only hunt you down wieldin' mah grammahamma if you are horribly butchering the language.

 

[Alex_P]

hmm...my only problem is that you can't indent new lines here.....

Well, you can use the HTML code

 

to create a "non-breaking space." That's a space character that won't get squished down. They get transformed into regular spaces when you quote or edit the post, though, so it's not a perfect solution.

    Here is a paragraph that starts with four non-breaking spaces (they are pretending to be a tab).

-- Alex

 

[Benicus]

Please stop using a new line for every sentence, it is really annoying me. Paragraphs are fine, walls of text are not.

I apologise. Just having the text scroll way across the screen irritates me.
Paragraphs it is then =)