Spelling and grammar police

[snaw]

Y In fact most of us have been hoisted by our own petard!

True - never known a grammar nazi who wasn't at some point. Human beings make mistakes - plus word spell checker occasionally throws a wobbler in there as well ...

[Mich the Tester]

I frequently see the results in documentation & emails presented by 'professional' people.

If someone can't be arsed to proof before submitting - how much effort was put into producing the document in the first place?

Standards are important... & johnny bloody foreigner can sod off and learn proper English

Jonny 'Bloody' Foreigner

[TykeMerc]

I would agree with you apart from the fact that I find some bad spelling and grammar very hard to read. I'm somewhat dyslexic and I rely on people using the right words to maintain the context of a sentence or I have to work out what they're saying from 1st principles.

e.g. There indicates a direction to me and nothing to do with them or something they own.

Lazy writing just annoys the hell out of me because of the considerable extra effort it requires for me to read. I wish it didn't present me with a problem, but it does.

[Churchill]

Jonny 'Bloody' Foreigner

Johnny 'Bloody' Foreigner - Shirley?

[NotAllThere]

Is it really necessary to go around slagging off other people’s grammar or spelling? There are some people on the board whose first language isn’t English, others who are perhaps more talented in mathematical skills than literacy, some who speak more languages than most of you have hot meals each day, and some, like me, who went to poly because we’re a bit dim. So bloody what? It doesn’t make you look any smarter when you make comments about apostrophes or commas; it just makes you look like an anal retentive dipstick with a nasal voice and a traffic warden’s outfit. Some people write well, some don’t. Just live with it.

I only take issue with laziness. I moderate a forum with many Indian contributers. Some of them insist on using sms/text message abbreviations. They get thwacked early on. Spelling and grammar - I couldn't care less, unless, again, it's due to laziness. e.g. did'nt.

[Mich the Tester]

Johnny 'Bloody' Foreigner - Shirley?

Could be right. I'm sticking to the old convention of removing the 'h' when extending the name John. But yes, Johnny could fit just as well, or indeed Jan Buitenlander, Johann Auslander, Jean l'Etranger or Giovanni Straniero.

[Churchill]

I only take issue with laziness. I moderate a forum with many Indian contributers. Some of them insist on using sms/text message abbreviations. They get thwacked early on. Spelling and grammar - I couldn't care less, unless, again, it's due to laziness. e.g. did'nt.

innit?

[DaveB]

I refer you all to Mr Brigstocke’s most excellent analysis of this issue.

The man is a genius

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJEH9P0hgCw

[Churchill]

The man is a genius

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJEH9P0hgCw

No he isn't, he's a professional non-conformist.

There is also a none too subtle difference between what he's describing and the banter that goes on within this forum.

[expat]

Is it really necessary to go around slagging off other people’s grammar or spelling? There are some people on the board whose first language isn’t English, others who are perhaps more talented in mathematical skills than literacy, some who speak more languages than most of you have hot meals each day, and some, like me, who went to poly because we’re a bit dim. So bloody what? It doesn’t make you look any smarter when you make comments about apostrophes or commas; it just makes you look like an anal retentive dipstick with a nasal voice and a traffic warden’s outfit. Some people write well, some don’t. Just live with it.

Humourless rant coming, to confirm your predjudices:

I don't go around slagging people's errors, at least not nearly as often as I see them. I have to need to "look smarter" by criticising someone else's mistakes. But they are mistakes, please don't pretend that they are not, that it's just that some people write well, some don't; so it is those who notice it that are out of order for noticing.

If in your native language you can't spell, use the right word, or punctuate properly, then either your education or your attention is defective. Of course we all make mistakes, but those who simply do not know how to do it are just wrong; as much as those who cant count. Of course there are those who are writing in a language other than their native language, who must be forgiven their mistakes (as I hope to have mine forgiven), and there are those who are genuinely limited in mental abilities, who must also be allowed space; but those who are clever enough to write properly, but do not, are either under-educated or lacking in care and respect. I'm sorry, I may refrain from commenting on it out of courtesy, but I do not for a moment think that it is "all right" or just a lifestyle choice or some such.

Room 101 is funny. That doesn't change anything.



(This post has not been subjected to independent unit testing, and therefore probably contains errors