Standard of English writing

[Gav]

Now I've been guilty of poor spelling in hastily composed posts, or even letting laziness in like 'u' instead of 'you', but there seems to have been an increasing tendancy for some posters to positively try to write badly, as if it's cool or something.
Is it just me being a grammar nazi? or are some people really that illiterate?

I'm pasting a part of an article created to help non-writers improve their writing, which sums it up for me.

Try to write well every single time you write something. I know people whose writing is perfectly good, then they send me an email, IM or text that is absolutely awful because they figure it doesn't matter. Stomp all over that grammar and spelling because it's only an email! If you actually want to be a better writer, you have to be a better writer every time you write, or those bad habits will creep into your manuals. It won't kill you to write a full sentence in your emails or your IMs. I'll let you off text messages because there are limitations there.
Don't ever think that people don't care either. I will read your emails, manuals and blogs when you write them and I do care. Truly, madly, deeply and I will tell you when it's awful.

[Double Trouble]

Now I've been guilty of poor spelling in hastily composed posts, or even letting laziness in like 'u' instead of 'you', but there seems to have been an increasing tendancy for some posters to positively try to write badly, as if it's cool or something.
Is it just me being a grammar nazi? or are some people really that illiterate?

I'm pasting a part of an article created to help non-writers improve their writing, which sums it up for me.

Yes you are a grammar nazi. Leave us illiterates alone. It's bad enough having to have my dictionary with me every time spin dryer opens his gob.

[LadyMarmalade]

I'm pasting a part of an article created to help non-writers improve their writing, which sums it up for me.

Note to Gav, use spell-check in posts about the standard of writing

I agree though - I can't bear to shorten words in a text message, so it takes me ages to type every word & punctuation correctly!

[LadyMarmalade]

Although, I wouldn't want a certain gorgeous Forumite Fletch to ever learn to use spell-check - I LOVE her posts just as they are

[Double Trouble]

Note to Gav, use spell-check in posts about the standard of writing

I agree though - I can't bear to shorten words in a text message, so it takes me ages to type every word & punctuation correctly!

Why don't you use predictive text?...it's really easy and much quicker.

[Double Trouble]

Although, I wouldn't want a certain gorgeous Forumite Fletch to ever learn to use spell-check - I LOVE her posts just as they are

[Gav]

Yes you are a grammar nazi. Leave us illiterates alone. It's bad enough having to have my dictionary with me every time spin dryer opens his gob.

Accidental typos aren't the issue here. I'm pointing the finger at peepl wot do it on perpuss, cos vey fink it luks cooool.

Note to Gav, use spell-check in posts about the standard of writing

I must be really bad 'cos I still can't see it? This is why I always have someone else proof my work!

[LadyMarmalade]

Accidental typos aren't the issue here. I'm pointing the finger at peepl wot do it on perpuss, cos vey fink it luks cooool.



I must be really bad 'cos I still can't see it? This is why I always have someone else proof my work!

Oops, sorry Gav, Just re-read your post & its actually my eyesight misreading things DOH!!

[Double Trouble]

Accidental typos aren't the issue here. I'm pointing the finger at peepl wot do it on perpuss, cos vey fink it luks cooool.



I must be really bad 'cos I still can't see it? This is why I always have someone else proof my work!

OH MY GOG GAV....you are the worst offender of that.

BTW, mi pooter is still tom n dik......fairy nuff? sowwy.

[LadyMarmalade]

Why don't you use predictive text?...it's really easy and much quicker.

I do, but it still takes me ages

[Gav]

Oops, sorry Gav, Just re-read your post & its actually my eyesight misreading things DOH!!

Thanks, I feel momentarily better until the next post...

OH MY GOG GAV....you are the worst offender of that.

BTW, mi pooter is still tom n dik......fairy nuff? sowwy.

Made a note in my diary today, simply reads "bugg3r".

[Genie]

I don't mind typos or the odd spelling mistake. I make enough of them. It's the people who get overly 'comma' happy that make my eyes water.

It's difficult, to read something when, they put, so many of the things, in the wrong, bl**dy place.

Argh!

[azande]

I must be really bad 'cos I still can't see it? This is why I always have someone else proof my work!

I can't see it either...

[Double Trouble]

Thanks, I feel momentarily better until the next post...



Made a note in my diary today, simply reads "bugg3r".

Blackadder goes forth....too easy.

[Gav]

Blackadder goes forth....too easy.

Spookily enough a very popular quote amongst military support personnel who've just been told they're going somewhere dangerous. Along with "I think I'm going to need a change of trousers".

[Tessalicious]

I don't mind typos or the odd spelling mistake. I make enough of them. It's the people who get overly 'comma' happy that make my eyes water.

It's difficult, to read something when, they put, so many of the things, in the wrong, bl**dy place.

Argh!

Absolutely! And exclamation marks! They have to be the most annoying things in the whole world! Because they make the whole sentence or paragraph feel rushed! And you feel like you ought to have read it with really high intonation and sounding slightly out of breath! And it's even worse when people use loads of them next to each other to make a point! If you need to use more than one to make an emphasis, you're using too many the rest of the time! They should be banned!!!!!!!!!!!

[LadyMarmalade]

Absolutely! And exclamation marks! They have to be the most annoying things in the whole world! Because they make the whole sentence or paragraph feel rushed! And you feel like you ought to have read it with really high intonation and sounding slightly out of breath! And it's even worse when people use loads of them next to each other to make a point! If you need to use more than one to make an emphasis, you're using too many the rest of the time! They should be banned!!!!!!!!!!!

Well ok then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gav]

Amazingly a thread about spelling, grammar and punctuation and no DJ yet?

[Seahorse]

Is it just me being a grammar nazi? or are some people really that illiterate?

I don't think you're being extreme though some people think faster than they can type, hence spelling and grammar slide slowly into the abyss.

With regards to the diction (abbreviations etc), I think you have to consider the channel (a typed letter, email, text) and the type of person you're communicating with. These all dictate the varying tone of voice.

Another interesting area is using NLP (neurolinguistics) when reading an email (stay out the behavioural arena as it can get spooky) as it provides a 'second' level of understanding to the content matter. On a basic level, it says that you can split individuals into a complex mix of three personality types - aural, visual and kinesthetic. By observing their use of language (for example on a crude level, a visual person might say; 'I see what you're saying'... an aural person; 'I hear what you're saying...' and a kinesthetic; 'I feel that's the right idea...'. You can on a subliminal level match an appropriate response.

[David Bailey]

Amazingly a thread about spelling, grammar and punctuation and no DJ yet?

You needed a comma after "punctuation".