puncuation junkies,time to let people post without fear of ridicule

If it wasnt for poor grammer and punctioation and spling ,how would we ever be able two cee threw the nigerian scammers

Great thread !

English is not my native language but I always try my best to explain myself (not always that easy though to find the right words).

The thing I don't understand with most spelling errors is that nowadays all browsers have got a built in spell checker, so why doesn't it get used ?

I realize that spell checkers can't fix punctuation errors , but for me personally this isn't such an issue.

Sometimes when a post is full of errors it makes the poster look illiterate , therefore some may not take him/her not seriously enough.

I know it's not a grammar class here , but please .. Proof read your posts before you throw them on the net.

It really CAN make a difference !

BTW .. Is there actually much difference between US and UK English?

Originally posted by Alundra

BTW .. Is there actually much difference between US and UK English?

Not really except the use of "u" in words...

English... Honour, colour
US..... Honor, color


Im sure there are a few more...

A fag in english is a cigarette, whereas in the US its not.
A chip in english is a erm..."fry"? in US lol

A US chip is an english crisp.

I don't notice punctuation.
I notice things like there, their, they're and too, to, two.
But punctuation? Naaaaahhhhh ......

Originally posted by sparky31
seriously this is what i,m talking about,i can,t write things down like people want me to and i,m trying to break it up for people to understand but first msg is are u having a laugh,no theres no sarcasm

How you are typing has nothing to do with your education really, it's mostly to do with you being lazy. You keep insisting on typing ''u'' instead of ''you'' and you keep typing a comma instead of an apostrophe. You should also use some capital letters at the beginning of sentences. Posts like yours are difficult to read, they look ugly. I would never comment about those kinds of posts except in threads specifically dedicated to grammar, like this one. I ain't the king of grammar (see? I said ''ain't'') but I at least try to make my posts easy to read, what's wrong with trying to maintain some degree of standard? Shall we just let the English language flush down the toilet? You're from the U.K too so English is your Mother language.

reply to post by sparky31


As a courtesy to others that my read any thoughts I elect to share, often but not always, I'll copy what I've shared before finishing, into an email program and click spell check. I feel in doing so there is a greater chance that what I am already translating from electrical impulses in my brain into language so that it can be understood, by using common accepted proper grammar, there is a better chance of my own translation being clear to others interpreting it.

For others that choose to leave their words as they type them, I simply see this as a personal choice and would never ridicule them. I figure it is fairly common knowledge that spell checking words is easy enough to do with a computer, so why ridicule someone when no one is perfect anyway, and I wouldn't want to take away from their thoughts by pointing out grammar or spelling or punctuation errors, thus coming across as a person that has nothing to add to a discussion but negative electrical impulses.

That being said, for those that do choose to add only to a thread with corrections instead of meaningful thoughts, with no regard how that makes them appear to others, I see that too as simply their choice.

Originally posted by Tardacus
I don`t pay any attention to the grammar police. We aren`t typing historical documents that will be framed and hung on a wall in the nations capital for future generations to ooo and aahhh over,we are just posting short comments in an internet forum that will only be read by a couple dozen people,so there`s no need to put on your sunday going to church clothes just to sit on the porch drinking some beer on a friday night.

Agree completely

Particular posters are prefacing their post with 'I'm not a grammar or punctuation nazi...but...' and what is being said to qualify these statements is more than often being followed by other mistakes of grammar and punctuation that they are either typing on purpose, ignorant of (accusing themselves of what they are accusing others of - at a different level), or cherry picking mistakes that annoy only them (but ignoring/being unaware of their own).

Posters who are using English as a second (or third) language, are by definition not dullards - they should be applauded for the skills they bring - and as other posters have noted, not speaking a language is NOT a hallmark of stupidity...their ideas and notions are intact!
I would posit that those that do obsessively nitpick, have only one language - that's telling in itself! (especially when their own posts are poorly constructed)

Many went through the era in education of phonetic learning, and still use it - it has no impact on comprehension other than annoyance to the reader...nitpicking; and the advent of mobile devices has spawned a new language based on phonetics - text speak...and personally (being a student of linguistics) I thnk its gr8

The English language is an ornery beast... of a horse, tail of a lion, feet of a duck...that walks with crutches...

There are more exceptions to rules of grammar and punctuation that are there to bind the English language (than there are rules) because it is a language pulled together from many other languages...it is notoriously difficult to learn, spelling and punctuation alike...my kudos goes out to those who use ESL...well done!

ATS rules say posts must be in English...not, perfect English (as if there were such a thing)...

Å99

I am by far not a punctuation junky, I don't know all the rules.

I just put my dots and commas where I think they would fit, always where I think a short break is required to reflect the what you just read.

Punctuation helps to understand texts, without punctuation it is harder to read.

It also can have an impact on how you interpret things.


edit: I am German and I think English punctuation is way easier than the German one, so it does not take that much to try.

reply to post by sparky31


:puzh,bruther

What boggles the mind is the complete failure of those in error to learn from their mistakes. In the OP's case, he is clearly doing it on purpose.

If I can't understand the first couple of sentences because the grammar is so bad, I move on to the next post. That poster doesn't want to be heard badly enough to use proper English.

I can usually tell when English isn't the native language. Obviously I make exceptions for that person.

What we have here is a deliberate failure to communicate. If you don't care about your grammar you probably don't care about anything else either. If you did you would respect yourself and make the effort to improve yourself. This isn't grade school anymore. Grow up.

suz62
What boggles the mind is the complete failure of those in error to learn from their mistakes. In the OP's case, he is clearly doing it on purpose.

If I can't understand the first couple of sentences because the grammar is so bad, I move on to the next post. That poster doesn't want to be heard badly enough to use proper English.

I can usually tell when English isn't the native language. Obviously I make exceptions for that person.

What we have here is a deliberate failure to communicate. If you don't care about your grammar you probably don't care about anything else either. If you did you would respect yourself and make the effort to improve yourself. This isn't grade school anymore. Grow up.

'Deliberate failure to communicate'...is the salient point in your post. Communication is a two-way street...it requires the input of both...the one in presentation of ideas through grammar and punctuation - the other through interpretation of ideas through grammar and punctuation.

A paragraph could very well be presented in 'perfect' grammar and punctuation, that is nonetheless incomprehensible to you - despite grammar and punctuation...

Value judgements based on grammar and punctuation (deliberate, or not) are childish in themselves. Any effort made at communication is important, in and of itself...criticising the quality of that effort is nitpicking.

Å99

If it didn't matter that much legal documents would be so easy to read wouldn't they. Look at those stupid emoticons to the right...What in gods name are they supposed to represent?

If you can read internet slang and understand it without having to think about it...then something is wrong with you.

reply to post by sparky31

Hey Sparky...I totally get what your saying and yes folks around these parts sure can get their panties in a bunch over the small sh#t...But for me I just realized how cool it is to give stars in this newly vamped up site...I hated how it would take a second to reload just to give someone a star, so to celebrate I am giving you a star and every person here who posted cause I likes the new quick draw star thingy going on!!!!

reply to post by Evanzsayz


Can you identify what exactly?

minkmouse
If it didn't matter that much legal documents would be so easy to read wouldn't they. Look at those stupid emoticons to the right...What in gods name are they supposed to represent?

"A paragraph could very well be presented in 'perfect' grammar and punctuation, that is nonetheless incomprehensible to you - despite grammar and punctuation..."

Legal documents are a case in point. They are written in plain English with proper grammar and punctuation...yet, they are gobledygook to a layman - and you should consider yourself no less intelligent for not being able to make head nor tail of them.

Pictorial representations of (in your example emoticons) states of mind, rely on specialised fields of design that are geared around visceral responses that (on the whole) are universal...i.e. all road signs are based on heraldry colors, sometimes, the shapes are also based on heraldry...and even cultures that have no link to a heraldic tradition, use the same shapes and colors...that universal 'language' is well established.

...and 'not knowing' the language, is the point of the OP...but some of the responses are resorting to ridicule based on pedantic notions of correctness, that have nought to do with comprehesion.

Å99

reply to post by akushla99


You've obviously hit on a topic you're quite fluent in.

minkmouse
reply to post by akushla99

 

You've obviously hit on a topic you're quite fluent in.

edit on 5-9-2013 by minkmouse because: I'm getting a new keyboard soon!

edit on 5-9-2013 by minkmouse because: (no reason given)

TY
I just visited your site...you are also obviously fluent in design principles...some very beautiful photos



Å99

reply to post by akushla99


Many thanks