to think that it is not ok to be rude about other people's bad English skills?

[bluecheeseforbreakfast]

I have read a few threads recently that say how uneducated and stupid people who don't spell words properly are. there have been times on mumsnet that my opinion has been belittled because of the spelling/grammer in my posts.

I am dyslexic, I didn't learn to read untill I was 10 (I just looked at the biff and chip pictures and guessed what was going on, the teacher would correct me and I would memorise the story, I had to read to same book over and over untill I could "read" the entire book but I had actually just memorised the words.) I am not stupid, I have a degree, I read newspapers regularly, I have learnt a second language in he last 3 years, I have had a profesional job that I loved (I am now on maternity leave). I am just really crap at spelling.

I feel so stupid and unwelcome when I read negative things about spelling. I think that one of the great things about mumsnet is how open and accepting people are about many different issues but it still seems to be ok for posters to be rude and mean about people with bad English skills.

If you were to start a thread saying "AIBU to not want to read a friend's facebook status because they said their instead of there?" there is a high chance you will get lots of posters saying yes, never have anything to do with the fool again! If you started a thread saying "AIBU to not want to listen to my friend because they have a stutter and it anoys me when they struggle to get their words out?" I would assume that the concensus would be (rughtly so) yabvvvu.

I have a baby who goes to sleep at 5.45, my friends all have small children so they are at home in the evening, my dp works nights. I feel really lonely but mumsnet is a great way to make myself feel like I am have meaningful conversations with other adults, it would take me ages to post if I was to check each spelling that I wasn't 100% sure about.

Often on the people who can't spell are so stupid type threads people say "oh but not dyslexic people, I didn't mean dyslexic people" 1 in 10 people are dyslexic, often you won't know if a friend is dyslexic as it isn't the sort of thing that often crops up in conversation.

AIBU to think that learning difficulties/disabilities/differances should be treacted as any other physical/mental difficulty/disability/differance?

[SPsDoesntLikeChaffingFishnets]

Ignore them

I'm here to chat not have an english/grammar/spelling lesson.

[Tee2072]

YANBU

So long as I can understand you, spell anyway you want.

I will, however, pick someone up on bad grammar/spelling if their post is picking someone else on the same. Because that's karma.

[SPsDoesntLikeChaffingFishnets]

Tee I see no harm in that. I actually enjoy it when that happens

[KittensoftPuppydog]

I don't think that anyone should worry about spelling on social media. Don't worry about these people. They just want to put themselves above someone else.

[insancerre]

yanbu
I am a stickler for correct spelling in the right place, but on mumsnet or facebook, who cares?
sometimes I can't even be bothered with punctuation or capital letters

[Onesleeptillwembley]

It does shock me when someone does it (not a phone typo) and then claims to be a teacher.

[Tee2072]

Although, I do have to say, since most browsers and devices have built in spell checkers, there's no reason to not at least pay attention to those little wavy lines.

If you want to.

[spongebob13]

imo with threads like that the OP usually states they are ready for a flaming and are aware a reply like yours may be posted but we can't help what annoys us however irrational they may be at times.

yanbu though and it should be more about the content than the spelling but I guess it does irk some people. all I can say is try not be so sensitive about it (meant in a nice way not patronising). and with regard your last point I remember getting a flaming from someone else on a different forum as when she said she had dyslexia and I called it a disability she was highly insulted. so I don't know what the pc term is on that.

[usualsuspect]

Yanbu.

Those threads piss me right off.

[DameDeepRedBetty]

The only times I've ever said anything about spelling/grammar to an OP is when it was truly unreadable, usually due to heavy use of text-speak and epic failure to use paragraphs. And even then I've tried to be gentle and tactful about it - both times the OP was in a bit of a tizz and needed help and support right now, not a visit to Pedant's Corner!

Your OP is perfectly readable and understandable, I didn't notice any spelling mistakes until I went back to look for them deliberately just now.

[usualsuspect]

I cba with capitals and punctuation half the time on here.

MN is for fun.

[harticus]

Not nice threads are they OP?
I sit and wait for them to fuck up ....

Just hide the threads that upset/annoy you.
I love the Hide facility - irritating tossery disappears in a flash.

[bluecheeseforbreakfast]

we can't help what annoys us however irrational they may be at times

I do understand that bad spelling anoys some people but there are also people who dislike black/gay/female people and it is generally acknoledged that it is not ok to dislike a person because of something that is out of that person's control, no matter how much it anoys someone else. It is the annoyed person's problem not the "anoying" person. It is probably kinder to the people who annoy you through no fault of their won if you don't post threads on a public forum venting your annoyance.

Thank you for the kind words! It is nice to have a ballance to the other threads :)

I must look into a spell checker, my browser is not English so I'm not sure if that would work but it would be great if it did!

[usualsuspect]

I wonder why the people that start those threads can't see they might stop some people from posting on MN.

[MaidOfStars]

OP, there is very little in your original post that belies your dyslexia, with either the spelling or grammar...

Unusual spelling mistakes or clear keyboard/fat finger typos don't bother me. The first might trigger a thought re:dyslexia, or indicate sheer unfamiliarity; the second happens to everyone. I tend to comment on spellings/grammar in two situations - where the mistake is unintentionally hilarious or when the poster is being smug and superior about another issue and I feel like having a cheap shot.

The 10% figure seems a little like an overestimation to me, though.

[hellokittymania]

I speak 7 languages. I make mistakes in most of them but can be understood. What you say matters more than how you spell.

I am studying translation for Vietnamese and English though so I do need these 2 languages to be good. :)

[nennypops]

It's not OK to be rude to anyone. It's particularly not OK to mock a dyslexic person for bad spelling. However, you really can't equate a person who finds lazy spelling and grammar annoying with a racist or sexist person. And I do wonder why people seem to think it is morally wrong to find it annoying, when they don't get that worked up about people who post on here about virtually anything else that they find irritating.

[elskovs]

I agree OP

But I don't think 10% of people are genuinely dyslexic.

[bluecheeseforbreakfast]

A person would most proabably not know if a person was lazy or dyslexic, I can see why a teacher would find lazy spelling/grammer anoying if a student who they knew was capable of better spelling/grammer would be anoyed but I really can't see why a random person's bad spelling on an internet forum would annoy anyone.

I am glad I didn't make too many mistakes maidofstars :) I tend to use words that I feel I can safely spell, I am alot more articulate when I speak but I tend to choose an easy to spell option when I write :(

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

If someone's job is teaching English, or writing press releases or something, then I think that SPaG errors are unprofessional.

If a large company or national newspaper lets SPaG errors through to the publication stage, then it is not a good advertisment.

If someone on social media corrects someone else's SPaG, but in the process makes errors themselves, then I appreciate the irony.

I don't think Mumsnet is the place to correct people's errors; it just comes across as discourteous.

[KateCroydon]

Well, judging from your post your spelling and grammar are perfect

[thegreylady]

I agree with tee I will only mention someone's spelling /grammar if they are criticising someone else's errors.

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

YANBU. As long as I can understand someone, it doesn't bother me if their spelling or grammar is perfect, good, average or crap. It doesn't bother me the reasons why either, I'm not your English teacher and I'm not marking your PhD thesis either! Fuck the smug posters and their oh so perfect grasp of spelling and grammar. They may be good at English but their empathy skills are seriously lacking.

[PresidentServalan]

I would only do it if the poster was being a bit of a superior wanker about other people.