to think you can be educated and have a well paid job even if you post grammatical errors here

[ladygingina]

I do get a lot of personal insaults here calling me stupid, uneducated and doubting I have a well paid job just because of poor grammar and spelling.

Seriously unless I was working as a copywrirer then these skills aren't not really relevant. I do spend more time on official document then I do bashing away on my phone here!

it is very difficult to type correctly on a phone, so as long as I can understand what people are trying to convey I assume 'crap phone design'.

I wouldn't do job apps or cvs on a phone though!

that said, to convey your message properly it does help if there is punctuation, correct sentence structure and a reasonable attempt at grammar and spelling. These 'little' things make communication easier.

I teach English, but the difference between work and MN is that

1. I have fat fingers and don't hit the right keys
2. I post quickly and don't proof read
3. I don't care that much if I make an error.

My spelling and grammar is perfect in real life :)

If I ever feel like commenting on someone's spelling and grammar I would remind myself that I'm complete crap at maths, and if we were (for some reason!) posting even simple sums and calculations I would find it HARD not to make mistakes.

Not everyone can be good at everything. Doesn't make you "less educated" or "stupid".

And there are plenty of great jobs out there where your spelling and grammar aren't important. I'm a bloody great teacher but I can't add up. Go figure....

Iggly, PC isn't for twats to point out other people's mistakes

In my head it is

It's a bit of a leap Rusticated to assume people are actively deciding to not spell well.

Some of my posts are late a night when I'm tired and more prone to making mistakes or not picking them up - most of my professional work isn't and it it is would be very carefully prof read before being seen - plus I usually have much more time to spend on professional things than on a quick post on here.

Not learning how to read and write is lazy and unjustifiable. You are contributing to lowering standards

Funny how even when the spelling and grammar is fine, it's still possible to tell who is an ignoramus isn't it? :)

Yes, and yes

I don't care what people on here think of my use of English
I really don't
I can spell. Its just a shame my phone can't and I'm too lazy to read my posts before I post them.
But I dont really judge other people for mistakes as much as I used to.

Apparently schools totally relaxed standards and teaching of the basics from 80's saying communication was key and getting point across. left loads of us without the basics

I see this trotted out every time in this type of discussion.

It's obvious that you are aware that you don't know the basics of grammar etc, but why do you feel it's fine to go through life like that, blaming your school for not teaching you properly?

What is stopping you using your own initiative and learning now?

There are free courses on English tuition online, you don't even need to pay to learn to remedy the deficit. You don't even need to attend a class, you can do it from your armchair or bed or even the loo if you want to.

What sort of attitude do you think employers and potential acquaintances are looking for?
A 'School never taught me so I can't do that'
B 'My 80's education was poor in that subject so since then I have >lists courses and achievements<

As for spelling, don't all browsers have spell-checkers, which appear to be better than auto correct

The only times I am irritated by spelling or grammar mistakes on MN are when it's a case of aforementioned Murphry's Law, (LOVE IT!) or when the post is incomprehensible and the poster really needs advice. I'm afraid when it's the latter I usually give up reading and click on another thread.

There's no point posting a snipey remark unless you're in Pedant's Corner. It just makes you look like a knobber.

Fuck! Pedants'

Remind me NEVER to post there, would get eaten alive.

Surely whether someone chooses to improve their English is their own business, though? They could equally decide to go the gym/stop drinking/learn French or a million other things.

I value English, and I take time to ensure that I write and speak as well as I reasonably can. But there are other things that surely I don't do well, and I wouldn't appreciate anyone chiding me.

It takes the same amount of time to spell correctly as incorrectly so I don't understand your point. If someone can spell and punctuate correctly but doesn't then I assume they don't care about how they come across.

I agree with you there blanklook. I was a "victim" of 1980s schooling. My English was (more or less) saved by an old school English teacher when I was 13 who refused to embrace the new methods but, whilst I was good at Maths and have Maths A-level, I never learned my tables and was very poor at mental arithmetic

It was always an embarrassment to me that I was so slow to work things out but I didn't do anything about it. Then My Dcs had to learn their tables and I practised with them. So now I know them! It wasn't even difficult, just needed a bit of practise.

Still say most errors on here are simple typos rather than people not knowing better though.

It takes the same amount of time to spell correctly as incorrectly

For a good speller sure - for a bad one mistakes happen anyway and they take time to pick up and correct.

In a professional context the poor spellers expend more time and energy stopping and picking up these mistakes.

I love the assumption that people choose to be poor spellers - and that they haven't tried to rectify the problems - as it could never be that for some its a skill that is much harder. Pus why assume it has anything to do with intelligence or other skill sets important to some professional jobs.

Don't get me wrong I know being a poor speller it's an important skill to have - but on a chat forum odd spelling surely isn't an issue.

I agree with Hexu2.

Also, I don't care how I come across to someone who will judge me by my typed English on an internet forum.

Fair enough, but if the poster doesn't respect themselves and the reader sufficiently to communicate clearly then I'm not sure why they are asking for input on whether they are unreasonable!

Sunbeam, do you really believe the odd spelling mistake means the OP is unable to communicate?

We are not talking about the odd spelling mistake. The OP asked about 'poor grammar and spelling' and then gave some examples in her following paragraph. It showed how meaning is distorted by the errors!

Totally agree Longest.

Spelling wise, I use the spell check extension in Google Chrome, so if I make a spelling mistake I get a squiggly red line under the word (like you do in Word). Therefore I can rectify any spelling mistakes quickly.

However, I never proofread, and often submit my posts and then notice I've missed out a word or two, or the grammar isn't great. On occasion I post again, just the bit I got wrong, and correct it. This is usually when I think my point will be lost otherwise. However, when it's still obvious what I'm getting at, I don't bother.

It's only the fucking internet after all.

In the important things, in 'real life', I'm always very careful with my wording and grammar.

NB: My degree is in art though, so I'm not expected to be clever!

Was that answer to me Middleaged. Do you genuinely correct people's grammar when you're speaking with them?

Haha typical my op had a few of them. I just post on here mainly while I'm on the loo at work, never proof read I don't have time for that and I'm not paid for my input here.

Well, you need to distinguish between incomprehensible and its/it's your/you're affect/effect lay/lie or any of the minor breaches that the OP might be referring to. When someone rushes in with, "I think you mean you're worried about the effect your divorce might have on your daughter - not the affect?" we all know what is intended.

No post is incomprehensible. Not one without paragraphs, or written entirely in text speak. Not if the reader tries hard enough and has a little empathy.

If I see an OP written in text speak, I open the thread specifically to beat the pedants with my special stick, because I can guarantee the first reply will be some smartarse saying "oh dear OP, you may be being held at gunpoint by a masked man but until you put your post into paragraphs I'm afraid no-one here is going to help you" (followed by smug self-congratulatory aren't-I-witty heehawing)

No, you're just an arsehole.