AIBU: Re the grammar police on this board

[RedRoosterLondon]

AIBU to think that the grammar police on here sanctimonious cunts?

I realise there are plenty of ways to go about it of course, and rudeness is unnecessary, but generally I find the corrections are meant in a positive way.

Well we must be logging into two different Mumsnets then.

In my experience the majority of 'correctors' are just being arse holes, or at least that's how they come across.

Unless the poor SPAG means people genuinely can't understand the OP, I think people should learn to be gracious and simply get on with replying to the post.

Mumsnet is about support and unless someone has asked for support/advice on their spelling and grammar, people should get over it and themselves.

And yes, it often sets my teeth on edge too but if I ever find myself unable to cope, I'll either hide the thread or stay away from the internet.

We all make mistakes when posting, especially on a phone. I actually think most posts on MN are well written and articulate and don't see too many involving just text speak. If you want to see some truly awful posts head over to The McParents on FB, it's a real eye opener.

It says more about the arses that do this then the posters that make mistakes.

By the way, it should "than". HTH, hun.

Hesterton - I agree with your post. Some actions of the so called Grammar Police verge on divisive, almost always patronising and sometimes could be classed as outright bullying.

I'm all for offering help and advice if the poster requests it. But in most instances some arse comes along and corrects or scolds a troubled poster who has just poured their heart out.

It's all about stereotypes if you ask me. People who comment on poor grammar, or spelling, or paragraph construction are assuming the poster is lazy and/or stupid. In reality they may:

-be in a rush
-be dyslexic
-use English as a second language
-had a shitty childhood and didn't thrive educationally
-not give a hoot because this is a casual, unofficial forum for casual, unofficial language
-be using a phone with auto correct or inability to put in paragraphs
-have a kid on their lap and be using their other hand

It just shows a blinkered attitude and lack of consideration for the human typing the post.

If it was a job application or official correspondence I'd expect good grammar and spelling to show respect for the reader. But here it's not necessary. I've always understood posts despite others being totally confused and begging for paragraphs. If you don't get it just step away from the post as the poster will be put off having someone critique their writing style.

That's true babybarrister

But I imagine there'll be lurkers who don't really understand that.

They probably just see people being humiliated and think sod that, I wanted advice but I'm not putting myself through that shit.

Love a good grammar thread, that's the time to really talk about it.
Hate it when people are not taking the time to 'listen' to what is being said and instead get distracted by their own pedantry.

Text speak doesn't bother me. Message boards mirror real speech more than written stuff anyway - so will tend to be colloquial. If you ever look at transcripts for real speech you'd think it was gobbledygook - but we seem to understand each other perfectly well.

Something else I don't understand is that some of the regular 'correctors', can often be seen on other threads, berating posters for not assuming the person who was rude to them on the bus, may have had special needs/English as a second language.

Why don't they extend that way of thinking to posters on here, instead of jumping all over their spelling and grammar skills?

I find people go for grammar errors when their argument is weak.

Such as " blah blah and that's not how you spell 'bollacks'" for example - immature to say the least and makes them sounds like an annoying mosquito buzzing near your ear that needs squashing

I personally don't care. The grammar police seems to be guilty of a fair amount of mistakes anyway.

When they can prove they speak my mother tongue as well as I speak and write English, which is only my 3rd language, then I will listen. In the meantime, who cares?

I don't really like the overuse of acronyms, because I can't understand anything. On an old thread, someone mentioned "an EGG", it took me a long time to realise she actually meant an egg, from a chicken

They are also forgetting people are more than their education. The nicest, most selfless person I know would struggle to write a letter but could give excellent advice.

Poor grammar, a lack of paragraphs and missing punctuation can make posts and threads very hard to read and follow. I know I immediately turn off when I see 'i' instead of 'I', so I just don't respond to the thread not that I comment much anyway, I don't think I would have the courage to point out someone's mistakes.

A few typos here and there are fine, and on a small phone can be inevitable.

I don't really like the overuse of acronyms, because I can't understand anything. On an old thread, someone mentioned "an EGG", it took me a long time to realise she actually meant an egg, from a chicken

I remember that one. I thought it was a medical procedure, like an ECG or something

as a general rule I ignore anything in kiddy text speak. Too much like hard work. It is usually possible to see where a brick-phone has minced up what someone said.

I also don't bother with walls of text. So if you want answers, communicate properly.

minor mistakes are still understandable.

Those urging the use of Google might like to start with Muphry.

QED.

Mumsnet is 'spoken ' by many people from all over the world, who speak five or more languages ,not to mention dialects and the education in swear language they have picked up on here.

It is a pain to be corrected by the MISSES.

Yeah, I know I missed a word. Missing a word (or mistyping "because" when it's obviously just a typo and not lack of effort) is not the same as not making an effort to communicate clearly.

People don't always have the time or Inclination to 'go educate themselves'.

Time = welp, in some rare cases that may be true, but I'm sure they find plenty of "time" for other "non-essential" things.

Inclination = that's the crux of it. And if you don't have the "inclination" to better yourself and improve your lot in life, then don't whinge when people misunderstand you or you're passed over for opportunities because of your poor writing.

Tenuous example: I don't have the inclination to spend 30 mins a day on all fours trying to get my unborn baby to turn from back-to-back. BUT if I don't do it, I'll likely have a longer, more painful labour. So, it BENEFITS me to find that inclination. In the same way that finding the inclination to educate oneself would benefit ... um, one.

... and the ones that have a paragraph break for each line

I do that for any more than three lines. Though sometimes I do it for fewer if I want it to be noticed.

It's because I write online for a living and have been shown that it's easier to read. As are short sentences.

I'd only correct someone's SPAG if they started it first.

What annoys me are smug bastards who type this. If you don't want to answer someone's question because you think it is beneath you, then don't.

OP, I think you'll find that you should have asked "AIBU to think that the grammar police on here are sanctimonious cunts?"

OP did point that out in her / his subsequent post. But have a gold

Goodnight you really should check carefully for typos before being sanctimonious about good writing