AIBU in wishing that posters would write more clearly?

[ShakeShakeTheMuffin]

I give up on countless threads because the OP gives a long rambling account that I just can't understand. This drives me nuts!
My particular pet hate is a sentence that runs on for a whole paragraph with no punctuation.
I understand that people are often upset when they post but I still think they need to take care to ensure their message is clear.
Am I just being a grumpy fucker or do I have a point? or possibly both

Writing clearly and concisely is a skill that has to be learned. Many people don't get the chance or time to improve their writing as an adult so you are being a bit U in assuming that everyone can write well. I understand why you avoid the long, rambling posts though.

Just press the Back button. No need to make snide remarks or have a whole thread to point and laugh at the plebs.

HTH

Thanks Apples.
I know some people find it hard to write clearly and concisely (nice description btw). I accept that I'm being a bit U. Still think that it might be nice for people to least read their posts for clarity before posting though!
Also I think if I could get my head around them then the rambly posts might be the most interesting so I think I'm annoyed about that too!

Donkey where did I call anyone a pleb? I genuinely can't understand some posts and I find it frustrating.
To be fair though I did expect some criticism.

It would help if you a blank line between your paragraphs. The posts that are the most difficult to read are the ones that are just a solid block with no paragraphs.

HTH.

I get what you're saying but you don't have to struggle on reading, there will be posters who can use their comprehension skills to work out the gist of it while you move on to another thread.

I wonder how many OPs are typing on phones. I know I usually make a hash of phone typing.

I think you’re being a bit of a tit to be honest.

Peoples writing styles/abilities are all different

I don’t mind, so long as it ain’t an essay they’ve written.

I agree about the long paragraphs.

I will take care to leave a blank line between them. :)

Posts are generally decipherable even if there's no punctuation/paragraphing/spell check.

Perhaps the issue is with your comprehension.

Unless people are bashing out random letters on the keyboard, context will give you the gist.

Most messages can be understood if you're actually interested. Where things are unclear, it's simple to ask for clarification. YABU.

Why are you so bothered by it? I’m sure other posters can read and help them if you struggle to understand that they’re trying to say.

It's a good point about English not being a first language. That's a very valid reason for having problems in writing clearly and I'm in awe of anyone who can write in a language other than their native tongue.

Oh, don't start blaming foreigners. You can tell who is struggling with English because it isn't their first language and who is struggling because they just aren't very well educated, though born and brought up in the UK. One group use odd constructions and expressions, the other group use familiar phrases and mistakes that are peculiar to the UK.

The British (maybe specifically the English) education system did not prioritise written English in the recent past, at least in my experience.

Maybe I'm bothered about it because I have problems understanding ambiguity and feel like I'm missing out on the best threads

Sometimes in the app I put paragraphs in and they don't show when they post.

In case this happens now, there were originally paragraphs in this post!

YANBU. I find it quite hard to read at the best of times (dyslexia and dyspraxia) so when a poster doesnt have a good grasp of punctuation and grammar it makes it even harder. Therefore I simply move to the next thread, which is a shame because I may have been able to help the OP in some way. I also get put right off by seeing a wall of text, especially if there are no paragraphs. So, for me, it really helps when posters are succinct and use puntuation.

@shakeshakethemuffin

Massive blocks of 1000 words with no break are a struggle to decipher. But reading your posts, you have no room to talk.
Not when you start new paragraphs without a space between them like you should have.
I mean, kind of like this.

Some posts on here (and indeed over the entire internet) are a terrible indictment on the education system of this country in particular. It makes me angry. I dont blame the posters usually. Although I have given up on some posts because they were just too hard to read.

My comprehension is usually pretty good even with poor writing though. Maybe I just have to be in the right mood.

It is very unusual for a post to be so long, rambling and poorly written that I cannot work out what the op means.

Sadly, there are many posters who feel the need to criticise the writing style or pretend they don't understand, in a twattish attempt at humour or just to have a pop at the op.

It's a skill, I think, to be able to read the long posts and to get the meaning.

Sadly, some posters don't seem to have that skill.

Well, as I use MN primarily for entertainment and instruction as opposed to a chance to showcase my counselling skills, I tend to just move along to the next thread.

But if I have to read an OP more than twice to gather who's who and wtf is going on I tend to give up, as it will undoubtedly turn into a 20 pager of people trying to clarify specific points and then sniping at each other.

@Phosphorus.

The problem is with my comprehension but also that of plenty of others on the conversations I'm referring to

Although of course many people seem to understand with no problem. As I said above I find ambiguity difficult. My background is science rather than language and I struggle with some things that others wouldn't and sometimes need things spelled out.

However, it does get boring when most of the first page is just people asking for clarification. So I know it's not just me.