Grammar and spelling (both irrelevant derailing and pedantic threads)

[TheEntertainerr]

Just read a couple of threads and need to rant.

1. There is no need to pull other posters up on spelling and grammar. It's irrelevant and derails the thread. If you disagree with a poster, it's okay to disagree with them. Disagree and state your point of view. If you understand what they're getting at, there is no need to pick them up on spelling/grammar. The motives are clear, you've taken a dislike/disagree and trying to score a petty point, in order to validate your belief that you're better/superior. Don't! You don't appear more intelligent/educated/knowledgeable. Just someone who is either incapable of disagreeing or effectively countering an argument.

2. Threads about poor grammar and spelling. Okay, some particular mistakes may really irritate people. I get it. Vent it, but quit while you're ahead. Don't cast aspersions - people being under-educated - based on one particular mistake. By all means, do so if you're that confident with your own ability and that your posts will hold up against the same level of scrutiny. Ironically, they often don't.

Rant over.

Totally agree. As long as I can understand the thread I can't get worked up about SPAG. It's an online Talk website, not English A Level or a job application.

Agree - but I will admit to skipping very long threads with no paragraphs. They are just so hard to read.

Totally agree. It’s elitist, condescending bullshit.

Being corrected on a forum has never bothered me. Rather that than look like a fool where correct spelling and grammar is appropriate.

Or or it "are" appropriate?

It's irrelevant

Good grammar is never irrelevant.

1. Depends on the thread. If someone's going through a really tough time then they need support not pedantic nit picking. If it's a more light hearted thread then I think posters are fair game. As RottnestFerry said, wouldn't you rather learn something on an anonymous site than having your mistakes reflect badly on you in a RL situation where it does matter (eg job application).

2. If you don't like those threads then don't open them. Problem solved.

There are not 3 Rs in 'Entertainer'

HTH

It’s annoying though, isn’t it?

I don’t mind typos. I’ve been guilty of typing too quickly!

But certain things just really bother me.

No paragraphs on a really long OP.

Text speak.

And my own personal pet peeve; saying brought when you mean bought. 😬

I don’t comment on it but it pisses me off and sometimes I think maybe it should be commented on because people obviously don’t know it’s wrong!

Same goes for lots of errors. How is anyone supposed to learn that something is incorrect if nobody ever corrects it?

No, I don't use MN as an English lesson. I doubt anyone else does either.

Some 'helpful' pedant thought it hilarious to correct someone's spelling of Kowtow recently.
It did not make them look funny
It did not make them look clever.
It just made them look a bit of a saddo.
Just not necessary.

Don't cast aspersions - people being under-educated - based on one particular mistake.

In the sentence above, it would have been more effective and correct (grammatically speaking) to say ‘such as’ before ‘people being....’

Personally, I don’t mind others correcting my SPAG. What really gets my goat though, are those preachy, condescending threads, where the OP gives a long lecture on how to be better people/use the forum correctly/be more like them.

You know the type?

"Could of" is fucking annoying though.

It’s ok is when someone corrects the SPG of a poster who has just rudely corrected another - they deserve it.

After several people used an apostrophe, I recently pointed out that the plural of Sebastian is Sebastians. Now I feel a bit poncey. However, I would never correct an individual poster, especially as a way of putting them down.

I think it's acceptable if the poster is a bigot. That usually happens on Facebook, though.

I like having my mistakes corrected. Every day is a school day. I don't know why people get so irritated about being told they've got it wrong, and been shown how to get it right.

No paragraphs is annoying but I now realise it isn't the poster's fault. The app on my phone takes away all the paragraph breaks when I post.

So it looks like I don't know what a paragraph is.

Good spelling is 'elitist' ?

I type like shite. I am not a typist.

the moment you need a fucking great eye rolling emoticon

Hmm, it worked that time. Maybe the app is just trolling us all.

Yes it's petty point scoring, and it usually indicates that they have run out of anything worthwhile to say.
It really doesn't make you look anymore intelligent.

It really doesn't make you look anymore intelligent

I don't think that is the intention.

I agree op. However as a pp said, long op with no paragraphs are very hard to read, particularly on a phone. Unless it’s a topic I feel strongly on I won’t bother with the thread if the op is one massive chunk. Long ops are fine - no paragraphs aren’t.

The ones saying they don't mind it, are the ones who do it.

I don't think that is the intention

Really? What is the intention?

I don’t see the point in criticising every little typo. However, when the SPAG is so bad as to make the post unreadable, I take issue.