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.

If it's literally unreadable (v rare) I just hide the thread.

Good grammar is never irrelevant

I agree; I'm not generally in the habit of correcting anyone's grammar though

I wanted to ask a poster today if she's American as she used the words candy and cookie. I am really just interested in whether American words are becoming more common in the UK ( I think they are), but I didn't ask as I didn't want to be told off for being "pedantic".

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.

That could be due to dyslexia. Should the person not post if they are dyslexic, and come back when they have got over their learning difficulty?
It could be due to lack of education. Should the poster no t ask for opinions or help until they've had a better education?

If they lack education, shouldn't they be pleased to be getting some? Free of charge too. I like learning new stuff, to fill in the gaps in my knowledge.

@ WellErrr Point taken! . I didn't mean for my OP to sound quite so condescending. Thanks for the tip!

@ IvanaPee SPAG mistakes don't annoy me unless it's in formal communications, or published work. Also my SPAG isn't great, so I'm less likely to spot others' mistakes.

@Aspieteach 2) I do like to read as I learn what mistakes I'm making. It's more the posters who comment on how uneducated people are for making a particular SPAG and in the next breath making an equally 'uneducated' SPAG. Possible a typo or ignorance. But they don't view themselves as uneducated!

If they lack education, shouldn't they be pleased to be getting some? Free of charge too. I like learning new stuff, to fill in the gaps in my knowledge.

Eh, no. People on here don't do it out of the goodness of their heart, they do it to embarrass and belittle. No one is going to be thankful for that. It's pathetic.

So is there never a case to be made for it then?

Like, correcting someone’s SPAG for the craic = arsehole behaviour.

But seeing someone continually use the wrong word for something and gently correcting it?

Or perhaps even asking for clarification because you don’t quite know what they’re saying but you could take a reasonably good stab at it?

I’m just saying, there’s a sliding scale surely?

If someone posted some maths that had an error in it would people say "it's not really important, we can work out the figure you meant"?

I agree with you OP but the huge posts with no paragraphs are awful to read. I don’t think it’s bad manners to ask for a poster to use them personally.

People do not correct others' SPaG out of a desire to be helpful. They do it because they find the mistakes annoying and enjoy belittling those who make them.

I can't help finding the mistakes annoying too. But I can help pointing them out. Picking on random posters' mistakes is not going to make a jot of difference to the state of the general public's spelling and grammar.

Maths is different, the end result would be wrong. If SPAG mistakes are made, its usually still pretty easy to work out what the person means, even if they have spelled several words wrong, or forgotten most punctuation.
Anyway, we don't use maths as a form of communication on MN, so it's irrelevant.

Just clicked on a thread with one huge paragraph. Then clicked off it. If everyone did that the poor poster would be left stranded.

Not seen any maths threads except where the poster is actually asking for help.

@IvanaPee There's a time and a place. Gently correcting okay. But sometimes it appears to be a dig, but I appreciate it the tone can by misinterpreted, especially in writing.

FWIW I like an explanation when I'm corrected so I know/understand for future reference. Also it takes a conscious effort to unlearn SPAG mistakes/vocabulary misuse.

It's normal to find run-on paragraphs difficult to absorb. Other than this, barring properly indecipherable English, I agree with you.

It's rude and reveals a lack of emotional intelligence.

"If they lack education, shouldn't they be pleased to be getting some? Free of charge too. I like learning new stuff, to fill in the gaps in my knowledge."

Stop being so fucking patronising. Your attitude is classist and elitist.

@ShitAtScarbble - it's better to misspell than add a number .

This is a very good read

"Why grammar snobbery has no place in the movement"

everydayfeminism.com/2014/05/grammar-snobbery/

Relevant wether you identify as a feminist or not

I think it depends on whether it is poor grammar because the poster is typing quickly or poor grammar that is ...well, awful grammar. 'Could of', rather than 'could have' or 'could've' really makes me cringe. I would probably not correct them myself, but I do always hope that the offenders take it on board when it is pointed out to them.
I have hidden one friend's posts on facebook because I cringed at the mangled grammar. I actually felt embarrassed for her when I read some of the things she wrote. Don't expect she was bothered though.

There’s a particularly snotty poster who loves using big words to impress - waste of time as their grammar is atrocious. Trouble is they have a tendency to make up a lot of those words. I’m ashamed to say I had a spat about it with them not long ago. Not proud of it.

Grammar, spelling and punctuation matter. I think it is better to be wrong and corrected on an anonymous forum rather than in real life. Some mistakes do make the writer seem uneducated and I would bet that most people don't want to come across that way.

If the poster is going through a serious crisis, it is not the time to point out errors.

If mistakes are never pointed out then how will people learn?

I think it depends on whether it is poor grammar because the poster is typing quickly or poor grammar that is ...well, awful grammar.

I agree with this and I think you can tell the difference.

As for Facebook I’ve hidden family members because the way they write genuinely bothers me. It shouldn’t but it does. I’d never correct it, obviously, but it wasn’t good for me to see it! 😂

And I know it’s not an education thing as we went to the same post-primary school, albeit some years apart.

I have no problem with text speak at all if it's legible, I'm not overly bothered by could of/would of but I might gently correct that. And I'd definitely correct it when they've totally got a word or phrase wrong, even if I understand what they're saying.
I think it's far better if a nicer person gently corrects them rather than the person continue to make the same mistake and then get ripped to shreds by an arsehole.

My phone and iPad do like to make me look like a complete dickhead most of the time so I do try to ignore as much as I can and then sit here shouting at a screen because it's the polite thing to do.