To be horrified by the poor spelling and grammar on social media?

[PuzzledObserver]

In the past 24 hours, I have tutted at the following gems across a range of social media, including MN:-

• per say (per se)
• should of (should have)
• to all intense purposes (to all intents and purposes)
• that player is literally on fire (I do hope she isn’t)

Granted that autocorrect sometimes gets it wrong, not all posters are native speakers of English and there are regional variations.... but AIBU to hope that anyone who has completed their education in the UK can actually write in correct English?

I really do understand that it can be irritating.

It can also be a very easy point to score.

It really isn't necessarily indicative of intelligence or ability. (Think Einstein for one). It's certainly not necessarily indicative of effort.

Sometimes those of us who find something comes to us quite easily, and is second nature (I'm sure there's some bad grammar in there), maybe ought to bite our tongue and take the high road - to mix a couple of metaphors?

It's wonderful that we have such a diverse community in which to swap ideas, opinions, and seek advice. Isn't that the main thing?

I'd never be as rude as to comment but yanbu. I wince.

My particular peeves are...

'His' to mean 'he's' (shudder).

You're/your obviously!

They're/there/their obviously.

Too/to

'No' to mean 'know'

Its social media, not an English lesson.

But it's everywhere, not just social media. Just received some legal documents re a will and the number of typos is pathetic. The weekly primary school newsletter is full of grammar and spelling mistakes. Look on any noticeboard - there'll be errors on at least half the notices.

Oh and also...

Allowed/aloud becoming mixed up.

Effect/affect

Why does noticing that someone has something wrong mean you think you’re superior to them?

Because we are taught to believe that education is the only way we can better ourselves, the very heart of meritocracy. We place societal value on educational achievement. We therefore see 'good' grammar and spelling as correlated with educated, achieving, and sucessful.

We seem to forget that the people we judge are actual people. Real people, with thoughts and feelings. People whose lifes may have been different to ours. People. Someone's son or daughter. Someone's sister or brother.

Why should not being able to spell or use an apostrophe in the right place stop you from taking part in communicating on social media?

Have you ever seen a transcript for 'real time speech'? It's full of hesitencies, dysfluencies, mispronunciations, half started words and sentences.

Context is everything, obviously a written student essay is different to a mumsnet post. But really l'm more interested in what someone has to say, than worrying about any should of, would of, could of.

then they should be employing a spell checking tool

Spell check is useless when words are correctly spelt but incorrectly used. So, for example, aloud to mean allowed won't get picked up.

If you think that’s bad OP, imaging having to proof read and correct similar sorts of errors in teachers’ end of year reports! These people have degrees and it amazes me how they got where they are.

Spell check is useless when words are correctly spelt but incorrectly used. So, for example, aloud to mean allowed won't get picked up

There are various programmes and apps that pick up on grammatical errors too.

MrsFrisbyMouse Why should not being able to spell or use an apostrophe in the right place stop you from taking part in communicating on social media?

It doesn't create a good impression though, does it? Why not just learn to do things correctly? I always think some people must struggle so much with job applications, jobs that involve writing, jobs using computers, online dating, etc.. And I have plenty of friends for whom English isn't their first language, and who are not university educated, but who simply don't make these common errors.

Well, sort of. I find the lack of attention weird, but it would be really boring if everyone had perfect grammar and spelling.

Today I received a haughty email from someone who used 'illicit' where she should have used 'elicit'. I'm sleeping on it.

Thanks for explaining each of the errors in brackets for us in your OP, OP.

I don't disagree with you, but these threads never go well.

I just accept that it's not everyone's strength.

This drives me nuts too - however I would never correct anyone as you don't know their background. I was sorely tempted to say something this week though because a girl wanted suggestions where to sell her 'jewelry'. A guy suggested, due to her spelling she should try the USA. OK, he was being a bit of an arse, but technically correct. Instead of saying 'oops, silly me' or something similar - she had a right go at him. Which instantly made HER look an arse, as he was right.

Getting exercised over jewelry is pretty silly, isn't it?

It's very rude to comment on spelling and grammar. I would never say anything to anyone because as another poster said you don't know their background. English could be their second language, they could have learning difficulties or just have been typing quickly. Assuming none of those things, then yes I would silently judge. I'd silently judge them as being less educated. That's not a judgment on their character, it's a judgment on whatever education system they went through.

Getting whole words wrong is a little embarrassing, but I take the view that not everyone has the same literacy standards.

Spelling, rogue apostrophes, typos etc Incouldnt care less about. Just this week I've found out that my phone has started automatically adding apostrophes to plurals, but only realised after posting 'mum's' on MN.

I tend to find it more ridiculous when people act like the SPAG police or think someone's homophobe mistake negates all the points the poster was making.

I'm not horrified but it saddens me a little.
I'm dyslexic and not overly bright, the gene pool you know.
However, on realising as a child that I was pretty useless and being the age I am meant no support, or not in the right direction I set out to try to do better.
With no internet then it was a case of practising handwriting, and spelling, with a dictionary.
I rely on spell check a lot, this depresses me as my spelling is getting worse again.
I suppose it's more important to some, I don't judge others.

I don't mind about other people but I am horrified at my own children's standard of writing as shown on our latest post cards to family. Truly horrifying.

Maybe MNHQ could give us an opt in/out on being corrected
I don't take it personally and in the past have actually asked questions in pedants corner.
We could have a little dunces hat, just like school only joking. Perhaps a star or sticker

or think someone's homophobe mistake negates all the points the poster was making.

Some of the worst I have seen is on FB, I think some of it is a fashion. But can be hard to understand

This drives me potty. I watched a video on Facebook by pinch of nom, a uk company that instructed me to “mix real good” I expressed my horror in the comments and was told to “ get a life” well, correcting grammar is my life thank you very much. I will continue to mix well.

Oh, I don’t correct people when I see it. That would be rude.

Instead I go to a different part of the internet and have a moan about it. Isn’t that what it’s there for?

It doesn't create a good impression though, does it?

Only if you've totally bought into the 'education is everything' paradigm. There are other views on life out there, different lived experiences. Believe it or not you can choose to ignore your responses to 'bad' spelling and grammar, to retrain yourself to look for the actual semiotic meaning behind the written words. It's a skill, and an empathetic one at that.

We only value good spelling/grammar because that was what we were taught to value by the power structures of society around us. It's actually quite liberating to discard that somewhat restrictive mantle.

YABU. It doesn’t affect you in the slightest so I suggest you get a life and stop worrying about other people’s spelling mistakes on social media.

Criticizing someone for American spellings is