..to think people are over-pedantic here about spelling and grammar?

[furrycat]

I am normally fairly pedantic myself about this (in books, newspapers etc) but this is where people come for a quick chat for heaven's (or is that heavens?) sake! If you have something to say, you should be able to say it without other people picking you up on your mistakes, or feeling you have to post again with a spelling correction.

[motherinferior]

JewelLery

[Earlybird]

My spelling, grammar and punctuation have gotten noticeably worse since becoming a MN regular. I now hesitate over certain words I absolutely know how to spell.

[SenoraPostrophe]

[edam]

LOL at MI: "Sorry to derail from your It's All About Me..."

[tigerschick]

I find that, most of the time, I am able to read through mistakes in grammar or spelling. I also don't presume to be nearly clever enough to pick other people up on things (or brave enough). But I do enjoy the threads that are devoted to pedantry, they feel like places where I can let off steam!

[StealthPolarBear]

me too tigerschick!
I don't correct posts, but I do enjoy a good pedantry thread. I expect my mistakes to be pointed out to me.

[hunkermunker]

PMSL at grammar pedantry being "edgy"

[Gobbledigook]

How can you be 'over pedantic' about it?! It's either right or it's wrong and it's important to get right! IMO anyway. I hate crap spelling and grammar.

[furrycat]

Gobbliedigook, it's not either right or wrong. Language changes - it's a living, breathing thing.

[Desiderata]

I totally agree with Gobbledigook.

[mimi03]

furrycat i totally agree with you- i manage to get on mn when i have a spare second and its usually rushed, so i abbr. and miss spell......its annoying and abit snobby to correctppl allthe time....if you dont like my spelling just move onto another thresad i say!

[SenoraPostrophe]

correct spelling, syntax and punctuation do usually make things easier to read and understand though.

Yes, sometimes perfectly spelled and punctuated missives can be obtuse, obfuscatory and otherwise less than swiftly comprehended (), but you are still more likely to understand if the spelling is good.

overwize wot we av is anaky donchafink?

[Issy]

Same rules as in RL: I don't correct an interlocutor's spelling or grammar because it would be rude to do so, but I do find it difficult not to discount a post that is peppered with spelling and/or grammatical errors. However, if the content and expression are good enough, the spelling and grammar become irrelevant (cf. just about anything written by Custardo).

I admit that it's an unfair prejudice; further down the thread Haychee gave a handful of good reasons why an excellent post may be poorly written. But life and Mnet aren't always fair.

[pointydog]

Pedants can't help it. It's like a tic.

[pointydog]

dh's poor spelling improved enormously when he started using message boards.

[EmsMum]

I have started to view cods certain peoples' posts as a form of mental challenge. Like doing a crossword or su doku. I'm sure its good for our brains.

[furrycat]

they can help it. Ironically, I am totally pendantic normally. I just think the rules here are slightly different from the rules in a novel, or a newspaper etc. People write their thoughts down in a rush and shouldn't feel obliged to proof read what they've said. You just have to give them a bit of leeway.

[pointydog]

Pity the pedants.

Smart arses do find it really hard to h elp it.

[Lorayn]

I think as long as people aren't using it as a weapon, rather pointing out something you may have missed then it isn't really a big deal, I like to think I spell well, and am normally grammatically correct, but would not object to someone pointing out a mistake I had made. We all use abbreviations and sometimes typo, I even thought 'prefect' was one until it was repeated (sorry des, couldn't hush it, you did well though!)

Surely it isn't about the fact that corrections are made, more about the way it is done or the reason the poster does it?

[haychee]

Lorayn

Excellently worded! Spot on post

[Lorayn]

[talulasmum]

furrycat; well said! i signed off a thread today for a few reasons; one of them being people kept correcting my spelling. (it was like being at school)
does it really bother people that much?
im new on here and luckily not that bothered, but i couldnt help thinking,
what about all those other new mums like me that might be put off useing mumsnet by having their spelling constantly corrected ? people that might have a real "aibu" question they desperately want answering. its just not fair.

[Lorayn]

talulasmum, I dont think your spelling was questioned more than once on said thread, but I see your point, as I said, it is often how and why it is corrected rather than it being corrected that is the problem.

[talulasmum]

agree with that