What is the purpose of Pedants' Corner? (Genuinely looking for views)

[DadDadDad]

This was being discussed on another thread here, so I thought I'd see what others thought. Is it for any of these?

1. Letting off steam about language misuse seen elsewhere on MN
   
2. Having a general moan about abuses in the wider world (at work, in the media etc)
   
3. A more educational purpose of allowing people to get clarification around something in their own writing or in the writing of others
   
4. To inform about points of pedantry on any subject (not just English language)
   

Of course, feel free to add other options, just thought a few suggestions would help.

[Veritata]

Definitely a safety valve for me. Things like "could of" make me really uncomfortable and I really, really want to correct them - but I can see that it's often inappropriate and that, even if maybe it isn't, I would get flamed anyway. So I say thank goodness for Pedants' corner.

[DadDadDad]

It's good to see that objective 3 in my original list has been addressed a few times recently on PC. It's not all about getting in a rage with other people!

[Wellknackerdmammy]

To pedal the pedantic nature of the perilous misuse of the potency of our parle (we could say) in the most purest way.

Shall we pitter and patter pneumonic-a-ll--aayy?
No the day!!
Punctuate, create, penetrate at a parental rate.

PS. I'm not sure tho.. cos, pedants and peasants are too alike, and am pure posh procuring this. Am trying to look like a good mum so if it's all periods then am Putin.

[iklboo]

[Cooroo]

It's the glorious space where you can't be flamed for being a pedant.

[Scousadelic]

I'm so glad the 'lightening' is annoying everybody else too, I just popped over to scream before I have to tell somebody and be harassed by those who think it is patronising and good spelling and grammar is trivial

[PetulaGordino]

on another thread someone called that murphy's law of pedantry - so if you post in pedants' corner you will make a mistake somewhere

(i have no leg to stand on - i rarely bother with capital letters on here)

[DadDadDad]

Actually I can't blame phone correction. I know perfectly well the difference between its and it's but just suffered a concentration lapse. I got it wrong. Sorry, pedants.

[iklboo]

Awwww! You put an apostrophe in the possessive its

Kidding! I know the damnable smartphone correction was at work.

[DadDadDad]

I was wondering when purpose number 1 would raise it's head on the topic of lightning! Start your own thread for that! (Although Petula will be happy if this thread goes off topic )

Sorry, if I've sounded arsey; it must be the heat. I wouldn't know if we've crossed paths before because I'm a bloke and never notice anyone's name.

[iklboo]

While I suppose a lightning strike has the brief effect of lightening your room....

It's called LIGHTNING!!!!

[Munchmallow]

You beat me to it, iklboo

[LulaPalooza]

Ha! I came here to say exactly that, iklboo

I had to hide those threads.

[Munchmallow]

This topic exists to enable us to point out that it's LIGHTNING, not "lightening".

[PetulaGordino]

I don't know how long you've been on here (you're now going to tell me we've had a conversation in the past and I'll embarrassed )

[iklboo]

Posts about 'Lightening' strikes are driving me mildly frenzied tonight.

[PetulaGordino]

I didn't mean to be patronising, but I'm on other forums where mods will "whoosh" threads from the wrong section into the right one, or will merge a new thread into an old one on the same topic, (or tell people off for going off topic, which I hate, I like discussions to develop naturally), but MN doesn't do that (as you know), but I don't know how long you've been on here so you might have been used to the former

I get your sceptical face now

[BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure]

You may or may not be a beginner here; I happen to know you aren't, but why should Petula?

[iklboo]

I feel I can safely rant about my BIL's girlfriend who genuinely believes 'cunt' is an acceptable contraction for couldn't (which is already a contraction).

As in 'I cunt get out of bed this morning'.

[DadDadDad]

All of it - because it's stating things that are obvious to anyone who's been on MN for a while, so it makes me sound like I'm a beginner here. (I'm not, I deliberately asked my question neutrally to see what range of responses I get).

However, I accept that feeling patronised is a subjective thing, so I'll leave it there.

[Scousadelic]

It is a safety valve for those of us who find "should of" and its ilk not just an irritant but totally inexcusable

[BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure]

"MN topics tend to work however the users of the topic make it work. It's not prescriptive or consistent."

Which part of that was patronising?

[DadDadDad]

No, no, I was doing a sceptical face according to the labels below. It was meant to be self-deprecating, as I was sceptical that anyone had the slightest bit of interest in this thread. I thought there might be a different response at a weekend, so it was worth a try.

Sorry if I came across as rude, not my intention. I might point out that you came across as a bit patronising - I know topics are what the users make them, and you see all kinds of blurring of boundaries. I suppose I should have been more touchy-feely and called this "why do you come to Pedants' Corner?"

[AuntieStella]

1 was one of the original purposes, but recently MNHQ has taken to deleting them

All the others apply, though.