Do you ever feel like you're going to explode when you're arguing with someone on MN....

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

....and their spelling is just awful?

And you know that if you give into the temptation to shriek 'it's MISOGYNIST' or 'USE SOME F*ING PUNCTUATION!' you will lose the argument, show yourself up as petty and snobbish, and in all ways demonstrate that you were the lesser person.

But the fact that they are saying things you don't agree with and murdering the English language at the same time makes it very hard to bear.

What about the dyslexics amongst us?

I must confess that sometimes I have considered becoming a Guerilla Pedant, and swooping into threads (with a name change, obviously) and shouting at the poster.

It's your not you're!

It's there not their!

Then swooping out again.

it's not spelling and grammar that get me cross on mn, it is how negative and argumentative some posters can be. all it takes sometimes is someone to post 'had a row with dh' and the replies of 'leave him', change the locks, 'here's the number for a women's shelter' etc start pouring in which drown out the constructive posts sometimes

There's a current thread somewhere about giving children alcohol. One poster becomes so enraged
that she gives up on punctuation, capitals and grammar completely. The person she's getting at
(Cory?) continues to spell/type properly and automatically seems calmer, more intelligent and....dare I say it...right? Snobbish, I know,
but true . Wish my kids would listen when I rant about it! Can I join the Guerilla Pedant gang?

Oh no - that's my job!

[swoops]

depepnds on how fast you rype,, UD - as you can see, if I don't go abck and correfct then there are afew mistkaes that creep in!

OP, yes, I have that occasionally. But not often.

...I would very much like to be a hawkish pedant, swooping majestically to tear apart errant spelling and syntax.

Sadly, however, I am ill fitted for this task.

....for example, I had believed a participle to be an American head teacher.

I find the incorrect use of, 'its and it's personally offensive...

I am usually quite pedantic about these things. However these days I am usually typing one handed with a child on my knee, whilst also juggling Thomas the Tank on the other half of my screen.

Therefore I excuse myself.

tsk!find something more constructive to do than the anticipation of a spelling mistake.

or salivating when one occurs

oh my giddy aunt....she said

your not you're!

there not their!

ffs not a dry seat in the house,oh the excitement

I also agree with edam.
I also find it hard to 'debate' with someone on political and sociological issues when they admit to a) having never voted and/or b) they dont know how regularly we hold a general election in this country. I could elaborate further but I feel it's better to just keep a lid on it.......

i'm sort of missing cod

I just don't/can't read long posts without paragraphs. Spelling mistakes I can cope with if person otherwise sounds basically not stupid. I can't criticise grammar too much since my posts are usually quite spare.

However, I do hate people it when people "overstructure" their posts with lots of bullet points and numbers etc. It's a message board, I don't want to read a set of minutes and feel I'm being lectured to.

I have a degree in Language and Literature. I am not especially proud, or embarrassed, about my intellectual capacity, but I am terible at typing. And if I am taking part in a speedily developing conversation, or feel passionate am rushing to get my thoughts down befoe I forget, it gets worse and worse.

So, sorry, those who think I can't be bothered, or I'm not worth arguing with, but there you have it.

I was never typing pool material.

Oh, god, not you Butterfly!

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