Are you bothered by spelling and grammar errors on a forum?

[ladypirate]

Date: 1/15/2009 5:45:01 PM
Author: princesss

Date: 1/15/2009 5:37:15 PM
Author: ladypirate
I definitely notice and wince inwardly, but I would never correct someone''s spelling/grammar on a public forum. What bugs me way more than that is when people use horrible spelling/grammar/punctuation/etc. in work emails.

That and when people call me by my last name, which happens ALL THE TIME. It''s right there in my signature, people. I realize that my last name is also a common first name, but that doesn''t mean you get to call me that! I feel like I''m in gym class!


OK, this just turned into a pet peeve rant rather than staying on topic. Oops!

THAT IS THE WORST! I detest when people use text speak in work e-mails. One of my co-workers did that when she was covering for me one time, and sent my customers e-mails full of ''I did this and that, that ok wit u?'' AHHHHHHHHHH!

*Shudders* No, not ok! I hope you didn''t lose any customers over it.

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 1/15/2009 5:37:15 PM
Author: ladypirate
I definitely notice and wince inwardly, but I would never correct someone''s spelling/grammar on a public forum. What bugs me way more than that is when people use horrible spelling/grammar/punctuation/etc. in work emails.

That and when people call me by my last name, which happens ALL THE TIME. It''s right there in my signature, people. I realize that my last name is also a common first name, but that doesn''t mean you get to call me that! I feel like I''m in gym class!

OK, this just turned into a pet peeve rant rather than staying on topic. Oops!

OMG!!! (I know this has nothing to do with spelling or grammar, but...) I get this ALL OF THE TIME TOO! The conversation often goes something like this:

Them: "Can I get your last name?"
Me: "Bob."
Them: "No, your LAST name."
Me: "That IS MY LAST NAME."
Them: "Oh. Well what''s your first name then?"

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel you LP. But then again, we have almost identical names, so we knew that already.

 

[princesss]

Date: 1/15/2009 6:01:10 PM
Author: ladypirate

Date: 1/15/2009 5:45:01 PM

Author: princesss

Date: 1/15/2009 5:37:15 PM

Author: ladypirate

I definitely notice and wince inwardly, but I would never correct someone''s spelling/grammar on a public forum. What bugs me way more than that is when people use horrible spelling/grammar/punctuation/etc. in work emails.

That and when people call me by my last name, which happens ALL THE TIME. It''s right there in my signature, people. I realize that my last name is also a common first name, but that doesn''t mean you get to call me that! I feel like I''m in gym class!



OK, this just turned into a pet peeve rant rather than staying on topic. Oops!

THAT IS THE WORST! I detest when people use text speak in work e-mails. One of my co-workers did that when she was covering for me one time, and sent my customers e-mails full of ''I did this and that, that ok wit u?'' AHHHHHHHHHH!

*Shudders* No, not ok! I hope you didn''t lose any customers over it.

No, my customers know me and are happy with our service, thank goodness. But I take a lot of pride in the way I handle my customers, and even though we''re very friendly (and I can call my customers up after performing a miracle for them and say, "Do you know how lucky you are to have me?" haha) all written correspondence is very professional.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 1/15/2009 6:06:11 PM
Author: FrekeChild

Date: 1/15/2009 5:37:15 PM
Author: ladypirate
I definitely notice and wince inwardly, but I would never correct someone''s spelling/grammar on a public forum. What bugs me way more than that is when people use horrible spelling/grammar/punctuation/etc. in work emails.

That and when people call me by my last name, which happens ALL THE TIME. It''s right there in my signature, people. I realize that my last name is also a common first name, but that doesn''t mean you get to call me that! I feel like I''m in gym class!

OK, this just turned into a pet peeve rant rather than staying on topic. Oops!

OMG!!! (I know this has nothing to do with spelling or grammar, but...) I get this ALL OF THE TIME TOO! The conversation often goes something like this:

Them: ''Can I get your last name?''
Me: ''Bob.''
Them: ''No, your LAST name.''
Me: ''That IS MY LAST NAME.''
Them: ''Oh. Well what''s your first name then?''

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel you LP. But then again, we have almost identical names, so we knew that already.

LOL, Freke--I knew you''d understand. The worst for me is when I say "Hi, this is Liz Bob" and they reply, "Oh, hi Bob."

It''s like...WHAT?!?!?!??! Why do you just hear the last name? Liz is not a common last name, so why would you assume that I went by the second name?

 

[FrekeChild]

Hahahahaha LP!!!!!Even my General Practitioner calls me by my last name. What is so crazy about that, is that not only is he MY GP, but both of my parents went to him, AND my aunt and uncle go to him AS WELL. And somehow I'm the only "Bob".

So he'll ask me, "So Bob, how is your dad doing these days?" What am I supposed to say to that?! It's not like my name is "Bob Bob", but how funny would that be?!

 

[ladypirate]

Heh--you have me giggling over "Bob Bob". That would be hilarious.

 

[FrekeChild]

Tee hee....I''m very giggly and silly today. I keep bursting out laughing hysterically, and FI is working from home today, and he keeps looking at me like I''m nuts.

 

[HollyS]

If the whole post has one mistake after another, I''m a little annoyed. Makes me wonder where exactly they went to school.

If it''s a couple of things, I assume the poster was in a hurry and didn''t proof. I proof, ''cause I''ve found some doozies in my own posts!

 

[HollyS]

Date: 1/14/2009 2:09:22 PM
Author: Loves Vintage
No, not at all.

What does bother me is when someone else posts a correction, which I find to be rude and unneccessary.

Ditto. Would you correct someone you didn''t know if they were speaking to you face to face? I wouldn''t. Very tacky.

 

[radiantquest]

i know that my posts may irritate since i dont capitalize, use apostrophes, proper spelling...basically everything everyone dislikes. sorry

but i have a question. how are you supposed to use the word used? as in "i used to have that?" is that spelled right? i feel really dumb now, please just let me know

 

[bobbin]

Date: 1/14/2009 2:46:45 PM
Author: Miss Fortune
not usually but I do find it strange that grown folks still can not spell the word ''definitely.'' I see it spelled definately a lot. It does kinda bug me.

I do that! Sorry. I know how it is actually spelled, but my fingers always want to write ''definately.'' Don''t know why that is.

Also, with ''hte'' and ''jsut'': SO told me once that our fingers are quicker to type some letters than others and that is why we mistype some words, such as ''the'' and ''just'' regularly!

I also think it is important to remember, as a poster said above, that different countries use different spelling of some words- for example, mum instead of mom.

My SO is also guilty of misusing to and too. I told him once that "too has too many ''o''s."

Sometimes spelling and grammar mistakes annoy me, but like other posters have said, as long as I can understand the post, I don''t mind too much!

What I really dislike is people using italics for the whole post, or writing entirely in capitals. It just makes it hard to read.

 

[WishfulThinking]

I <3 that my firefox tells me when I''ve spelled something incorrectly, so other than typos I thankfully don''t make too many spelling mistakes. As for the grammar... I like to think that the mistakes I make are obscure enough to make me not look like an idiot and be noticed by only the best of the best grammar snobs. [You know I love you!

]

I don''t really mind when others do it. I have a lot bigger things to worry about in life! I agree with Holly that if I see a ton of errors in someone''s post it''s worse. I get distracted from the post they''ve written and correct it in my head. Then I feel like a meanie for doing it and obsess over how I must be mean!

 

[AdiS]

Actually, it does bother me. English is not my first language and I’m sure I make a lot of mistakes, but the chaotic use of apostrophes for example still bugs me. I mean, if I can learn the difference between it’s and its or team’s and teams then surely native speakers can do it too! I’m not good at English punctuation rules though, since they’re different than the Bulgarian ones. I often catch myself inserting or skipping commas according to Bulgarian punctuation, rather than the English one. Also, you’re supposed to put the period or comma inside the quotations according to the Bulgarian rules, so that confuses me too.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 1/16/2009 2:54:04 AM
Author: AdiS
Actually, it does bother me. English is not my first language and I’m sure I make a lot of mistakes, but the chaotic use of apostrophes for example still bugs me. I mean, if I can learn the difference between it’s and its or team’s and teams then surely native speakers can do it too! I’m not good at English punctuation rules though, since they’re different than the Bulgarian ones. I often catch myself inserting or skipping commas according to Bulgarian punctuation, rather than the English one. Also, you’re supposed to put the period or comma inside the quotations according to the Bulgarian rules, so that confuses me too.

not according to my Chinese/English rules.

 

[AdiS]

Date: 1/16/2009 3:05:14 AM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 1/16/2009 2:54:04 AM
Author: AdiS
Actually, it does bother me. English is not my first language and I’m sure I make a lot of mistakes, but the chaotic use of apostrophes for example still bugs me. I mean, if I can learn the difference between it’s and its or team’s and teams then surely native speakers can do it too! I’m not good at English punctuation rules though, since they’re different than the Bulgarian ones. I often catch myself inserting or skipping commas according to Bulgarian punctuation, rather than the English one. Also, you’re supposed to put the period or comma inside the quotations according to the Bulgarian rules, so that confuses me too.

not according to my Chinese/English rules.

lol Well, obviously both of us have a unique set of bilingual rules

 

[CNOS128]

Musey!! I didn't see this thread yesterday, but my answer is YES, it bothers me. In fact, a couple of days ago I was thinking of starting a very similar post. I think I'd recently read a bunch of posts with bad spelling/grammar and it was making me nuts!

I haven't read through all the pages of this post, so I'm sorry if I repeat someone else. One reason I don't correct people is because I don't pay enough attention to know who's not a native speaker of English. In real life I forgive grammatical errors of people who've learned English later in life. Although glaring errors bother me more in writing, I have managed not to comment. (But there are some people who are learning English who want to be corrected, as this is one way to learn to speak properly).

Sometimes it gets to be too much to look at, so I have to turn off Pricescope for awhile and read a book instead.


ETA: Although I sometimes intentionally say "who" when it should be "whom," and end sentences with prepositions and things like this simply because in my head it sounds more informal...

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 1/17/2009 3:22:06 PM
Author: TheBigT
Musey!! I didn''t see this thread yesterday, but my answer is YES, it bothers me. In fact, a couple of days ago I was thinking of starting a very similar post. I think I''d recently read a bunch of posts with bad spelling/grammar and it was making me nuts!

I haven''t read through all the pages of this post, so I''m sorry if I repeat someone else. One reason I don''t correct people is because I don''t pay enough attention to know who''s not a native speaker of English. In real life I forgive grammatical errors of people who''ve learned English later in life. Although glaring errors bother me more in writing, I have managed not to comment. (But there are some people who are learning English who want to be corrected, as this is one way to learn to speak properly).

Sometimes it gets to be too much to look at, so I have to turn off Pricescope for awhile and read a book instead.


ETA: Although I sometimes intentionally say ''who'' when it should be ''whom,'' and end sentences with prepositions and things like this simply because in my head it sounds more informal...

why?? not everyone of us here will the Nobel prize in literature.

 

[Harriet]

I don''t get bothered because I know that people are typing quickly. But, if someone is trying to make a point and cannot be bothered to write cogently, I get irritated.

 

[wannaBMrsH]

I usually let it go, because as much as it bothers me, I know that I''m not perfect and like someone stated earlier, my own mistakes bother me the most.

What does drive me crazy is when people misspell certain words like mall (I''ve seen it spelled mal, moll, and worse maul here on PS) or definitely, like someone posted above.

 

[Harriet]

I suspect the use of "maul" is intentional.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 1/17/2009 4:02:51 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 1/17/2009 3:22:06 PM
Author: TheBigT
Musey!! I didn''t see this thread yesterday, but my answer is YES, it bothers me. In fact, a couple of days ago I was thinking of starting a very similar post. I think I''d recently read a bunch of posts with bad spelling/grammar and it was making me nuts!

I haven''t read through all the pages of this post, so I''m sorry if I repeat someone else. One reason I don''t correct people is because I don''t pay enough attention to know who''s not a native speaker of English. In real life I forgive grammatical errors of people who''ve learned English later in life. Although glaring errors bother me more in writing, I have managed not to comment. (But there are some people who are learning English who want to be corrected, as this is one way to learn to speak properly).

Sometimes it gets to be too much to look at, so I have to turn off Pricescope for awhile and read a book instead.


ETA: Although I sometimes intentionally say ''who'' when it should be ''whom,'' and end sentences with prepositions and things like this simply because in my head it sounds more informal...

why?? not everyone of us here will the Nobel prize in literature.

above post should read....not everyone of us here will win the Nobel prize in literature.

 

[CNOS128]

Date: 1/17/2009 4:50:14 PM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 1/17/2009 4:02:51 PM

Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 1/17/2009 3:22:06 PM

Author: TheBigT

Musey!! I didn''t see this thread yesterday, but my answer is YES, it bothers me. In fact, a couple of days ago I was thinking of starting a very similar post. I think I''d recently read a bunch of posts with bad spelling/grammar and it was making me nuts!


I haven''t read through all the pages of this post, so I''m sorry if I repeat someone else. One reason I don''t correct people is because I don''t pay enough attention to know who''s not a native speaker of English. In real life I forgive grammatical errors of people who''ve learned English later in life. Although glaring errors bother me more in writing, I have managed not to comment. (But there are some people who are learning English who want to be corrected, as this is one way to learn to speak properly).


Sometimes it gets to be too much to look at, so I have to turn off Pricescope for awhile and read a book instead.



ETA: Although I sometimes intentionally say ''who'' when it should be ''whom,'' and end sentences with prepositions and things like this simply because in my head it sounds more informal...

why?? not everyone of us here will the Nobel prize in literature.

above post should read....not everyone of us here will win the Nobel prize in literature.

True, and I''m sure it would take more than good spelling and grammar to win the Nobel Prize in literature. I''m not concerned with anyone''s prize-winning abilities, and I don''t think spelling and grammar are a reflection on anyone''s personality. These mistakes (although none more than my own) just jump out at me, and they annoy me.

I think language is something that affects different people in different ways. When I read a paragraph that has several errors, it''s like I''m listening to someone sing off-key.

I''m sure there are things I do that annoy other people, including and in addition to making my own spelling/grammar errors, which is also a reason I never correct other people.

 

[Haven]

Writing errors on a forum only bother me if they obscure the writer's meaning. Other than that, I find text-speak a bit irksome, and it makes me assume the poster is very young, but it doesn't really bother me.

I've only corrected a poster once, and that was AFTER that poster corrected the OP on her choice of title for the thread. I only said something because the correcter was incorrect. I suppose I felt I was sticking up for the OP. Otherwise, I just read posts and move on. I type so quickly that my posts are probably filled with errors. I'm often embarrassed to read old posts because I see all the errors in my own writing, and THAT bothers me.

I'll admit that I'm less likely to read a post written in text-speak, or without punctuation, or some other "style" that is clearly the writer's choice, and not just an innocent error.

I do have one pet peeve, and that's when people misuse "i.e." and "e.g." It happens so often on forums and in real life that I just need to get over it. I do teach the correct use of each to ALL of my students, though.

 

[musey]

Date: 1/17/2009 5:24:13 PM
Author: Haven
I do have one pet peeve, and that''s when people misuse ''i.e.'' and ''e.g.'' It happens so often on forums and in real life that I just need to get over it. I do teach the correct use of each to ALL of my students, though.

Haven, I''m so glad that you mentioned this because it inspired me to look it up. I''d been taught (at some point by someone) that they were interchangeable and both meant ''for example.'' Now I know the TRUTH!!

 

[strmrdr]

I get a kick outa it when other people type stormish

the rulez is:
gota use kewl, kicken, cuz, outa, to is kewl cept to use 2 for the number, reverse structure and make it look like art.
a g on the end of ing is a waste of bandwidth. sayin in is kewl.
bonus points for startin to say one thing one thing then say another without going back backspacin far enough.
' is for wimps and he says is kewl.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 1/17/2009 5:24:13 PM
Author: Haven
Writing errors on a forum only bother me if they obscure the writer''s meaning. Other than that, I find text-speak a bit irksome, and it makes me assume the poster is very young, but it doesn''t really bother me.

I''ve only corrected a poster once, and that was AFTER that poster corrected the OP on her choice of title for the thread. I only said something because the correcter was incorrect. I suppose I felt I was sticking up for the OP. Otherwise, I just read posts and move on. I type so quickly that my posts are probably filled with errors. I''m often embarrassed to read old posts because I see all the errors in my own writing, and THAT bothers me.

I''ll admit that I''m less likely to read a post written in text-speak, or without punctuation, or some other ''style'' that is clearly the writer''s choice, and not just an innocent error.

I do have one pet peeve, and that''s when people misuse ''i.e.'' and ''e.g.'' It happens so often on forums and in real life that I just need to get over it. I do teach the correct use of each to ALL of my students, though.

no excuse for a teacher.

 

[ksinger]

Well, most people on this forum are minor offenders. I chalk it up to typos mostly and don''t fret too much. I''m always annoyed at myself when I do something wrong and read it later. Grrr! And I have a tendency to overuse commas and parentheses, but I speak with pauses and parentheses, so it makes sense to ME.

There is ONE however that I see about 95% of the time, and I just want to put it in HUUUUUGE capital letters.....

It is "I COULDN''T care less", NOT "I COULD care less"!!!!!!!!!!!

I always want to write back, "Oh really?? You actually could care less? So you still DO care???? Tell us exactly how much....do...."

OK.....rant over.

 

[gwendolyn]

Not really, as long as what they''ve written is close enough that I know what they meant to type. What does bother me, however, is when someone doesn''t explain something clearly enough and then gets upset because they were misinterpreted by others and keep writing, "but I didn''t mean *that*, what I *meant* to say was..." We all do it every now and then, but those who do it consistently irk me more than any typos, grammatical errors or misspellings. As my dad always says, say what you mean and mean what you say.

 

[waxing lyrical]

I would say it depends on the setting as to whether or not I''m bothered by butchered grammar and spelling. I usually don''t pay much attention to posts that look like a monkey on speed wrote it or those that can''t form a coherent sentence or thought. In the debate forums I frequent I do find it odd when other posters don''t have a decent grasp of grammar and spelling. In that sort of setting it should be expected. If one wishes their argument or position to be appealing and convincing then good grammar and spelling is necessary. The entire package counts.

Typos? Meh. I know there''s a difference between a typo here and there and butchered grammar and spelling.

 

[Phoenix]

Not really, no. I view PS as a place where peole can come and "converse" and share their everyday life without having to worry about whether or not their spelling and grammar are correct. It''s also because I am most definitely an offender too. When I see people write "your" instead of "you''re", or "definately" instead of "definitely" or "dependant" instead of "dependent", all I can think of is what similar mistakes do *I* make, and whether it annoys other people, LOL!!

What really *does* irk me however is IRL when people who profess to be experts or senior/ experienced in their field and then make really stupid mistakes in formal reports like this one guy at work (who got his job purely through his connection) who tried to correct my English. So, I wrote something like "Mr X and Mr Y are [insert as appropriate]" and he rewrote it as "Mr X and Mr Y is [insert as appropriate]"!! and then he *insisted* he was right!!