What Gives You the Right?

Soldato
Joined
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n/east-the toon
Well put up a new thread in General Discussion - Postman Prat Where’s Me Mail?

Now and again l get pulled up about my grammar, punctuation, spelling etc. It’s no big deal to me now at 54 years old and had to give up a good job due to ill health, but thought l would say a few word’s on the subject because it’s happened to other folk as well. Has it ever a cured to those certain few, that they can’t help it. I for one lost out in my education due to personal reasons in my childhood 5 to 11 years of age and missed out on the basics of Maths, English (reading, writing, grammar, etc) Due to this l did not write letters, got embarrassed going to job interview’s when they checked your application form with you, etc.

So had to be content with Driving, Labouring jobs etc and eventually started for British Rail where l worked my way up from a Train Cleaner > Shunter > Depot Train Driver. BR had a policy in exams, etc as long as the Examiner could understand what you were saying within reason you weren’t penalised for spelling ,etc, so what l use to do was draw a diagram if the Rule or Reg had one to help get my answer across. Train Driver’s resit the Reg’s & Rule’s every two years but if they fail, they are given a fair chance to resit the exam and pass.

LOL, I’m lucky these day’s at least l can use Office 2007 and get most of my spelling, etc put right to a degree. So come on is it that big of a deal, the forum’s here to put a point of view across, about anything, have a laugh, and see what people’s point’s of view’s are on subject’s put up. I think l joined the forums in 2004 but just sat back and read the Hardware section, etc, and learnt a lot about computers just by reading the various sections’s+the general discussion and at the time still was embarrassed about my spelling, etc to join in. But a couple of years ago l said what the hell I’ll join in and so l have, so come on folk’s give it a rest is it that big of a deal?
 
Associate
Joined
26 Jan 2007
Posts
2,462
I agree. This is a place to chill, not bloody school. Obviously we want stuff to be legible, but after that it's all good.

I have achieved (A-B's) in my GCSE's, (A-B's) in my A-Level's and will be hopping off to uni soon.

I make copious amount of mistakes here, because frankly its so damn inconsequential.



Grammar Nazi's love "My fair Lady" xD
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Sep 2006
Posts
14,349
I think the general consensus is that if somebody can't be bothered to ask a question with decent grammar, spelling and punctuation it makes people less likely to want to respond.

I for one am not too fussed if people make spelling mistakes. Although it grinds my gears when people use text speak such as 'u, ur, bcos, fort' etc and makes me more likely to give a slightly blunt reply and unwilling to help.

Also the incorrect use of to and too, there, their and they're is also annoying.

Providing I can comprehend what's been posted I'm not too fussed. But if people correct you it's only because they're are trying to help and keep the standard of posts on the forum respectable.

I understand not everybody will have had a good education and those that have had are lucky but it doesn't take two minutes to copy something into word and have it spell checked. Or even google 'define: word' to get the correct spelling or just type the phrase with said word into google and check the spelling that way.

I see where you are coming from though :)
 
Soldato
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Southampton
I agree with OP I freely admit I'm not the worlds best speller and in this informal environment is it really nessasary to point out mistakes? It does seem like some people are a bit OCD about it tbh
 
Soldato
Joined
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Location: Location
Yeah I agree, it doesn't bother me at all so long as I can understand what is being said.

Although I admit I do tend to double check all my posts, out of fear of being attacked by the grammar lovers.:eek:
 
Soldato
Joined
26 May 2009
Posts
5,415
Agree with you there - Seems that there are people on here just waiting for smallest grammatical error... :rolleyes:

I'm like that. The problem is that a lot of people drawn to a board like OcUK are geeks - don't deny it. Hardware enthusiasts, programmers, gamers, all power-nerd types. Perhaps it's an inherent factor of associated superiority, perhaps a backlash of bullying from less-schooled peers, perhaps some people are just pricks - the grammar nazi is common to all message boards, but boards like this attract a higher density. I'd love to say it's all meant in good fun and shouldn't be taken to heart, but never being on the other end of it myself, I don't have too accurate an impression on how the subject feels.

Edit: point being, I've never intended offence.
 
Soldato
Joined
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14,107
Location
Leafy Cheshire
Grammar Nazism is cool.

I have done it myself a few times, but since my spelling is far from perfect i try not to do it too much. My main peeves are "bought" and "brought", as well as "there/their/they're" and "your/you're", which I can't stop myself from correcting.

Don't worry about it. People will always have bigger balls behind a screen and if you get offended and play up to it you'll only make it worse. Just feel contented that you're giving them something to feel good about themselves for ;)
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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18,175
Location
Santa Barbara, Californee
I wouldn't worry about it, I have seen Partners at City law firms with horrendous spelling, handwriting and suchlike and they earn £££££££s - they just employ good secretaries and dictate work :p

In fact in almost every walk of life, people succeed without having great spelling - it is no doubt an immense source of frustration to those people who can spell rite but don't have gud jobs

:p
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Apr 2008
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3,352
Location
Reading
I also hate people who pick out spelling and grammar, there is no need on a forum. The majority of the time its done because they are on the loosing end of a discussion, or have decided to belittle you because of something you have written, but cant be bothered to construct a meaningful reply.
 
Soldato
Joined
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11,742
Location
Northern Ireland
Some people just have nothing constructive to say, so they decide to pick flaws in other peoples spelling instead, just to get an extra post added to their count.

Stick em on ignore and the problem goes away. :)

Oh and I should probably save some of you some time by saying now that I know I've probably done it in the past when I'm in a bitchy mood or whatever, I'm not denying that, some people seem to make a habit of it. And i just know that one of you is going to troop off and browse through my past posts to find an example to throw it in my face, as you've nothing better to do. Just save yourself the time, yeah?
 
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Associate
Joined
1 Jul 2009
Posts
674
Location
Finsbury Park
I'm not bothered by errors in punctuation and grammar when I see them on internet forums.

I do, however, make a point of highlighting it when someone picks apart another person's mistakes while making errors in their own post - I feel this is totally justified!

For the record, I'm an English graduate and technical writer by trade, and I find it difficult to switch off my pedantic streak with language. However, I can just pick things out in my head without having to post and belittle someone, hijacking the thread.
 
Caporegime
Joined
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31,991
Location
Adelaide, South Australia
interview’s... Reg’s & Rule’s... day’s... forum’s... point’s... view’s... subject’s... sections’s... folk’s

Plurals do not require apostrophes. :o

Nothing personal mate, it's just that some of us take this stuff more seriously than others. Perhaps we need a hobby. Or perhaps this is our hobby. :p

Spelling and grammar mistakes drive me up the wall. I can't help it. :)
 
Capodecina
Soldato
Joined
1 Aug 2005
Posts
20,001
Location
Flatland
Well put up a new thread in General Discussion - Postman Prat Where’s Me Mail?

Now and again l get pulled up about my grammar, punctuation, spelling etc. It’s no big deal to me now at 54 years old and had to give up a good job due to ill health, but thought l would say a few word’s on the subject because it’s happened to other folk as well. Has it ever a cured to those certain few, that they can’t help it. I for one lost out in my education due to personal reasons in my childhood 5 to 11 years of age and missed out on the basics of Maths, English (reading, writing, grammar, etc) Due to this l did not write letters, got embarrassed going to job interview’s when they checked your application form with you, etc.

So had to be content with Driving, Labouring jobs etc and eventually started for British Rail where l worked my way up from a Train Cleaner > Shunter > Depot Train Driver. BR had a policy in exams, etc as long as the Examiner could understand what you were saying within reason you weren’t penalised for spelling ,etc, so what l use to do was draw a diagram if the Rule or Reg had one to help get my answer across. Train Driver’s resit the Reg’s & Rule’s every two years but if they fail, they are given a fair chance to resit the exam and pass.

LOL, I’m lucky these day’s at least l can use Office 2007 and get most of my spelling, etc put right to a degree. So come on is it that big of a deal, the forum’s here to put a point of view across, about anything, have a laugh, and see what people’s point’s of view’s are on subject’s put up. I think l joined the forums in 2004 but just sat back and read the Hardware section, etc, and learnt a lot about computers just by reading the various sections’s+the general discussion and at the time still was embarrassed about my spelling, etc to join in. But a couple of years ago l said what the hell I’ll join in and so l have, so come on folk’s give it a rest is it that big of a deal?

AGHHH...THE APOSTROPHES..... THEY'RE BREEDING!!

Edit - I had a manager at my old place of work who was great at this job and a very clever guy. But he could not, for the life of him, get his head round apostrophes. I tried explaining it to him in the most basic of terms but no, he just couldn't get it. I suppose some people are just apostrophically[?] dyslexic.
 
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Caporegime
Joined
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31,991
Location
Adelaide, South Australia
24v1s7s.jpg


:o
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Dec 2006
Posts
9,990
Location
UK
I hate seeing simple mistakes, there, their and they're really annoys me as it's so easy to get right :(

Others are more forgivable, such as:
Has it ever a cured to those certain few

occurred ;) (sorry that one was making me twitch...)

Either way, I don't see any issues with being corrected so long as it's for correctness sake. Using it as ammunition in arguments is petty and reeks of somebody who has lost.

Ask yourself, is it really so bad to gain some extra knowledge about the english language while browsing forums?
 
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