Why do forums make people talk smart?

[KaHn]

Lets face it in a south shields pub your not exactly going to find people like this. It is the norm to talk about which chick you banged last week or how drunk you were at the weekend, not discuss/debate anything in detail.

Wow the first generalization in this thread, well done there.

KaHn

 

[Una]

Wow the first generalization in this thread, well done there.
KaHn

It was ment as a joke, however I belive it to be quite apt having lived in the area most my life. Could just be I have always been with the wrong crowd
Whats so bad about generalization anyhow? If I had added in my experience would it make it any better?

 

[Gilly]

Whats so bad about generalization anyhow?

It's an Americanism for a start.

 

[Una]

It's an Americanism for a start.

Generalisation then

 

[KaHn]

It was ment as a joke, however I belive it to be quite apt having lived in the area most my life. Could just be I have always been with the wrong crowd
Whats so bad about generalization anyhow? If I had added in my experience would it make it any better?

I'll be the first to generalise from experience, but you seemed to just pick at the location and put them down from that.

Granted I would say the majority of south shields are not be the most interlectual, but they are few I would say are very interlectual.

KaHn

 

[UKTopGun]

i h8 it wen ppl speak 2 me lik i am sum fool. u no w-at (it was blocked) i mean? its nt my problem u r an idiot n cnt undastand me innit lol.

 

[Gilly]

Generalisation then

Granted I would say the majority of south shields are not be the most interlectual, but they are few I would say are very interlectual.

Oh the irony.

 

[KaHn]

Oh the irony.

Oh bite me, my english spelling isn't great but who gives a monkies really?

KaHn

 

[Una]

I'll be the first to generalise from experience, but you seemed to just pick at the location and put them down from that.

Granted I would say the majority of south shields are not be the most interlectual, but they are few I would say are very interlectual.

KaHn

Indeed I did because I presume thats where he goes out drinking. I don't mean it in any offensive way. What I should have said was the majority, im sure there are people there much smarter than me.

 

[Gilly]

Oh bite me, my english spelling isn't great but who gives a monkies really?

KaHn

You don't see why I pointed out the fact that you spelt intellectual incorrectly twice in the same post in a thread about language where you were defending the intellectual capacity of your immediate locality?

 

[Hedge]

lol what have i started

 

[KaHn]

You don't see why I pointed out the fact that you spelt intellectual incorrectly twice in the same post in a thread about language where you were defending the intellectual capacity of your immediate locality?

No I just find your anal retentive attitude annoying, I really should just post this everytime you do it tho.

Also I do not see the ability to spell correctly as a sign of intelligance, some seem to think so but you see 8yr old kids doing spelling b's in the US who could spell better than 90% of people on these forums, yet you wouldn't call them intellectual.

KaHn

 

[StixxUK]

It's an Americanism for a start.

It sucks, but whilst I was studying chemistry at uni, they actually taught us to use American spellings for words in scientific reports because they've become the international standard for English spelling.

Of course, that doesn't mean we should use them in day-to-day life, but it's interesting all the same

 

[Stan_Lite]

Nothing to do with persuasion, it's cultural.

Fair enough.

I couldn't say whether my "check things carefully before you rolleyes someone" attitude is cultural or personal but I find it helps avoid unpleasantness

Stan

 

[Nikias]

It's an Americanism for a start.

The "z" is the traditional English spelling, if that's what you're alluding to.

 

[dirtydog]

The "z" is the traditional English spelling, if that's what you're alluding to.

True, but nowadays it's definitely an Americanism

 

[Rathanes]

Some people have an inferiority compex whereby they are intimitated by anyone that sounds more intelligent than them. Harsh but true.

 

[Nikias]

True, but nowadays it's definitely an Americanism

Americans may use it almost exclusively, but that doesn't mean it's derived from America's culture.

In any case, I find Americans to be far better educated in the use of the written English Language.

 

[dirtydog]

Americans may use it almost exclusively, but that doesn't mean it's derived from America's culture.

I agree that it isn't derived from it, but for the last 100 years+ it is American rather than British English isn't it

In any case, I find Americans to be far better educated in the use of the written English Language.

This is sadly true

 

[Nikias]

I agree that it isn't derived from it, but for the last 100 years+ it is American rather than British English isn't it

Both uses are acceptable in the U.K. as Standard English. The S is more popular (also French in origin), but I prefer the Z.

This is sadly true

It's probably something to do with the Government not requiring schools to teach basic grammar and spelling in the UK for the last thirty years or so.

I've only visited the USA a couple of times, but I never saw things like the horrendous grocers' apostrophe in "menu's" (sic) or on signs for "carrot's" (sic).

To answer the original poster: I tend to write reasonably formally here. This is borne out of habit (I've written mostly as part of my education) and because I enjoy it.
If I use a more esoteric word here, it's the most appropriate one available. I might not down in the pub, because there, unlike on a forum, no-one has a dictionary to hand.