Not a woodworking topic. - Woodworking Talk

jdp8402 · 10-17-2009, 04:21 AM

I know this isn't a woodworking topic but has anyone ever noticed how sloppy peoples typing and spelling are? I don't know why but sometimes it bothers me. I make mistakes I'll be the first to admit it but seriosly how hard is it to put a period at the end of a sentence, or to capitalize the first letter of a sentence. I sometimes get lost in a paragraph because I don't know where a sentence began or ended. Like I said I'm no English Major but seriosly people. Does it bother anyone else or is it just me? Is it laziness, because it really doesn't take that much more time. I'm just wondering.

GeorgeC · 10-17-2009, 07:08 AM

What you are saying is largely a complaint on the modern day educational system. Too many teachers just do not care about how the language is used. I once has a part time high school student as an employee. He used terrible English. I asked him if the teachers ever said anything to him. He said that outside of English class no teacher ever corrected his speech. That is wrong.

In the written world, such as this forum, much of what we see as English mistakes are just typing errors. I know that I am often too lazy to run spell check. Even if I know how to spell a word I will hit the wrong keys. There are really only two areas on this type of forum that bother me. One you pointed out; the failure to use punctuation and capitals. This does make the offering very difficult to read. I will tend to ignore those type of posts. The other problem is the unending paragraph. I will also not try to read those.

George

Tony B · 10-17-2009, 07:56 AM

I notice this a lot in the "Introductions" section of this forum. Some people get on here with a hidden agenda of trying to sneak in an ad or some other rediculous things and for some reason they try to write in broken English like a foreigner.

woodnthings · 10-17-2009, 08:34 AM

I think it's the best they can do and most are spammers. It's against the rules here, to advertise except in the Classifieds and only after 25 posts. So report these spams!
To report suspicious posts and spam click on the ! in red, in the lower left of the original post and a "report window" will open, write your response and send it.
As fas as improper spelling, there is an online spellchecker.
I use it frequently. http://www.iespell.com/download.php
As far as grammer, I don't think it's such a big deal as long as we can get the idea in the post. Not everyone can conjugate a verb, including me, but my English teacher, a woman, was taller than me, 6' 0", and ran the disicpline room, so I paid attention in that class!
BTW I was an Art student and we aren't any good at Math or English!

bill

frankp · 10-17-2009, 09:47 AM

jdp, I find it interesting that in your post about spelling errors there are at least 3. It just goes to show, people make mistakes. At least a few people on this forum are not native English speakers. It gets annoying to me when it's really bad but obvious typos don't bother me. I pride myself on doing a good job with the written word. I still make mistakes all the time. The built-in spell checker of the forum doesn't catch everything, especially if it's spelled correctly but the wrong usage (too, to, two) but I try to overlook the simple stuff in someone's posts.

A lot of the problem is the fact that our education system doesn't do a good job at teaching, even in the English classes. We've become too focused on Math and Science and have forgotten how to use words. It doesn't help that many English teachers are accepting and not correcting "text speak" in assignments. It's ridiculous.

I guess my point is, it is annoying but different people have different levels of education, different languages, etc etc. We can point out errors and look like asses, or we can try to let them slide and figure out how to not let it annoy us. I try to do the latter, just for the sake of my blood pressure if nothing else.

What is far more annoying to me is when people clearly don't understand what is written and argue about it. That is truly annoying...

phinds · 10-17-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeC

In the written world, such as this forum, much of what we see as English mistakes are just typing errors.
George

Can't say I agree w/ you on that one George. There are WAY too many gramattical mistakes and mis-spellings that are clearly NOT typos. I do agree that there are a lot of spelling mistakes that ARE typos, but there are a huge number that are pretty obviously examples of how most of us just can't spell, to say nothing of the GROSS misuse of English grammar. I'd get carpel tunnel syndrome if I started to list them all (just from this forum).

I used to fart in closed elevators and then I took up correcting people's English but got so severly beaten about the head and shoulders that I've gone back to farting in closed elevators as most people find that less offensive.

I do absolutely agree /w you about it being a comment on our modern educational system.

Paul

jdp8402 · 10-17-2009, 12:08 PM

i know i make mistakes ill have a few in all my post i know that noone is perfect i expect people to have a few mistakes this isnt an english class forum and yes alot of times they are probley typing errors but still im writing like this for a reason so people can get see what im talking about.
Anyways I was just wondering what people thought. Oh and yes frankp you were right I had two spelling errors. I was spelling seriously without the the u. But see if I wasn't ever corrected I never would have caught that and been able to correct myself (Thank you frankp). And where does it stop. Has anyone seen some of these kids text messages they get. My brother and I have a kid that works for us, he didn't have school one day so he text my brother to let him know. He typed it "i dnt hve skewl 2day ned hlp". Now would it have taken that much more time to spell it correctly. Even if they do it for fun, it isn't helping them. I don't know. Like i said I was just wanting to know if I was the only one noticing. It's ok to make mistakes, it lets us know were still human.
But at the same time I sometimes question or nations intelligence.

Streamwinner · 10-17-2009, 01:06 PM

I don't think there's a significant correlation between typing skills and intelligence. Even more so, the current definition of intelligence is highly problematic since it doesn't account for the many "types" of intelligence such as emotional intelligence, social intelligence, etc. Think about the intellectual and spacial skills (not to mention hand-eye coordination) that go into woodworking but would not necessarily be measured by intelligence testing (and I'm familiar with these tests).

In any case, I can think of many other things about which to be more concerned.

cabinetman · 10-17-2009, 03:37 PM

IMO, there is little correlation between the innate intelligence of an individual and typing skills. There is though, if the "Preview Post" selection button is employed before the "Submit Reply" selection button, and the post/reply appears to be acceptable.

mics_54 · 10-17-2009, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Like i said I was just wanting to know if I was the only one noticing.

Well since you asked.

There is a big difference between "noticing" something and feeling the need to comment on it or correct some one. I also don't comment on how people smell or look. I do however, at times, comment on what people do if necessary.

joesdad · 10-17-2009, 07:18 PM

IMO adults with poor grammar skills get a pass for the most part, I don't care about your educational background or what's in your bank account etc. I usually find it insignificant to point out a grown persons flaws due to their decision to either be lazy back in the day or simply couldn't grasp the concept. That doesn't mean I don't want to at times, especially when their poor grammar and spelling is delivering an even more ignorant message...?

What chaffes my butt is young people on forums who use their e-bonic form of translating...i h8 dat stuf.

Just Bill · 10-18-2009, 09:11 AM

Y du U cumplane bout spelin eye ken spel ok. My phonetic educated neice understands perfectly.

jeffreythree · 10-18-2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Bill

Y du U cumplane bout spelin eye ken spel ok. My phonetic educated neice understands perfectly.

I read sci-fi books and finished one recently about a future where the English language spelling had become like this and a mix of messaging short cuts. It was kind of scary to think the language was evolving into that, and was even harder to read 350 pages of it

.

garryswf · 10-18-2009, 11:56 AM

After reading through this thread i considered making my personal thoughts known, for what? So i figured i would just say this, god bless everyone of the guys on this woodworking forum for all the great ideas, information, and conversation that you contribute, that includes the fella that loves woodworking but dug ditches for a living, to the fella who loves woodworking but in his real job helped design the space shuttle. Nuff said/enough said!

mics_54 · 10-18-2009, 12:14 PM

Hmmm I wonder why it's scarey that the language might evolve into something else.

Allthumbs27 · 10-18-2009, 09:24 PM

You misspelled seriously.

John in Tennessee · 10-18-2009, 09:41 PM

when I noticed it was for Explorer. I'm stuck on Firefox. My Google spellchecker has gone nuts.

Allthumbs27 · 10-18-2009, 09:46 PM

Why complain if your gonna make the same mistake as others. That is more annoying than a run-on sentence.

woodnthings · 10-18-2009, 10:04 PM

I thought I knew a lot. I now know I was wrong, I still know what I always knew, but I have learned a whole lot more. I think most of us are here to learn and when we can, give advice based on our experience. There are a few here who just spout off with their pompous opinions, give no explanations and offer little and learn less. Thankfully they are a very, very few in number. As we all learn our way through life, being able to communicate is the most important thing. As long as we can communicate our questions and answers and walk away with some new ideas and concepts, that's what really matters. I think personally, we should all reread our posts before hitting the "submit reply" button. I can't believe how many errors I find in my own posts, and end up editing the darn thing a few times. I do use the IE spell check as well. If you have something worthwhile to say or ask make certain others can understand it by rereading it first, then posting it. That will help us all. JMO

bill

mics_54 · 10-18-2009, 11:40 PM

I always look foward to your posts woodnthings