Punishing "grammar police

Jerry Martin19 said:Look, I don't care if people call me a snitch, because that's not what I am, even if I do report trolls like that. If there's something I don't want around me, I've gotta get rid of it. And if the solution is reporting it to a mod, then that isn't snitching—it's just solving a problem that I'd handle myself if I actually had those "privileges"...

feralmaker7 said:I’m stepping up as the "intruder" here, using the post above to help clarify my point.
It doesn't bother me at all when people write with their local slang—like when folks from the South write exactly how they talk in real life—because I don't see that as a flaw. BUT, what really gets under my skin are posts like the one mentioned, where people try to write in formal, academic English but can't even spell basic words correctly. Honestly, I just can't wrap my head around how someone misses something so fundamental—it's a word used constantly, you see it everywhere, and I truly don't get how it can be unknown (and I'm sure this isn't just a typo from typing too fast). I've seen people write "receve" instead of "receive," or "definatly" instead of "definitely," and every single time, it makes my skin crawl to see how much literacy is slipping lately (speaking generally, of course). I'm not trying to insult anyone—I make mistakes too—and I'm not going around the internet correcting everyone because there's just too much of it. But if someone corrects me when I slip up, I don't mind it at all; in fact, I appreciate it because I actually care about communicating properly. It's especially grating when I see these kinds of errors in the newspapers or when highly educated professionals butcher the language. I don't get why people take offense—to me, it's perfectly logical that people would want to fix their mistakes (and stop repeating them) and learn something new (unless they're just boring). If they want to be wrong on purpose just because they can, fine. Just as some people hate being corrected, I hate it when people refuse to be corrected. Of course, I don't support insults like calling someone an "uneducated hillbilly"—because what good is knowing how to spell if you lack the decency to tell someone they're wrong in a polite way? (If you're going to say it, at least be civil).
P.S. The only thing that bugs me about regional dialects is when they add extra letters to verbs and turn them into something weird. Ugh!
So, that's my take. Try to see where I'm coming from.🙂

Jerry Martin19 said:Caught me right while I was active... 😳

Look, I already admitted I mess up sometimes and I'm not ashamed of it. It's not that I don't know how to spell the word, it's just... a mistake. And as for your hair standing on end over it... Big deal. Who cares? My hair stands on end over plenty of things, so what now? 🤷

p.s. and yeah, why do you feel the need to correct someone you don't even know just because your hair stands on end? Like, what's the actual purpose? Not trying to be provocative, by the way... 🙂

redmarlin3 said:Put a space before the parenthesis.
After a period, leave a space.
After a comma, put a space.

Are you following me?

😁

feralmaker7 said:Thanks for pointing out the slips. I'll try to stay on top of it—though honestly, I don't pay much attention to it... bad me🙂 😁

Jeremy Diaz9 said:huh?
So you don't pay attention, yet you're still keeping tabs on everyone else's posts and nitpicking their mistakes?
Could you maybe walk me through that logic, please?.......

feralmaker7 said:I notice typos because—honestly, when I'm reading, things like a missing letter just jump out at me. If you want to call that "keeping tabs," fine, be my guest. On the flip side, I don't really care if someone forgets a space after a period, a comma, or a parenthesis. I'll never nitpick that—mostly because I make the same mistake myself since I rarely write on a desktop and I'm just not used to hitting those extra spacebar strokes. I don't see it as a spelling error or anything major, but hey, if you want to frame it as my own failing and lecture me about it, go ahead. Like I said, I'm not going around the forum calling people out on their typos, but the truth is, it does bug me when I see them. Why? I don't know—that's just how I am. When I'm typing, I'm not always thinking about perfect spelling (usually), but I *do* have to think about spacing, and I just don't have the bandwidth for it right now, as you can tell.
Btw, I don't mind the question, but I really don't like the tone you used.

feralmaker7 said:I’m stepping up as the "intruder" here, using the post above to help clarify my point.
It doesn't bother me at all when people write with their local slang—like when folks from the South write exactly how they talk in real life—because I don't see that as a flaw. BUT, what really gets under my skin are posts like the one mentioned, where people try to write in formal, academic English but can't even spell basic words correctly. Honestly, I just can't wrap my head around how someone misses something so fundamental—it's a word used constantly, you see it everywhere, and I truly don't get how it can be unknown (and I'm sure this isn't just a typo from typing too fast). I've seen people write "receve" instead of "receive," or "definatly" instead of "definitely," and every single time, it makes my skin crawl to see how much literacy is slipping lately (speaking generally, of course). I'm not trying to insult anyone—I make mistakes too—and I'm not going around the internet correcting everyone because there's just too much of it. But if someone corrects me when I slip up, I don't mind it at all; in fact, I appreciate it because I actually care about communicating properly. It's especially grating when I see these kinds of errors in the newspapers or when highly educated professionals butcher the language. I don't get why people take offense—to me, it's perfectly logical that people would want to fix their mistakes (and stop repeating them) and learn something new (unless they're just boring). If they want to be wrong on purpose just because they can, fine. Just as some people hate being corrected, I hate it when people refuse to be corrected. Of course, I don't support insults like calling someone an "uneducated hillbilly"—because what good is knowing how to spell if you lack the decency to tell someone they're wrong in a polite way? (If you're going to say it, at least be civil).
P.S. The only thing that bugs me about regional dialects is when they add extra letters to verbs and turn them into something weird. Ugh!
So, that's my take. Try to see where I'm coming from.🙂

Jeremy Diaz9 said:I brought it up because, in my view, you're basically just picking on other users here.
What really gets to me about your logic is how you care more about whether a word is technically "correct" than actually understanding what the person was trying to convey.
It’s also pretty grating that you act like you're above everyone else when you make just as many typos as the rest of us.
So, go ahead—decide for yourself what I was actually getting at!
I suppose there's always an excuse for why someone misspells something or ignores grammar rules.
Whether it's your habit of skipping spaces after commas or someone else's struggle with vowels...
But again, I'll repeat: that isn't the point of this discussion.

ruggedfox28 said:Look, the rules apply to you just like they do to some hero like Jason Campbell70... Just because something comes naturally to you doesn't mean it should be that way for everyone else. You need to know how to spell things perfectly—big deal—but I don't care to know, or rather, I do know, but I’ll only bother with proper grammar when I absolutely have to. In any other situation, I don't want to and I won't. Just because I'm typing in a thick Southern drawl right now doesn't mean I don't know standard English or can't use it, so I don't need anyone correcting me...

...and honestly, there's zero need for corrections on the internet when you can't even see the face of the person correcting you. It's a totally different reality when you're grabbing coffee with a close friend who knows who you are and knows you're just joking... unfortunately, that's not how things work on here. If even my own mother, Theresa, tried to correct me, I'd take it as a total provocation...

You say your hair stands on end when you see bad spelling? Well, my hair stands on end at a lot of stuff. My hair stands on end when I eat broccoli, so whatever, I gotta vent. Birds drive me crazy when they poop on my car every single day and I waste half an hour cleaning it up...

I just want to say there are way bigger problems in the world than whether some random stranger on a forum is using correct grammar. If it's not my problem, why should it be yours? 😉

Jason Campbell70 said:As far as I know, "American English" is taught in every single grade throughout elementary and high school.

If someone who uses a heavy regional dialect can still write properly on this forum—distinguishing between formal grammar and casual speech—then why shouldn't they? Like a typical New Yorker, for instance.

Because, in my humble opinion, the way people speak in New York is much closer to standard literary American English than the slang you might hear down in Florida.

feralmaker7 said:Did you even actually read what I wrote? Look, you're right that you can't catch my tone here—if you could, you would have realized I wasn't being snarky at all. I was just calmly laying out my perspective from my own point of view (this post above, for instance, is in a totally different tone because the person I'm responding to used that kind of tone and earned it). So what if my hair stands on end because of it? That's my issue, a personal quirk—just like your broccoli thing.🙂 Let me repeat: I don't go around the internet correcting people's spelling (if I were going to do that, I'd add a smiley face so they knew I wasn't being mean), but when I read posts, I notice certain things and they just bother me. Does that make me a bad person?
I also mentioned that it doesn't bother me when people write in their local dialect (with that one exception I noted—yes, it bugs me even though I know it's part of who they are), and actually, I find it fine because I feel like I can "hear" people. I don't mind a missing letter or obvious typos from fast typing; I don't expect people to strain themselves using formal English on a forum if they don't feel like it. I write the way I do because I try to speak that way, but that doesn't mean I won't switch to a regional accent when I'm in certain social circles.
On the other hand, I am certain that people who actually know how to spell certain words will write them correctly on a forum or anywhere else they go, simply because it's second nature to them. But those who make these mistakes usually aren't doing it because they don't *want* to write properly—it's more likely they just don't know how to write it correctly even on paper when they have to. I don't consider writing in a dialect to be "wrong," nor have I criticized it. What I consider wrong is trying to write in formal English and failing to do it correctly. I don't see it as a provocation, but frankly, I don't care since I'm not talking to anyone here anyway. But that rudeness (from the post above) really grinds my gears. Again, that's my problem, but I have the right to say so if I want to. And just to clear up any confusion about my tone: I'm a bit worked up right now and typing faster than usual—if you could hear me, I'd probably be talking fast—but I haven't directed any criticism at you in this post, other than the fact that you missed what I already said in my first post. Even then, it's not really a criticism, more of a response to your criticism. I don't know what tone you used in your post, but I didn't take it as a provocation or rudeness, even though I felt the need to defend myself because I felt unfairly attacked. Therefore, I have no reason to be rude, as I'm only like that toward people who are like that toward me. If you were being rude and I just missed it, just tell me—I can adjust.😉 Just one suggestion regarding those birds leaving messes all over your car—why not just grab a car cover or even just some cheap plastic sheeting to throw over it? That way, you just swap out the cover and the car stays spotless. Honestly, my hands are actually starting to ache from typing so much here... If anyone else has points that still need clearing up, go right ahead😁

And hey, a little tip regarding those birds shitting on your car—why not just grab a car cover or throw some plastic wrap over it? Then you just swap the cover instead of cleaning the whole thing. My hands are actually starting to ache from typing so much... If there's anything else left unsaid, go ahead and shoot.😁

feralmaker7 said:As for me—what bothers me about your attitude is just how rude you're being... Maybe by your standards I'm not a great writer, but I'm certainly more coherent than you are. In that little post I quoted, the author wasn't even making a major point—and I definitely wasn't quoting them just to lecture them. If you're feeling insecure because of your own typos—or worse, because you're acting out with this unprovoked, aggressive tone—that's your baggage to carry. Take those frustrations somewhere else instead of taking them out on me. And I don't even know what you mean by my "behavior"—you don't know how I act, you only know how I type. I haven't been putting anyone down or giving lectures; I'm just stating my opinion, which is my right—unless you think you're the only one allowed to do that, considering you're doing exactly that to me right now. It's not my fault if you can't grasp the distinction—or simply refuse to. You can complain about my spacing all you want, but you're the one misspelling words because you genuinely don't know how they're spelled—whether it's here on a forum or on a piece of paper. Sure, there's always an excuse—sometimes people just don't feel like it (like me), sometimes it's a typo, and sometimes people just plain don't know how to write—which seems to be your situation.

ruggedfox28 said:Let's just call it quits—we could spend all week arguing about this... everyone’s got their own take, so let's just leave it at that. 😉

And hey, a little tip regarding those birds shitting on your car—why not just grab a car cover or throw some plastic wrap over it? Then you just swap the cover instead of cleaning the whole thing. My hands are actually starting to ache from typing so much... If there's anything else left unsaid, go ahead and shoot.😁

Man, that's a hilarious joke—I honestly think if someone tried something like that here in downtown ST, they'd be gone in 15 minutes... One time I left my window cracked in a parking lot, turned my back for maybe 45 seconds, and when I looked back, my phone was swiped right out of the glove box. 🤣

Things don't really work that way in a big city... at least not around here. 😉

Are my posts full of typos still bothering you? :mig.

feralmaker7 said:Well, I don't think there's much left to debate because it feels like we haven't quite clicked on this yet—any further discussion would just be spinning our wheels. This actually leads right into your question—your posts, written in that Southern dialect, don't bother me one bit since I don't see them as "wrong." They aren't formal, but they don't need to be—otherwise, I wouldn't even know you were from the South. 🙂That's just how you talk, and it's perfectly fine; if we were having this conversation in person, I wouldn't dream of correcting you because that's just your voice, and it doesn't mean you can't speak formally when you want to. But when people try to write formally without any regional flavor, it feels silly if they can't actually spell the words correctly. I hope you get what I mean. (If you had written "mistakes" with a weird spelling error, that would have bothered me—because you know how you'd say it, so I expect you to write it that way. You know what I mean by that difference? Though, with new grammar rules coming out, maybe I should follow those strictly? If so, I'll start, but I really need to figure out what's officially considered "correct" first.)

What would someone actually steal using just a cheap plastic tarp to cover a car? Honestly, as an idealist, that didn't even cross my mind. 🙂 Everything is great until someone steals your car. 😉 And I'm so sorry about your phone. 😢 Kind regards!

What would they actually steal with just some cheap plastic wrap to cover a car? And honestly, as an idealist, I hadn't even considered that possibility🙂 Everything's fine until someone actually steals your car😉 And I'm sorry about your phone😢 Kind regards!

Jeremy Diaz9 said:Oh, so now I'm the rude one.
Why exactly am I being rude, in your eyes?
Because I pointed out that you don't have the right to correct anyone, for at least two reasons.
First, given the nature of this medium, trying to proofread someone in a reply to their post can never come across as polite.
It always ends up looking blunt and obnoxious.
Even my colleague ruggedfox28 tried to explain that to you.
The second reason is that you're uneducated too.
Feel insulted all you want, but the fact remains.
Claiming you're "less" uneducated than someone else doesn't help; it's irrelevant. The point is, you lack basic literacy. I remember the rules about spacing after a comma perfectly well from elementary school.
But I'm not throwing that in your face, and frankly, I don't care.
I wouldn't bring it up if you hadn't come in here acting all high and mighty trying to correct others.
Hopefully, you get the point now. If not, there's nothing I can do to help you. And fine, I'll admit to being rude, but I've formed a rather unpleasant opinion of you—one that should probably worry you more than being labeled "rude."...
By the way, I'll say it again: in certain parts of America, there is absolutely no difference between those two specific vowel sounds.
In reality, that specific accented letter doesn't even exist there.
Oh, and for the record, I don't have any complexes of that sort, despite your explosive reaction!
P.S. "say" vs "said"...
That specific variation is a legitimate part of regional dialect.
Someone who learned to speak that way, simply because they were born and raised in that region, will never—and cannot—pronounce it the other way. There's another explanation for that linguistic quirk, but this isn't a linguistics seminar.
Besides, many of us remember being mocked back in the day during our service in the military just because of our regional accents.
Since I've heard enough about grammar policing and condescending jabs at speech in places where I couldn't defend myself, I don't need it here. I'll always stand my ground to the very end.
The American language is diverse, and as such, it should be respected. Likewise, forum users should be respected based on WHAT they said, not HOW they wrote it.
After all, this is a forum for various topics.
Isn't it?

ruggedfox28 said:Look, cousin... I hear what you're saying... but baby, you're walking a very thin line here... there's a huge difference between being annoyed by something and thinking it's just natural in a conversation... 😉

Still, gotta point out that we're not talking about real life here, we're talking about this specific issue on the forum (the internet), and I think most people see things pretty clearly as they are...

What would they actually steal with just some cheap plastic wrap to cover a car? And honestly, as an idealist, I hadn't even considered that possibility🙂 Everything's fine until someone actually steals your car😉 And I'm sorry about your phone😢 Kind regards!

They took the metal emblems from the Mazda (both the front and back ones), they swiped the hubcaps except for the rear one... and the antenna...

😘