Is anyone bothered by this?

[Burly1]

I'm honestly not picking on anyone here, but I just have to ask this question. Does a person who posts without using anything resembling proper grammar or punctuation garner the same credibility and respect as one who does? This trend to shorthand communication disturbs me, as it seems that perhaps our school systems are increasingly dropping the ball. I realize that one can usually get a point across without using grammar or punctuation, but I have a hard time taking such a person seriously. Although people have always been judged by the way they communicate, so many seem not to to care. I'm not the grammar police, or an English teacher, but I am curious what others think. Burl

[Wildkat]

Good question...

although in forums such as these, one might take into consideration that English may not be a first language for some posters. (I'd hate to think what someone might think of my grammar in other languages.)

Others do take short cuts and it does make me wonder if they are as quick with everything... but mechanics and grammar don't always go hand in hand (lately... I wonder if ANYthing and grammar go hand in hand).

For a less wordy answer... yes... sometimes it bothers me... but I try to give people the benefit of a doubt.

[trbig]

If someone on here were to say...

"DONT DO THAT OR U WIL MESS UP YOUR ENJIN!"

Or they simply explained in a long drawn out process (As I seem to do!) I take everyone except Pro seriously! But seriously... lol. To me, some people are harder to to understand than others, but I take everyone's knowledge and try to make mine a little better on these subjects. Some may speak (Type) more eloquently than others, and some seem to always type in capital letters, making it seem like they are yelling, but unless someone is just being ill-tempered and nasty, I try to listen to everyone and everything.
So, if you aren't the English teacher or grammar police, try to get past the missed spelling and punctuation and give people their due. It's like not being able to listen to someone else's story, because all you can pay attention to is their lisp.

Tod

[MAXIMAN]

Originally posted by trbig
If someone on here were to say...

"DONT DO THAT OR U WIL MESS UP YOUR ENJIN!".

Tod

That's exactly what some one told me once. I blew it off, figured the guy was totally moron because he couldn't spell.

Two days later here's the what was left in the bottom of my oil pan.



So much for grammar.

[oseaghdha]

dudewe dont need yer skoolz man
we jus wanna be free to ride R machines n not get haslled by THE MAN!!!!!!1!
piece owt

[randy]

Burly1;

IMHO, You need to lighten up, dude.

AFAIK, If you uderstand what's been written, what's the problem?

[oseaghdha]

MAXIMAN
That's some serious crunch in that pan!
Pretty big bomb to take out the camshaft.

[mro]

so many seem not to to care

Sticks and Stones and all that clap trap.

Back in the 80's hired a guy without bothering to read his application. Turned out he could not spell nor read very well. His saving grace was that he had very good "mechanical common sense" and he worked in the shop for almost five years before moving on.

Had offered to tutor him at my house privately but was not interested. Lack of grammar, spelling, or being articulate are not bench marks for integrity and intelligence. Best salesmen I've ever met were liars and thieves, but had an excellent grasp of the American English language.


mro

[Special Ed]

speling and gramer

Yeah, I'm kidding: I'm not really that bad.
I do sometimes post sans spell check, then when I read it.
My pet peeve, and I see it often, is confusing "then" and "than."

"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than have a frontal labotomy." Now substitute "then" for "than!"

I've seen this in newspaper editorials for cryin' out loud.

Oops, no time to proof read: there's bound to be a misspel, typo or grammer slip somewhere. Please forgive- the hwy calls.l
E.Liberty

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Burly1,

I was fortunate enough to learn how to touch type in HS many decades ago before the personal computer even came into vogue. I knew I had poor handwriting skills, and figured I'd never get decent grades in college if I didn't turn in typed papers! My good fortune that the keyboard turned out to be the data input method of choice for PC's. So... typing, hitting the shift key to CAPITALIZE, and place punctuation marks for emphasizing a point is easy for me to do. However, many folks don't have that skill, or are 2 finger typists. I find myself typing the occasional shortcut word to get "thru" the message a bit more expediently.

I remmbr recvng n eml tlkng 'bowt how mny ltrs cud b lft o_t nd u cn stl rd nd ndrstnd wht s mnt!!

But for folks requesting help, when the post is written with clarity, the quicker and easier and more accurate the reply will be, instead of having to ask additional questions about what was said to ensure proper understanding of the problem or condition stated! So...it behooves the poster to write in the best format they can.

Bothers me, yes, tolerate, I do!

[Hired_Goon]

Tolerate Definately. But as TC states, the clearer and easier the question is to read the easier to make the reply.

Probabaly the single spelling mistake that irks me the most is made by educated people all over the world. I'm a member of many different bike forums around the world and it is common to see a statement such as this:

"I was riding along and the bike started to loose power."

While not a tragedy, it seems to be a word that then gets accepted and repeated in the replies.

"What speed and RPM's were you running when it started loosing power?"

Is it just me or does this irk anybody else?

And for those who can't see any problem with the above statement I will clarify with,

"you never loose power, you lose it, and you are never loosing it you are losing it"

Loose is how we like our women and what we don't want in a front wheel.

[prometheus578]

Loose is how we like our women and what we don't want in a front wheel

Ah... the ol' women and tire comparison.
Well.. I like 'em medium width. Not to fat and not to skinny. Scars and blemishes are OK, as they add character.
Tires, like women, I don't like flat, but I also don't care for huge bulges in the sidewalls. And don't get me started about "knobbies"!
They should wear well, and one with mileage left in the carcass is always a pleasure to ride upon.
Mag wheels are the best...I despise tires, and women who "spoke" too much.

[HobbyMan]

The key is to preview your post. 2/3 of my time is spent typing, at least 1/3 is spent proofreading. Sometimes I misspell words, but that is mostly because I post late at night. The clearer the question, the easier the answer. I don't mind abbreviations or acronyms, or even the occasional misspelling. It is the out and out bad grammer that doesn't make sense that bothers me. If I can't understand it the first, or even second time around, I get annoyed. I too have another pet peeve

What speed and RPM's were you running when it started loosing power

IT IS RPM (rotations per minute. That makes it plural. There is no need for the extra ('s)

[trbig]

IT IS RPM (rotations per minute. That makes it plural. There is no need for the extra ('s)

What if you're measuring it for several minutes?? I realize the ('s) means posessive... but looks better than RPMS. LOL

How 'bout if we just quit nit picking?? lol. OK.. the thing that bugs me..... lol .. is the problem that people have with to, too, two. That bugs you?? Me to! <<<< GRRR!! Too.... is also. To (Too) many people mis-use to! lol.

*Stepping down* OK... who's turn is it for this soap box??

Tod

[prometheus578]

&quot;Ain't you got no learnin'?&quot;

However, many folks don't have that skill, or are 2 finger typists

I am a two fingered typist. Quite rapid, too. Sure, it would be better if I took the time to learn proper-like, but I feel that I can get the job done.

Is it my place to correct people and teach them the King's English? No. Of course, it isn't my place to do a lot of things but I still do them.
"Now see here... that's all well and good, but..."
No, it isn't well and good at all.
"Prometheus, you fixed my bike real good."
"No... I fixed your bike well. It is a good bike." (things are "good", actions are "well")
MRO... a job application is a direct representation of the person who wrote it. I try to give a fair overview of a resume, but after two spelling errors, I just toss it. I agree with you, that a person's command of letters is no indication of their mechanical ability, but not taking the time to proofread, or to have someone knowledgeable look over the final draft, is to me a reflection of the individual's careless attitude concerning something as important as a job, and their inability to pay attention to detail.
(Yes, I should have rewritten that last sentence. Sentences should be short, clear and to the point. Fifteen words on average, not fifty nine, but I write as I think)
The education system... My son brought home a paper from his english teacher detailing an upcoming assignment. I corrected the teacher's grammatical and spelling errors, told my son to hand it back to his teacher and to have him call me. This was one of the many running battles I've had with the school district.
Math! (6x5= ?) Students now get to "Guess-timate" their answers and get graded by how close they get. Guess-timate? It's either 30 or it isn't!
(Needless to say... I also ghost-write all my son's history projects)
Oh, they still learn history... just not the pablum that the school is trying to spoon feed.
As for spelling errors and such on the forum. We are graced with several professional writers; the majority of us are not so gifted. Many have not studied typing as a second language, (myself included) and for many, a simple posting here is more writing than they'd do in a year. (I hadn't put pen to paper for so many years that I actually forgot how to form letters, and now can only print if I want it to be ledgible)
But, I do proofread to ensure that my meaning is clear and easy for others to understand.