Poor Spelling; what's the cause??

[Piemaster]

I blame my spelling firstly on ITA that was being taught at the time. Anyone else taught to read with it? Just looks like a fad thing now.

When doing reports at work I'm very conscious of spelling and grammar as small changes in sentence structure can make a big difference in meaning. Wouldn't want to be without a spellchecker though.

 

[lukesdad]

I don't think there's a consensus at all. People who get twisty-knickered about other people's grammar and spelling are simply more likely to go on about such things than those of us who aren't bothered by it overmuch. I find it extremely rude to criticize the quality of people's writing in the context of the forum. For that reason I only do it if I intend to be extremely rude. I can think of several posters who write interesting, eloquent stuff despite their dodgy grammar and spelling, and several who write utter bilge in very precise and correct English. I don't think it's helpful to make the former feel self-conscious about their writing or to fuel the already over-developed sense of superiority of the latter.

Here here ! Wot them other geezers on about TC ??..... agh its only them too nobers crickle and risk !

 

[fatblokish]

I could start by pointing out the presence of a mis-placed apostrophe in your posting.

You did.

Your posting

FTFY

I left the apostrophe in to give everyone an easy opportunity to begin the mission. I did not suggest a plethora of FTFY; that was your misinterpretation my expression "a few". Perhaps one FTFY a week.

That's my quota done.

 

[fatblokish]

I don't think there's a consensus at all. People who get twisty-knickered about other people's grammar and spelling are simply more likely to go on about such things than those of us who aren't bothered by it overmuch. I find it extremely rude to criticize the quality of people's writing in the context of the forum. For that reason I only do it if I intend to be extremely rude. I can think of several posters who write interesting, eloquent stuff despite their dodgy grammar and spelling, and several who write utter bilge in very precise and correct English. I don't think it's helpful to make the former feel self-conscious about their writing or to fuel the already over-developed sense of superiority of the latter.

I must disagree. From the very moment we first begin to write, our parents, teachers and to a some extent even our peers help us with our spelling and punctuation. This continues throughout our formal education. Are all these good folk twisty-knickered?

In the context of this forum, I agree that people become much more sensitive to criticism; perhaps this is due to maturing and becoming less accepting of criticism? Many other areas of behaviour on here are open to criticism (both positive and negative) so why should our means of communication be so protected? Certainly I would never intend it as being rude, there are other more direct methods should I ever feel the need for that.

 

[Crackle]

I must disagree. From the very moment we first begin to write, our parents, teachers and to a some extent even our peers help us with our spelling and punctuation. This continues throughout our formal education. Are all these good folk twisty-knickered?

In the context of this forum, I agree that people become much more sensitive to criticism; perhaps this is due to maturing and becoming less accepting of criticism? Many other areas of behaviour on here are open to criticism (both positive and negative) so why should our means of communication be so protected? Certainly I would never intend it as being rude, there are other more direct methods should I ever feel the need for that.

I value people based on what they write, not how they write it.

Edit: In the context of this forum

 

[rich p]

I must disagree. From the very moment we first begin to write, our parents, teachers and to a some extent even our peers help us with our spelling and punctuation. This continues throughout our formal education. Are all these good folk twisty-knickered?

In the context of this forum, I agree that people become much more sensitive to criticism; perhaps this is due to maturing and becoming less accepting of criticism? Many other areas of behaviour on here are open to criticism (both positive and negative) so why should our means of communication be so protected? Certainly I would never intend it as being rude, there are other more direct methods should I ever feel the need for that.

Correcting someone's spelling on here when the meaning is quite clear can often be lecturing and hectoring even if it's not meant that way.
If you think it's a good idea to correct bad grammar on here, then I suggest you don't carry that over into conversation with strangers. I'd love to be there when you start correcting the pronunciation and grammar of a hairy-arsed builder you're having a row with, for instance.

 

[psmiffy]

It's a forum, it's not real life, it is an entertainment medium -so what if people do not take care with their spelling - most poor spelling on here is simply a function of poor typing combined with spell checkers - in real life I would question the veracity of something that contained spelling errors - on here no.

It is rare that it is difficult to make sense of posts due to the spelling and I suspect it is often where English is not the first language of the poster.

Probably the only time I get mildly irritated by it is when the misspelling is an alternative of a word that has a totally different meaning - breaks and peddles et.al.

as to the incessant pedantic FTFY's - get a life.

 

[MontyVeda]

I value people based on what they write, not how they write it.

Edit: In the context of this forum

I think the education system has gone that way too. Whereas once an exam answer which was in essence correct, but had grammatical errors would be marked down for those errors, these days would not be. Which to me is fair enough. Correct grammar and punctuation can be somewhat ambiguous, a lot of it is down to how pedantic the reader is.

 

[gaz]

For me, i'm profoundly dyslexic. It reads fine for me.

 

[guitarpete247]

I spotted this on my local freecycle.

WANTED: chisel (colvile)
if any1 gtsome old chisel thay no longer need can u let me no plz need
some 4 colleg


The town should be Coalville not colvile by the way.
So many errors but we (or I at least) know what the poster is wanting and what they want them for.

 

[theclaud]

I'd love to be there when you start correcting the pronunciation and grammar of a hairy-arsed builder you're having a row with, for instance.

I think you mean "a hairy-arsed builder with whom you are having a row".

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I can think of several posters who write interesting, eloquent stuff despite their dodgy grammar and spelling, and several who write utter bilge in very precise and correct English.

I'm a combination of both, utter bilge with dodgy grammar and spelling.

 

[theclaud]

I must disagree. From the very moment we first begin to write, our parents, teachers and to a some extent even our peers help us with our spelling and punctuation. This continues throughout our formal education. Are all these good folk twisty-knickered?

In the context of this forum, I agree that people become much more sensitive to criticism; perhaps this is due to maturing and becoming less accepting of criticism? Many other areas of behaviour on here are open to criticism (both positive and negative) so why should our means of communication be so protected? Certainly I would never intend it as being rude, there are other more direct methods should I ever feel the need for that.

The forum is not a teaching environment, and most people are not here for grammar classes. And a little humility wouldn't go amiss amongst the pedants and didacts - not only are they often, as Vernon points out, wrong on their own terms and self-contradicting, but for me their preoccupations reveal some pretty fundamental misapprehensions and some deeply conservative assumptions about the way language works. It's quite common to see people correcting another when in fact they could learn a thing or two about writing from the correctee...

 

[vernon]

I left the apostrophe in to give everyone an easy opportunity to begin the mission. I did not suggest a plethora of FTFY; that was your misinterpretation my expression "a few". Perhaps one FTFY a week.

It was not a mis-interpretation of your intentions but an identification of the probable outcome of your expression of 'a few'.

Who will identify and or police that nominated target(s) of the FTFY?

The nature of communication via a forum is that a single message can generate simultaneous responses and those responses generating further simultaneous responses. Admittedly it's rare that a thread expands rapidly through multiple responses to each response but it has been known to happen.

How are folk to know that the week's quota of FTFYs has been used? Should the thread titles be edited and prefixed with FTFY?

 

[GetAGrip]

I must disagree. From the very moment we first begin to write, our parents, teachers and to a some extent even our peers help us with our spelling and punctuation. This continues throughout our formal education. Are all these good folk twisty-knickered?

In the context of this forum, I agree that people become much more sensitive to criticism; perhaps this is due to maturing and becoming less accepting of criticism? Many other areas of behaviour on here are open to criticism (both positive and negative) so why should our means of communication be so protected? Certainly I would never intend it as being rude, there are other more direct methods should I ever feel the need for that.

If people would like their posts corrected marked, you could start a written English tuition thread and see what the take up is. Your offer to educate the peeps on here may be well received.
I'm not good with spelling or grammar, but I get by. What I come on this forum for is -

1. To be entertained by some very, very, funny members posts.

2. To read interesting threads and learn about cycling and maintenance through the experiences of others.

3.To ask others with more experience than me, (or is it I) for help, so the pleasure I get out of cycling can just grow and grow .