I am getting so tired of struggling to understand what people try to say on the internet. I'm not talking about getting lazy with capitalization, I'm talking about putting numbers in the middle of words (gr8), dramatically altered spelling (watz up?!?), or abysmal sentence construction (hey u think i lose weight people like me more better?). The trend seems to be getting worse and worse. I'm sure it can't be good to expose so much of our youth, who are still refining their English, to this abomination of our language. It is slowly creeping into business emails and class work.
What can be done about this? How do we reverse the process? Why don't people realize that typing liek ths makes them look ignorant, lazy, and completely discredits any pertinent information they're trying to express? Not to mention it is highly inconsiderate to your reader. Is it really worth saving 5 seconds on your end if it takes the reader and extra minute to figure out what you were trying to say?
2006-07-12 10:27:03 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Internet
Not to mention Yahoo Answers has a very speedy spell check system, but most people are just too lazy to click it before they post.
2006-07-12 10:32:04 · update #1
I don't know if there is anything we can do except set the higher example. I know what you're talking about...I'm a technical writer. It bothers me too to see a lot of slang like ur, r, gr8, and lazy typing techniques. But I'm anal about grammar and spelling.
Yes, it does reflect poorly on the writer. I will not hire or interview anyone who will write like that--it tells me they can't communicate well with clients.
Think of it this way: Most employers will disregard any email or document that's written that way. And if people are that ignorant that they can't or won't try to write well, handing them a dictionary or a copy of the Elements of Style won't do anything either!
If this stuff is extending into classwork, why aren't teachers flunking students who are handing in work like this?
2006-07-12 10:35:45 · answer #1 · answered by keyz 4 · 6⤊ 2⤋
Amen brother. I posted a similar question about a month ago after nearly losing my mind trying to figure out what the %#$! people were trying to say. I'm not all that hopeful about grammar improvement--whether internet or not. I can't help but think it will get much, much worse. I also cannot tell whether the rampant slaughter of grammar and language is intentional or the result of people being just plain stupid...
2006-07-12 10:35:52 · answer #2 · answered by Amanda K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put a grammar and spell check on the answer and question screen that you cannot post until your answer has been corrected.
2006-07-12 10:32:47 · answer #3 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think (1) that people are really that illiterate and/or (2) they are trying to type quickly.
I have no idea regarding a possible solution unfortunately.
2006-07-12 10:31:30 · answer #4 · answered by jamie5987 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have a point. I wish Yahoo! would FORCE grammar and spell check on all submissions to this site.
2006-07-12 10:31:54 · answer #5 · answered by wmp55 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am 100% Internet Literate.
I suggest the rest of you try it as well.
2006-07-12 10:30:19 · answer #6 · answered by The Shadow Lurker 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read to your kids. And by the way, being ignorant is not cool.
2006-07-12 10:36:16 · answer #7 · answered by EG345 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i believe the family and education system are to blame
2006-07-12 10:30:44 · answer #8 · answered by -------- 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Arrest all of those grammer offenders!
2006-07-12 10:31:33 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not a damn thing NERD but you could get a life nerd
2006-07-12 14:50:33 · answer #10 · answered by dl200558 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋