Why don't you use punctuation when you write?

Question

Is it because you don't know how?
Is it because you are lazy?
Is it because you don't feel that it is important on the internet?
Is it to bother people?
Is it too much of a bother?

I'm just curious. I try not to make fun of people for little things, but some questions are absolutely unreadable. Can you imagine reading something long, like the Lord of The Rings (for those of you that don't ONLY see the movie), without punctuation? You might get through 20 pages before giving up. Poor English can also make job hunting more difficult.

That said, I'm sure someone will find something wrong with my question. Oh yeah?! Well my dad is bigger than your dad!!!

So, if it's informal, then I can cuss to your mother if we are, say, playing tennis? Is that OK? No? Well, I consider tennis to be informal, but I would never cuss to your mother...

Besides, anyone that uses the word, "Retard" to refer to anyone doesn't make valid points. Sorry dude, that is a really lame put-down.

I told you someone would correct me. That person can now be regarded as, "the smartest person in the world." Congratulations!!

Now reading the question, I realise that I should have asked, "Do you try to use correct punctuation to get your point across on Yahoo! Answers? Why, or why not?" Sorry about that.

Answer 1

I TOTALLY agree with you!! I blow off anything on here, or receive in an email as uneducated, if it has no thought put into it. I can't tolerate stupidity. Why be lazy on purpose?

I have also found a great deal of words spelled incorrectly, when the punctuation is in place. It makes you wonder about the U.S. education system. (I am a teacher, but it STILL makes me wonder.)

Keep in mind though, that some of the people on here are kids. That's why you really have to think twice about advice that you may be looking for.

Answer 2

Well if your Dad is bigger than my Dad, I'm not going to argue; and I will use punctuation in my answer. It's true that using punctuation makes understanding a sentence a lot easier. My guess is that some people want to do away with the formality of school when they answer, particularly if they are a student who has spent the majority of the day having to worry punctuation. It is analogous to doing away with proper English when you are talking with your friends. It freaks me out when I read questions without capitalization. It's just MY thing. I look at this way now: this forum is not school or a job application. It is just people informally communicating. I will admit though, that at times this site does come close to the second Tower of Babel! Have a great evening!

Answer 3

I agree with you! I can't stand it when people do not take the time to complete a thought and use correct English, including correct punctuation! When I see that, it makes whatever they've said mean less because I assume they are not intelligent.

Answer 4

I always (try anyway) to use proper spelling and grammar (including punctuation), but sometimes I make a typo or a thought gets crossed in my head (I'm dyslexic). And you are right, some questions are completely unreadable.

Answer 5

Well it is called academic writing. That is where you can write freely. Most people when replying, just type what is going through there mind, and just forget about the punctuations and spelling. It really is nothing to worry about with people replying on the Internet. When it does matter, is when you are filling out Applications or writing a business letter, or just writing something important.

Answer 6

I always use it, even in instant messenger. It's hard to get the correct meaning of a sentence across without punctuation. I often have to say people's sentences aloud three or four times before fully understanding what they're trying to say.

Answer 7

I really think comparing the Lord of the Rings with a post on yahoo answers is slightly silly. I re-read my answers before submitting them, but if there's a typo or a missing comma, it's really not the end of the world. Yahoo answers is a leisure activity. It's not work and people shouldn't be made to feel intimidated if their language skills are not absolutely perfect. There's more to life.

Answer 8

I couldn't agree more with your position. It seems that grammar and punctuation are becoming extinct. I particularly dislike it when people end a sentence with the word "at". For example, "Where are you at?" is said rather than "Where are you?"

My punctuation and grammar might not be perfect but at least I try.

Answer 9

I totally agree with you. (No, I'm not going to proof read your question!!)
I have found out this though; some people write exactly as they talk. They even type out the "likes" and "uhs." Since most people don't talk with commas, well, they don't write with them either.
What irks me even more is when a "check spelling" button is provided and they don't take the time to click it.
OR, when people make stupid mistakes like "know" for "no"
or "your" for "you're"
The things that spell checks won't catch but if you took the time to read your own writing you could see they don't make sense.
Anyway, I probably have a million mistakes in here too, but thanks for giving me the chance to vent!!!

Answer 10

I've never understood that either. Punctuation is more important in writing than anything else and it can really improve communication between people.