Why do people not use capital letters, correct spelling and punctuation?

Question

Is it a type of shorthand or poor education? I'm not being clever or nasty, just curious.

Answer 1

It happens among the worst and best educated, particularly in an on-line forum. I have to wonder sometimes whether some of the people who do that know, or care, that doing so makes them come across like imbeciles, even if they have perfect SAT scores and multiple Harvard degrees. To some extent, I believe the use of computers -- and spell-checking programs -- has resulted in people with no idea how to spell....which, to be honest, I wouldn't find quite so troubling if, in fact, they bothered to use the spell checking programs before posting/emailing/etc.

In the United States, it should be noted, even the "best" educations usually fall alarmingly short of teaching proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. In other words, we don't do a good job (at all) of teaching English in this English speaking country.

Answer 2

First off, it has a lot to do with context. When people are writing mostly for fun in an informal setting such as this one, they know that proper English isn't the highest priority.

But when they're writing for publication, whether in print or for a Web-based publication such as Salon.com, there's no excuse for improper English. The fact that it does occur frequently, even in such worthy publications as The New York Times, comes down to the fact that most people don't read much nowadays. Why bother when it's so much easier just to watch TV? No matter how good your education might have been, if you don't practice by reading a lot, you're going to lose those skills.

Not to mention that reading can bring all kinds of additional benefits. The moral, my friend, is that you can improve yourself by reading, so start today!

Answer 3

In response to TAN: it matters because it is annoying, and it hurts my eyes to look at it (as I'm sure it hurts many others' eyes too). Also the fact that it makes the person look like an idiot, so if people want to be taken seriously on the 'net, they should write properly. It's understandable in text messages because you don't want to send or read several of them because your message is so long. On the internet however, there's no excuse.

It really does have a lot to do with the person being lazy, I think. Or maybe they think it makes them look cool. There's no way someone can have THAT poor of an education that they honestly think "that" is spelled "dat", or that "you" is spelled "u".

Answer 4

I ask that myself all the time when i see real bad misspelling!!!
I am sure i have a lot of mistakes also sometimes, but i blame it on being German and English is not my native speech,so i am still learning and i also don't mind if other non-nativ speaker make mistakes, but i just don't understand why so many people have such bad spelling or grammar! Do they do that on purpose, are they to lazy to use the check spelling button??? I really have no clue! Sometimes it was so bad i seriously didn't understand the question, 'cause i couldn't read it!!!
So... i guess, i am right there with you!!!

Answer 5

I've noticed that questions such as yours crop up every few days. There seem to be 2 basic responses: it matters because it is polite and erudite; it don't matter cos I cant be bovered or is 2 thick to no better.

While education and self-respect permit good writers to write at any level, the stupid, lazy and/or uneducated can only express themselves in the written equivalent of barnyard grunts.

Sorry to sound arrogant but I really find poor writing tiresome and, if it is the writer's first language, inexcusable.

Answer 6

People blame schools, this isn't fair. On television, they tend to use lower case for places and names as a trend, this doesn't help. Since using a mobile, I've got into the habit of using shortened words, but I do like to make an effort to use capital letters and punctuation.

Answer 7

I think a lot of it started as short hand. I think a lot of people think that is how it is written now, especially kids. It worries me, the whole language is just falling apart. I use shorthand sometimes, but that is not all that we are seeing. Sometimes I have conversations with my niece and I am just blown away. She is a bright girl too, grammar and spelling is just not emphasized in school anymore.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

I think because its faster..
They don't have to use the Shift key.. lol
And many I have seen are type o's..
Now there are a lot who cannot spell worth.. well you know.
And btw there is a spell check on here...strange how they ignore it!!

But I do blame our education system.. they just don't put enough emphasis on good grammar and spelling.. that is sad!

Answer 10

4 me its shorthand when I'm not being graded on it. Lazyness 2... Why not? Time is precious.