Why are people so picky about spelling and grammar on the net?

Question

No doubt I will get hails of abuse for posing this question...

In my mind, the internet should model the real world. I.E. people should treat each other with the same respect they would expect in outside world.

Now...lets say you have a conversation with someone in a bar. If you felt their grasp of vocab or pronunciation was not to standard, would you start abusing them?

I would hope not.

What if you go into a restaurant and look at the menu. Then you notice there are spelling mistakes. Would you start calling the owner a retard, or tell them to get a dictionary?

Again, I would hope not.

So why is the net different. In my view, its because you can't see the person. Its easier to be rude to an image or message on the monitor, without associating it with a real computer.

Also about 1 in 10 people in the real world would pop you one on the nose...

just my opinion...

now I think I'll wait for replies full of spell checks....

Another thing that drives me mad:-

Americans who think that US English is the only accepted form. British English has many differences;
Colour or color
Recognise or recognise
Defence or defense

The list goes on. See http://www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/us/?view=uk for details

I don't correct American English to British English. Please don't correct my British English to American English.

Before someone else says it I meant to write

"Recognise or recongnize"

Apologies

Oh dear. Its a real shame you can't go back once you added detail lol.

I'll try again:
Recognise or Recognize

The spelling police will have me now...

Answer 1

While you're on the subject of grammar, I'd like to point out that your punctuation could use some work, not to mention the fact that you have several incomplete sentences and forgot to capitalize the beginning word of your last two lines.

I'm not a "Grammar Nazi," per se, but every time I see a post with really obvious mistakes, I think one of two things: either the person is in too much of a hurry or they must've dropped out of school after 8th grade or something. Good grammar, including spelling, punctuation, and the whole nine yards, helps to bolster whatever point you're making ... and at the very least, doesn't undermine your point.

Answer 2

You make a good argument, Tom, and I agree with you in general. (Did you notice that I followed a commer with the word 'and'? Very bad grammar).

However, I would like to make the following point. A few spelling mistakes here and there are trivial. Some errors in grammar are commonplace; indeed most people don't realise that they are making grammatical errors (including me). But most people overlook these mistakes as long as we understand what the author means (I suggest).

Unfortunately, sometimes a person asks a question that is full of spelling mistakes, text speak and grammatical errors, such that it is very difficult to understand the meaning of the question and almost impossible to follow a complicated scenario.

I am ashamed to say that on several occasions, I have started to read a question with every intention of offering a considered answer, only to give up. After having waded through a treacle of text speak and poor grammar, I fail to understand the question because I am confused.

I fully accept the criticism that I am confused because I may be stupid or possess the intelligence of a toothbrush. But if an 'asker' would like an answer from me (and I suspect others too) then reasonably good spelling and a reasonable standard of grammar really does help my understanding.

However, I do not think it is ever necessary to be rude or abusive. A healthy dose of sarcasm sometimes, yes! But that's another story.

Thank you for reading and I hope I haven't bored anyone to death!

Answer 3

For me it is a matter of maintaining standards, and there is no shame in that. I cannot bear to read or write below the standard of which I share with many, I work with people from other lands whose English is good, but some errors are inevitable and although I would not criticize them, I do help them understand and perfect whatever the word or phrase is, and they are grateful.

I wouldn't go so far as to criticize anyone on the net, though. I may not bother to read the question if the standard is too low. And even then time is limited!

As for spelling I prefer to use the 'Z' instead of the imported 'S' in words like 'criticize!

Answer 4

Well, first of all, I do NOT make judgements on people by their spelling, etc. I read the questions, and try to answer if I can. I NEVER EVER correct their spelling or grammar, it's irrelevant, I've understood it enough to respond to it, and understanding is the most important thing ...
Other side to the coin is that I was an English teacher for years and years so I have an inbuilt, automatic 'correction' response, but that's just me.
People on YA can write as they like, I would never dream of commenting on their language skills, what they want is answers to their questions and I will try to help them.
Also, I think rudeness is inexcusable.

Answer 5

They're not.

People will excuse typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors - everyone makes those - but often it is not these which are the irritant. Take YA, sometimes those asking the question rant, they use abusive, racist or homophobic terms - all of which they would not do in public for fear, as you rightly say, of getting bopped on the nose - or they do all of the above. Some of these individuals type in a kind of stream of consciousness manner too - and often not being the sharpest knives in the drawer - their questions are unintelligible. If they choose to rant or abuse, or posit a statement rather than ask a question, is it really surprising that they get such short shrift?

Answer 6

i am very picky about spelling and grammar, but online its different, i hardly ever use capital letters, over use commas and explanation marks and spell things for quickness ie thru, tmrw that sort of thing. i dont know why that is, i guess i see the internet as a more informal way of communicating than writing proper letters as it were and feel more comfortable writing a bit more slovenly that i would in real life.

i think its also important to remember that not all users of the net are literate, dyslexia is a big problem and many people are using english as their 2nd language. i think that the people who are too busy proof reading everything online are often missing the point of what the writer intended.

i too sit back and await the corrections

Answer 7

When you are dealing with a person over the net, how do you judge the person?

In a face to face meeting you would rely on all sorts of sensory details. How the person looked, how did the person dress, how did the person smell, and other attributes help you define your opinion of the person.

If you are depending on solely the written word from a person then you have nothing more than the writings to go by. If there are lots of mistakes in spelling and/or grammatical errors then that makes it seem like the person is either uneducated in those areas or just does not care.

It is understandable to have a few typos or errors in something as informal as Yahoo Answers. Some people will really harp on the smallest mistakes. However, some people have very poor writing skills and it makes their points seem weaker.

Answer 8

I think you're right about Internet vs. real life encounters with people. However, if you are someone who is a poor communicator, verbal, or written, I personally have a difficult time following the conversation. If you feel it's a matter of respect, try respecting the people around you enough to learn proper grammar and spelling. Respect goes BOTH ways. By the way, your question was well thought out and the grammar and spelling impeccable. Kudos to you for that! LOL

Answer 9

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Answer 10

I'm offended by it mainly because it's incredibly easy to check spelling. It's sheer laziness if you can't be bothered to click the "Check Spelling" link above your answer box. As for grammar--I don't generally let small mistakes upset me (We all make them from time to time.) but when there are numerous grammatical errors, I just roll my eyes and skip to the next question. 99% of the time the question is asked by a troll or an immature kid trying to start trouble or asking an obviously fake question.

As for correcting people's grammar in public--yes, I do this--but only to close friends and family. They all understand, too. Some people (such as myself) find it very important to sound your best at all times. Why would you not care that you're poor grammar makes you appear ignorant to many people? By correcting my friends' and family members' grammar, I'm saving them from making a fool of themselves later, when they're in an important situation (job interview, doctor's office, writing college term papers, etc.).

In the event I see grammatical errors in written form (menus, church bulletins, ads on bulletin boards (near the mailboxes at my apartment complex, the grocery store, etc.), I will pull out my trusty red pen (Yes, I'm THAT anal.) and make proofreaders marks to correct the errors.

Sorry--it's just the way I am. And NO, I'm not going to check my spelling. I'm not lazy--I read what I've typed as I'm typing it, and I rarely make spelling errors.