This post is brought to you by a combination of some posts I’ve skimmed through this morning and my general crankiness at finding myself back at work after a three day weekend that was more exhausting than it was restful.
Know the difference between the following:
- your/you’re
- to/too/two
- its/it’s
- there/they’re/their
- here/hear
- allude/elude
- illicit/elicit
- affect/effect
- pour/pore
- lie/lay
- passed/past
- horde/hoard
And probably a whole lot more I am not thinking of just now. Please also get a firm grasp on when to use an apostrophe and understand that ellipses are not intended to be used in lieu of commas. Yes, we all have our little tics – I tend to use dashes too much myself and if anyone wants to complain at me for it they can. I do try to rein it in however.
There’s another one. Or three.
- rein/reign/rain
- capital/capitol
- principal/principle
When in doubt, look it up. Use a thesaurus or wikipedia or something. My eyes are bleeding over here.
Big words do not make you look smart
Additionally, if you’re going to attempt to sound smarter than you actually are by using 2-bit words, make sure you’re using the correct one, mkay? When in doubt, look it the hell up. I feel an urge to stab people who toss in a word such as “duplicitous” when what they mean is “duplicative.”
Have you heard of this?
There’s this tool available in nearly any word processing software. It’s called spell check. Use it once in a while. It burns my eyes to have to read something along the lines of:
on wensday i had to tank heroc azn nd it wsa terribal cuz the heeler sucked
It burns. My fucking. Eyes.
Also, there’s a difference between heal and heel, just in case anyone was wondering.
Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. I know I’ve made plenty. But there’s an enormous difference between an occasional typo and a constant stream of errors. Read over your posts about three times or get a friend to look them over before posting. Then, perhaps, those of us who do care about these things will actually read your posts instead of merely skimming over them in an effort to keep ourselves from clawing out our own eyes in rage.
QFT.
Also: then/than.
Small bone to pick.
Actually, it's supposed to be called "spelling check".
"Spell check" might be used to make sure you're not downranking, but does little for spelling.
Hear, hear. Honestly, if I'm looking over a new blog and the spelling and grammar seem poor or there are glaring errors in the first few posts, I won't even add it to my blog roll or read further. I put an enormous amount of time and care into every entry I write – re-reading it usually three times at the minimum, changing a word here and there so it flows better, and ensuring there are no typos or misspellings. If someone couldn't be bothered to take the time to run a post through a simple spelling and grammar check, then why should I spend my time reading it?
That's pretty much how I feel. If a person doesn't care enough about what they are writing to put a minimum of effort into making it as error-free as they can, why should I care enough about it to read the whole thing or even comment on it?
I forgot to add, I feel the same way that you do for the same reasons. I make an effort to be grammatically correct in my blog posts and I will read and re-read to make sure that I've spelled things correctly. If someone else can't make the small effort of a proofread before they post, as you said, why should I read it?
I check my spelling and grammar the best I can but I'm pretty certain I'm making quite a few mistakes. It took me a ton of courage to dare to start blogging in English, even if it's not my native tongue. Reading this kind of angry rants is a bit disheartening.
For my own part I'm not quite as sensitive as you are about small beauty stains like this. In spite of the fact that writing is my profession. I think it's way more important to have flow and personality in a text, to breathe life into it, to write in a way that touches the readers, than to have a text that is technically absolutely correct, but void of anything that tickles you.
But to each one his own. With this comment I just wanted to point out that everyone in the blogosphere isn't English from birth and that the fact that we do mistakes from time to time doesn't mean that we don't make an effort.
I don't mind when people point out errors in my posts and I always correct them if I find them on my own or by the help of others. You can point this out in a kind way. Do you really need to be so aggressive about it?
I'd actually echo what Larisa said – I see that you are just having a rant, but I reacted badly to this post.
I would much rather read the *sense* of something good, than something blah but *correct*.
It is actually quite upsetting to think that there are people pouring their hearts out onto the internet, who might have something important to say, but instead you are bemoaning their lack of perfect grammar.
I know of at least one person who is so passionate about what he is typing the mistakes flow.. and don't forget most of the word differences you highlighted will not be picked up by a spell checker.
I suppose I will echo what Zel said below. I'm not going to write someone off – or write off what they're trying to say because a thing isn't done correctly. However, I will not read a blog that consistently shows a lack of any sort of attention or care towards grammar, spelling and presentation.
I'm really not bemoaning a lack of perfect grammar so much as I'm bemoaning a lack of effort on the part of the writer. Especially when I see someone get something right in the first part of a paragraph and then don't in the second. In those cases, the person obviously has some grasp on how to do it but won't give a re-read and make small corrections before posting.
I know Alas and I know that this rant is directed at people who don't take the TIME or EFFORT to do a simple read-through of their own work before posting it. Yes, a spelling check won't pick up words used incorrectly, but a read-through probably will. Nothing is that important that it must be posted RIGHT NOW. There is always time to re-read it and make corrections or edits.
Spelling and other technical mistakes don't bother me at all (probably because my own spelling is atrocious). As Larísa and Issy have said, not every one is a native English speaker and of those that are English speakers, not all have a wonderful understanding of grammar.
My grammar sucks, I know it does but I was never taught English grammar (excuses I know) and despite my best efforts I know I still make loads of mistakes. I read each post three or four times and always do multiple drafts, but when you aren't 100 percent sure of what is correct it's easy to still make errors. I'm also guilty of being over fond of "…" although in my case it's more like "………………". My grammar may improve but my love of ellipses are here to stay. There is something therapeutic about a row of dots.
You think your tired. I had a little to much two drink, and the affect was that I past out on my friends lawn. Woke up at 5:15 am on there couch too the sound of they're baby crying. Drove home (45 minutes) at 5:30 in the morning, and slept it off for a few more ours.
True story. See what I did their?
Oh Yngwe, you make me giggle. I do see what you did there.
I'm…torn on this subject. Personally, I value proper spelling/grammer very highly, and like Vid I try to proofread my own comments and posts very carefully. And I think there are some grammatical errors that are, in general, unacceptable. They're/there/their, your/you're, these are ones that belong in trade chat, not my blogroll.
However, there's definitely legitimate exceptions. I think we'd all agree that non-english speakers definitely get some slack – I mean, I would be terrified of writing a blog in a language I'm not 100% comfortable with.
But I think there are also times when incorrect spelling and grammar are…not "acceptable" per se, but tolerable. I come from a writing background, so I try to hold my own writing to high technical standards. But not everyone who plays WoW has a good grasp of writing mechanics. If someone is blogging simply as a means of recording and sharing their fun times in a game, I think their actual message is more important than if they used its or it's.
I also have a real-life analogy that makes me feel this way about blogging. Literally ALL of my close real-life friends are labour guys (construction, warehouse grunt, etc.) and are terrible writers. TERRIBLE. If they played the game with me and were passionate enough about their experiences that they'd want to write about them – something they're not used to doing – I know their blogs would be badly-designed, improperly capitalized, and full of grammatical abominations. But I'd still check them out simply to find out what they're up to in-game. Their blogs would be less "Please read my carefully crafted essay in which I spent many minutes devising, proofing and double checking it before judging it ready for public consumption" but rather "Dude! Check out the post I wrote about this awesome thing that happened!! :D"
The real irony is that many of us bloggers are now on Twitter and have to conform to their draconic 140-character limit. I weep inside every time I have to shave a single character off a tweet and turn "it's" into "its". xD
I weep every time I have to use an ampersand instead of spelling out "and." I feel your pain.
As to your above comments, that's honestly more or less where I am with this whole thing. I never expect my rants to be taken even remotely seriously (because they never have been before) but now I sort of wish I'd tossed in more disclaimers than "Yes, everyone makes mistakes. It's okay." :P
Even worse is when you see the error and want to fix it… but is it worth tweeting one single word afterwards to "fix" what you did? Since I feel like I'm the only one that cares, I'm torn about it every time :(
Oh, and I'll delete my tweets and try again with less fail.
Heh. I stand corrected. ;)
I'm aware that not everyone who writes something has English a first language and I give mad props to anyone willing to step out and write something in a language that isn't as familiar to them as their native language. I can see how that would be difficult and scary and I did not intend to come across in a manner that implies that everything should be perfect all the time or don't bother.
As Zel commented below, this post is aimed at people who don't appear to care at all – who seem to never put in any time or effort to their posts.
As to my aggression, this was a rant, and not even what I intended as an angry one (going more for humorous or tongue-in-cheek). I wasn't trying to call any one person out on writing a less than perfect post. If I were addressing a specific person, I wouldn't do it in this way. Honestly, I'm not even emotionally invested enough in the issue to even kindly bring errors to a person's attention. I just won't subscribe, or will unsubscribe if it's that annoying to me.
Anyway, sorry if it hit you the wrong way but it wasn't my intent.
Definite/defiant and role/roll are my favorites. I've written whole posts about them :P
For the people who are complaining about this post being too harsh, it is usually possible to tell the difference between the mistakes of a non-native English speaker and sloppy writing. I certainly understand mistakes made because of a language barrier, but lack of punctuation, capitilization and any form of proof-reading really irks me.
…and there's a spelling mistake in my response. Holy hypocrite, Batman. :(
I've no problem with honest mistakes. As I'm telling everyone else, it's a lack of effort that really gets me.
And your ellipses and my dashes and fragments can all be cozy together in the world of "Things I know aren't right but am willing to forgive because of the character they add."
On that note, WoW bloggers are seriously awesome because anyone could have decided to pick on me for my fragments and so forth in this post but no one really has.
i know you think your a good righter but I play hoard side and there much better than you are eluding to. I here things that their saying in trade chat that would illicit a affect that would make your pours weep.
Ugh, that's as much as I could fit into a couple sentences :P
By the way I love this blog, totally on topic: http://writebadlywell.blogspot.com/
Love the fact that you're "exhasted" after the weekend and not "exhausted" :P
I have some pet peeves when it comes to writing too, but I know sometimes I make mistakes myself as well. When writing I often find myself going "self-blind". I can see other people's mistakes but not my own. A few years ago I wrote two novels, and I had to have a friend proofread them for me because after going through them two-three times I just didn't see the obvious errors. I think it's because when you write – you KNOW what it's supposed to say.. so I think you remember it more than you actually read it.
Of course that's not really what you're complaining about though. Just an interesting footnote (or interesting in my world at least hehe).
I agree that it's disheartening to see people not even trying. Obvious mistakes are just that – mistakes. And I won't gripe about them (except for my own!) because everyone makes them. But of course sometimes you see people who won't even try. I think sometimes I care too much though, I refuse to use abbreviations more than I absolutely have to even when texting someone on my mobile *lol* I know I know.. I'm silly.
Btw (see I do use some!) if you see typos/mistakes should you ever read my blog please let me know. Odds are I'm blind as usual :P
Seconded on all counts. I can't stand hearing this crap in PUGs, much less actual blog posts (which are supposed to be somewhat formal i.e. not text-speak).
My pet peeve:
role vs. roll.
Hate when people ask for someone to come fill a "healing roll"! It makes me imagine a sort of bread bun shaped like a priest.
>_>
Well, you are a poptart… that's at least in the pastry family.
True.. maybe all things in my head that don't make sense revert to pastries.. :D
Makes me think of priest-filled sushi!
I here whot you're saying. I hate it to.
Crap, I meant to spell "you're" as "your" to make that sentence even more atrocious but I screwed up getting it wrong. Lol.
That's hilarious!
Agree totally about the self-blind bit. I read what I think it says, unfortunately that's not always accurate as my brain compensates for my spelling.
The one that really gets me is "drivel" vs. "dribble".
That's just an example of people trying to use words they don't understand. Not only do they not understand it, they aren't even pronouncing it properly.
Reminds me of that Facebook status I saw online somewhere, talking about Pat Benatar's song "Hit Me With Your Pet Shark." If you're not sure you heard the words correctly, you should probably check before you repeat them! Otherwise you look dumb, not smart!
Hahaha – go ahead. Hit me with your pet shark. Just so long as it's not a wild one, everything is cool.
What was that other one? "Scuse me, while I kiss this guy" Because Hendrix was all about kissin' guys, amirite?
Torn here. I read everything I post at least three times and sometimes four to six times and I know I miss stuff. I know I make mistakes and things don't always flow right but I'm trying. Obvious errors in things like you're/your happen but I try to avoid those things. So…I agree with you and yes I use excessive "…".
On the flip side, someone is usually posting something that came from the heart. They want to get it out whether folks want to read it or not is a personal choice. They've spent minutes/hours putting it together and throw it up there and may or may not know that it's full of badly composed stuff. As a reader we have the choice to look the other way, fight our way through it or we can simply not read it at all.
You could even add "hear, hear" to the list, since NO ONE spells that correctly :)
Just to add to the list (for everyone's enjoyment, really:)
role/roll
duel/dual
Perhaps this is just a personal pet peeve, but it drives me up the wall to see "Alliance" shortened to "ally" or "allies" and the true meaning of those words just goes sailing over the collective heads of the users (mostly Horde, of course) This actually bothers me more than seeing "Hord" used Alliance-side to refer to the Horde.
But yes, I heartily agree on all counts!
I am with you on the ally/allie/allies thing. Alliance isn't that long a word and the shortenings just make no sense.
Since writing this post, I keep wanting to make lists.
Sense/since/cents
write/right
bowl/bowel (for reals)
I could go on and on. But I won't.
Hehe, I am clearly super awesome, no? I'm not sure whether or not I want to fix that. Now that I do see it, it bothers me. On the other hand, I did admit I make mistakes.
Do you ever want to stop a PUG just to start correcting everything? Or is that just me? :P