Spelling & Grammar (1 Viewer)

[Jim]

I have stated plenty of times that I do not like to see posts pulled apart for spelling and grammar. Its just not important. Lately there has been some leg-pulling about posters spelling or grammar, I know that most of these have been in jest; but only because I know the persons involved.

However, new members do not know those posters and may see this as real! Enthusiasts should not be put off asking a question or offering advice, just because their English is not quite Oxford perfect. This forum IS NOT the place for those spiteful posts where a pedant points out such errors. In future I will not hesitate to dish out a months ban to any member who takes umbrage about spelling or grammar, even if they do it in jest. Its not fun and its not good for our community. Thanks for your cooperation, let's keep it Fun :moon:

 

[Kon tiki]

Many years ago I had a website about motorhomes, it was a time before forums were used much if at all. I got fed up of a few of the comments & emails I got about some spelling mistakes or grammar, what was worse is these were from people who had no interest in motorhomes.

As you say critising peoples spelling or grammar isn't helpful & shouldn't overide what the post is about.

Dyslexia rules KO

 

[Bulletguy]

I have stated plenty of times that I do not like to see posts pulled apart for spelling and grammar. Its just not important.

Really?
Some posts are so totally incomprehensible they simply cannot be read. Nothing which a little bit of patience along with the assistance of a spell checker can't sort out. OK it seems to be a sensitive subject with a few folk (very few thankfully), but with modern day technology at their disposal there can be no other excuse except laziness.

In future I will not hesitate to dish out a months ban to any member who takes umbrage about spelling or grammar, even if they do it in jest.

Thats a good backward step isn't it? Get rid of the very folk who can help others correct their grammatical mistakes, whilst those left run riot with gobble-de-gook gibberish.

Well done Jim.

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[Snowbird]

Some did not have the luxery of further education,and had to start work at 14 to suport younger members of a family.

 

[slickmouse]

Hear Here

 

[Bulletguy]

Some did not have the luxery of further education,and had to start work at 14 to suport younger members of a family.

I left school at 15 to start work and attended a local CoFE one day a week.
If you had no grasp of basic english grammar by then......tough, because it most definately was not on the curriculum of the CoFE! Further education was never a 'luxury', but a compulsory requirement of what then was known as an apprenticeship.

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[Teasy2007]

I have stated plenty of times that I do not like to see posts pulled apart for spelling and grammar. Its just not important. Lately there has been some leg-pulling about posters spelling or grammar, I know that most of these have been in jest; but only because I know the persons involved.

However, new members do not know those posters and may see this as real! Enthusiasts should not be put off asking a question or offering advice, just because their English is not quite Oxford perfect. This forum IS NOT the place for those spiteful posts where a pedant points out such errors. In future I will not hesitate to dish out a months ban to any member who takes umbrage about spelling or grammar, even if they do it in jest. Its not fun and its not good for our community. Thanks for your cooperation, let's keep it Fun :moon:

I dont mind the spelling mistakes, some are quite funny, what really annoys and upsets me is the 'put downs' and spiteful and sarcastic comments when members ask questions. I feel there is no place for that on this fun forum and hope Jim bans these members also.

 

[Snowbird]

I left school at 15 to start work and attended a local CoFE one day a week.
If you had no grasp of basic english grammar by then......tough, because it most definately was not on the curriculum of the CoFE! Further education was never a 'luxury', but a compulsory requirement of what then was known as an apprenticeship.

CoFE I take that wi me Veterano,But I spell it coffee.

 

[pappajohn]

Really?
Some posts are so totally incomprehensible they simply cannot be read. Nothing which a little bit of patience along with the assistance of a spell checker can't sort out. OK it seems to be a sensitive subject with a few folk (very few thankfully), but with modern day technology at their disposal there can be no other excuse except laziness.

Thats a good backward step isn't it? Get rid of the very folk who can help others correct their grammatical mistakes, whilst those left run riot with gobble-de-gook gibberish.

Well done Jim.

if a minimum 10 years schooling cant instill gramma and spelling what chance do you think a few pedants on this forum have of teaching those who cant spell.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

if it offends then dont read it, but dont read it and then critisize.

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[Tony Lee]

Thanks Jim. Especially important in the multicultural society we now live in.

 

[The Wallace]

Spelling mistakes happen - most people think quicker than they type so wrong letters get put in. Some people have Dyslexia (my son is one but that has not prevented him from doing a nursing degree course). I don't think spelling matters that much and would never bother commenting on it (people who live in glass houses etc.)

20 lines of text with no punctuation or line breaks is just taking the p!ss.
I left school at 15 and there was no-one in the school I attended who did not know that to make something readable you need the occasional bit of punctuation or at least just a space!
If you contribute to a forum it appears that you want your contribution to be read (and understood). This will not happen if you do not have enough respect for your potential audience to write in sentences.

I have to agree with the poster who thinks banning those who can spell and try to help others is a retrograde step - do you really want a forum which only has people who cant spell or are afraid to point out mistakes?

It must be of help though to know that motorhomes do not give birth no matter how many berths they have and that you are in trouble if your brakes break.

 

[Sundowners]

well done Jim, it's the actual content of the thread that is important.
Nigel

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[Neckender]

Thanks Jim, I had a good education, I was good at everything but english. left school at 15 and straight down the pit. served my apprenticeship as a fitter.After 5 years I went into the gas industry, went to night school, started my own business, and I did quite well. closed my business in 2001, got a job with a local authority gas engineer, they send us on any courses that we want, so 2 years ago I thought that I would take a course in English, guess what I'm still crap at it. Some people are good with some things and rubbish with others, and We don't need others to pick fault and take the micky.

John.

 

[N Luyetund]

Absorutely light as benny hil wood say

Quiet rite Jim, they're shud be no peace taking be course of the weigh fokes spell or frase there words an that they right!

weasel ear to enjoy hourshelves ..spellin an grandma doan matter at Hall :thumb:

Free cheese for Jim, ooora, ooora, ooora


.....didn't they have a jail or similar in a parallel universe forum.... is this the beginning of an animal farm ex peer re: hence

 

[Bulletguy]

...so 2 years ago I thought that I would take a course in English, guess what I'm still crap at it.

OK so the odd punctuation marks are either missing or not in the right place, but at least you made a post with no spelling errors which proves you are not quite as 'crap' as you believe. Maybe you made use of spell checker, i don't really mind if you did....that shows you made an effort. At least your post is reasonably comprehensible which is more than can be said for some.

Contrary to what others have commented it's nothing to do with being pedantic or 'picky', it's more about making your point clearly, because if it's incomprehensible people simply won't bother reading it.

Quite frankly anyone unable to stand a bit of micky taking should stay away from forums etc, and if they think it's bad on here.....see how long you will last on newsgroups where they will chew you to bits and spit you out in seconds!

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[JeanLuc]

Firstly, let me express a prejudice: I am easily irritated by writing that is poorly constructed and contains grammatical and spelling errors.
Secondly, the presence of 'sub-standard' writing does little to diminish my enjoyment of this forum. In the greater scheme of things it is uncharitable, to say the least, to criticise fellow members for their contributions to the common good. So let not those who have the benefit of a good grasp of language and grammar decry those who do not.

I think it is important to stress that competence in writing is not directly correlated with terminal age of education. My late mother, who died last year at the age of 93, left school at 14 to support the family, and her grasp of grammar, spelling and sentence construction, was outstanding. Her education had been gained in village and small town schools.
By comparison I am, amongst other things, an examiner for a certificate course run by the Advertising Agencies' trade body. These companies recruit only graduates and the quality of writing used by many candidates in essays is significantly below the level displayed by my mother! I sometimes despair at the apparent inability of these mid-twenty year-olds to set out a well-reasoned argument in plain but accurate English.

The truth is that the English education system has, since the 1960s, failed several generations. A focus on 'easy to get' qualifications, and a complete denial of the pursuit of excellence in favour of ensuring that competition is stifled in the name of social equality, has served this country poorly. Unfortunately for our younger generations who have been seduced into the idea that any qualification will help them get a job, the present recession will reveal the folly of that belief. Employers are 'tearing their hair out' at the poor levels of basic linguistic ability displayed by many school and university leavers.

But to return to the point of the original thread, let's keep it light-hearted. I am sure that it takes a lot of guts for someone who knows they struggle with grammar and spelling, to join in the fun. The very last thing they need is some smart a*se pointing it out - they are not, after all, sitting an examination.

Philip

 

[Bulletguy]

...By comparison I am, amongst other things, an examiner for a certificate course run by the Advertising Agencies' trade body. These companies recruit only graduates and the quality of writing used by many candidates in essays is significantly below the level displayed by my mother! I sometimes despair at the apparent inability of these mid-twenty year-olds to set out a well-reasoned argument in plain but accurate English.

The truth is that the English education system has, since the 1960s, failed several generations.

You make some interesting points Philip though from my own experience i cannot entirely agree that blame lies only in the education system. Certainly it is not what it used to be. During my school years the only people who gained entry to a University education would be those of high intelligence. Now, with the exceptions of serious Universities such as Oxford or Cambridge etc, almost anyone and everyone can easily find themselves in "University", which are simply ex CoFE's that changed their name and stuck a board on the building. Even the College i attended as an apprentice back in the mid 60's is now a "University".

However i still firmly believe that education starts within the home. My parents house was cram packed with books, encyclopaedias, and National Geographic magazines.........but no television. So reading books started very early for me and National Geographic sparked off my interest and enthusiasm for travel and foreign countries. I was keen and eager to learn more. By the time i was in Junior school my literacy level was streets ahead of the other kids. But where they were going home after school to sit in front of a picture box, i would be reading books, magazines or comics. Back then of course there was no such thing as 24hr television, satellite, dvd's or video. Now you have it round the clock and parents will stick a tv in the kids bedroom to get them out of the way.

Unfortunately these same kids of today become the end product of what you have the misfortune to deal with. They may well be 'graduates'......but their 'education' has been founded upon lax parenting with liberal doses of 24hr tv tripe and 'reading' red top rag picture papers.

You have my sympathy!

 

[derekfaeberwick]

Agreed that spelling and grammar are not too important ,but oh:, please let's have no txt spk on the forum.

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[Jim]

Really?
Some posts are so totally incomprehensible they simply cannot be read. Nothing which a little bit of patience along with the assistance of a spell checker can't sort out. OK it seems to be a sensitive subject with a few folk (very few thankfully), but with modern day technology at their disposal there can be no other excuse except laziness.

Thats a good backward step isn't it? Get rid of the very folk who can help others correct their grammatical mistakes, whilst those left run riot with gobble-de-gook gibberish.

Well done Jim.

Really?
Some posts are so totally incomprehensible they simply cannot be read.

You mean one or two out of tens of thousands of posts. However correcting that one post might have the effect of putting off a lot of new members/potential posters.

Thats a good backward step isn't it? Get rid of the very folk who can help others correct their grammatical mistakes, whilst those left run riot with gobble-de-gook gibberish.

People don't come here for help with their grammar or have their mistakes pointed out to them. They come here because they are motorhome enthusiasts. Besides I would rather struggle through a poorly spelled post about MOTORHOMES. Than a pedants perfectly worded response about SPELLING.

Well done Jim..

Thank you, I do my best.

 

[6pm Cowboy]

It is not about spelling, or grammer. It is about putting people down and making yourself feel/appear superior.

Well I don't know how it makes individuals feel but I do know how it makes them appear. PATHETIC.

If I want to talk aboout correct language formation and use then I will join another more relevant forum, here I want to talk motorhomes and get the occasional laugh at the same time.

Anyway, at the end of the day this is Jims forum, he pays the piper and he can call whatever tunes he likes.

 

[Chani]

The truth is that the English education system has, since the 1960s, failed several generations.

Off-topic I know, but I think the decline in standards started later than that. My year was the last to take the old CSE/O Levels (mid 80's), and I can't remember anyone in any of my classes unable to write and spell to a reasonable standard (I went to a comprehensive, not a private school). It seems to have been after the introduction of GCSEs that standards really went downhill.

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[Landy lover]

Off-topic I know, but I think the decline in standards started later than that. My year was the last to take the old CSE/O Levels (mid 80's), and I can't remember anyone in any of my classes unable to write and spell to a reasonable standard (I went to a comprehensive, not a private school). It seems to have been after the introduction of GCSEs that standards really went downhill.

Agreed - but I do think the texting on mobile phones where text speak is used has also caused a general deterioration of correct spelling as the shortened version has become the norm. And we all do it

 

[crazylazy]

Spelling mistakes happen - most people think quicker than they type so wrong letters get put in. Some people have Dyslexia (my son is one but that has not prevented him from doing a nursing degree course). I don't think spelling matters that much and would never bother commenting on it (people who live in glass houses etc.)

20 lines of text with no punctuation or line breaks is just taking the p!ss.
I left school at 15 and there was no-one in the school I attended who did not know that to make something readable you need the occasional bit of punctuation or at least just a space!
If you contribute to a forum it appears that you want your contribution to be read (and understood). This will not happen if you do not have enough respect for your potential audience to write in sentences.

I have to agree with the poster who thinks banning those who can spell and try to help others is a retrograde step - do you really want a forum which only has people who cant spell or are afraid to point out mistakes?

It must be of help though to know that motorhomes do not give birth no matter how many berths they have and that you are in trouble if your brakes break.

How many children went to your school for you to know so much about so many"no-one in the school you attended etc"

Could you not have found a substitute for "P!ss" even if people do not know how to spell they sometimes have a wider vocabulary which one can understand even if mispelt, or is that misspelt or it could be p!sspelt, everyone has had the experience of having to have a second opinion when you spell a word and it doesn't look right especially if it is a word not used for a while...we all have to rely on memory re-call.

iT TAKES AN AWFUL LOT FOR PEOPLE WHO CANNOT SPELL ( I AM ON A GOOD DAY VERY GOOD WITH SPELLING) BUT WHO GIVES A STUFF...DON'T WORRY FOLKS WHETHER YOU CAN SPELL OR NOT EVERYONE HAS THE ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT.....MOTORHOMING!

 

[JJ]

I might be wrong Mr Bulletguy but I think it is definitely not "definately"... but then I was spoilt when I was a child and snt away to school...

JJ

(Whoops... now banned for a month... )

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[crazylazy]

Thanks Jim, I had a good education, I was good at everything but english. left school at 15 and straight down the pit. served my apprenticeship as a fitter.After 5 years I went into the gas industry, went to night school, started my own business, and I did quite well. closed my business in 2001, got a job with a local authority gas engineer, they send us on any courses that we want, so 2 years ago I thought that I would take a course in English, guess what I'm still crap at it. Some people are good with some things and rubbish with others, and We don't need others to pick fault and take the micky.

John.

Hello John....I think your quote sums it up......as I always say "Education and Intelligence do not always go together Nouse and Savvy account for an awful lot in life."..........I have known a lot of people who left school really early in life and for whatever reason English/Spelling were not their best subjects but like you they have been successful.

 

[dislexik]

Sorry

You make some interesting points Philip though from my own experience i cannot entirely agree that blame lies only in the education system. Certainly it is not what it used to be. During my school years the only people who gained entry to a University education would be those of high intelligence. Now, with the exceptions of serious Universities such as Oxford or Cambridge etc, almost anyone and everyone can easily find themselves in "University", which are simply ex CoFE's that changed their name and stuck a board on the building. Even the College i attended as an apprentice back in the mid 60's is now a "University".

However i still firmly believe that education starts within the home. My parents house was cram packed with books, encyclopaedias, and National Geographic magazines.........but no television. So reading books started very early for me and National Geographic sparked off my interest and enthusiasm for travel and foreign countries. I was keen and eager to learn more. By the time i was in Junior school my literacy level was streets ahead of the other kids. But where they were going home after school to sit in front of a picture box, i would be reading books, magazines or comics. Back then of course there was no such thing as 24hr television, satellite, dvd's or video. Now you have it round the clock and parents will stick a tv in the kids bedroom to get them out of the way.

Unfortunately these same kids of today become the end product of what you have the misfortune to deal with. They may well be 'graduates'......but their 'education' has been founded upon lax parenting with liberal doses of 24hr tv tripe and 'reading' red top rag picture papers.

You have my sympathy!

Sorry, but I just had to say this:
Bulletguy, this is just one of your posts. It is littered with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. You should move out of the glass house before you throw such stones. Maybe concentrate on making your posts better before picking on others. What a pedant!

 

[Hayleylulu]

I agree with you jim, my spelling aint up to much due to lack of schooling. Self inflicted i may say, this has affected my self esteem over the years causing me not to contribute to things such as chat rooms. I have had the odd rude/ignorant comment which i must say puts me off a bit. but on the whole i find people non judgemental. I thank those who have shown support towards myself and others, i cannot spell very well but that does not mean i am stupid. My wife may chose to tell you differently. as i matter of fact you may notice an improvement in the grammer----------ha ha its the wife here.

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[Forestboy]

Sorry, but I just had to say this:
Bulletguy, this is just one of your posts. It is littered with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. You should move out of the glass house before you throw such stones. Maybe concentrate on making your posts better before picking on others. What a pedant!

 

[Jim]

JJwagon & Dyslexic. Stop right there. Thanks.

 

[invisybubble]

Think the last few posters on this thread have provided us with a clear demonstration of exactly what Jim is trying to avoid!

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