How neat is your Internet spelling/grammar?

[King Kool]

It always kinda interests me how some people, even very smart people, don't care about how well they spell or phrase sentences in emails or other Internet correspondence. I have one friend who does everything right, but never capitalizes any letters (or hits enter, on occasion). If I didn't capitalize my name at the end of an email, that would drive me crazy.

then again, I see my brother IMing people over Steam chat during TF2, and if he makes a mistake, he'll delete it and fix it. Now, during IMs, I think it's accepted to type as fast as possible unless your message is going to get lost. But for any correspondence where time is not of the essence, I don't see why not make it look nice.

Then again, I write as a hobby, and I enjoy the very act of typing, so maybe that's just me.

(Not on topic: I remember once being in a Yahoo! Chat special thing with special guest Ted Koppel, and he kept hitting Enter when his line would fill up one line on the chat thing, like he was using a typewriter. I thought that was funny.)

[magentahaze]

I like to be as perfect as possible. It doesn't work all the time, and 9 times out of 10, whoever I'm talking to doesn't give a crap anyways.

[The Jester]

I try to use correct spelling and grammar, but sometimes my sentances get away from me slightly. Like I'll start useing longer and more complicated words, not out of any desire to appear smarter, but because I like to use as varied and interesting language as possible, and in doing so my sentances tend to get away from me..
That said, I love this forum for the very fact that almost everybody uses English more or less correctly, and will go back and ammend any major mistakes instead of just not caring.
Mentally adjusting for poor spelling and grammar grates against my mind slightly, so the fact that everyone here understands the correct use of the caps lock, enter button and all the funny little marks on the peripheral buttons does warm my heart a little :]
So thank you, everyone, for not conforming to Internet stupidity and helping to make this site the sanctuary of sense and eloquence that it is. I love you all X3

[Elomin Sha]

I usually have perfect spelling and grammer but this depends on how fast my fingers type and if my keyboard will recognise the input or not. If there is an error I usually correct myself straight away.

[Master Gunner]

I try to have the best spelling and grammar I can, but it's rarely perfect. My spelling skills are far from what they used to be (I've traded accuracy for speed), but I try to go back and correct all my mistakes, and Firefox spellcheck is my hero, even if it gets annoying at times. My grammar can be hit and miss at times, but I make sure it's at least legible and people can understand what I'm trying to say.

[Tim]

I present, as evidence of my position, the Big Ponder at the end of the following vlog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZT4-c-O ... E0&index=9

[Cheeseonfire]

I don't have perfect spelling or grammar but I do go back and edit. I just miss everything. So IM

[Valandil]

I would select the first option, but that semicolon should be a colon, and there should be either a full stop or a semicolon at the end (The former to indicate the end of the sentence, or the latter to indicate that it is one option in a list. Preferably the latter). Therefore, by choosing it, I would be picking an option with imperfect punctuation, thereby making myself a liar.

Ironically, the "I can't read or write." option is the only fully correct one.

[allison]

i type pretty much how i talk
you can't express as much with proper grammer
example: "OMFG AHAHhAHAHAHHAHh LOVEZ!" protrays my emotions far better than "That is very funny, I enjoyed that coment"

plus i can't spell
ya,and theres the fact that i don't capatalize and i usually press "enter" instead of "."

[iEatNinjaZ]

R0Fl, tis is teh stuPidestd thrEd evERA!!!!!
Lokit na0!
Hao Daer u kwest0n Mai sPellin!!

Douc3ebog

[allison]

I present, as evidence of my position, the Big Ponder at the end of the following vlog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZT4-c-O ... E0&index=9

i enjoyed that
i think i shall watch more

[Timelady]

It varies for me. Depending on how I feel, it's somewhere between "Dear English professor, I can't come to class today" and "Eh, they'll figure it out." I'm on "eh" tonight.

[Tim]

I would select the first option, but that semicolon should be a colon, and there should be either a full stop or a semicolon at the end (The former to indicate the end of the sentence, or the latter to indicate that it is one option in a list. Preferably the latter). Therefore, by choosing it, I would be picking an option with imperfect punctuation, thereby making myself a liar.

Ironically, the "I can't read or write." option is the only fully correct one.

Two can play at that game. Corrections have been bolded.

I would select the first option, but that semicolon should be a colon (removed comma)" and there should be either a full stop or a semicolon at the end. (The former would indicate the end of the sentence, while the latter would indicate that it is one option in a list. The latter would be preferable.) (removed period)" Therefore, by choosing it, I would be picking an option with imperfect punctuation, thereby making myself a liar.

Ironically, the "I can't read or write (removed period)" option is the only fully correct one.

[Alja-Markir]

I write with as near-perfect spelling as I can manage and my grammar is very good typically, but is flexible and stlyistic while still making sense.

I have my own style of writing and I'll vary it for my needs. I like adding commas to emphasize pauses, I like to use colloquialisms and purposeful odd spellin's, and I enjoy myself entirely.

~Alja~

[Valandil]

Two can play at that game. Corrections have been bolded.

I would select the first option, but that semicolon should be a colon (removed comma)" and there should be either a full stop or a semicolon at the end. (The former would indicate the end of the sentence, while the latter would indicate that it is one option in a list. The latter would be preferable.) (removed period)" Therefore, by choosing it, I would be picking an option with imperfect punctuation, thereby making myself a liar.

Ironically, the "I can't read or write (removed period)" option is the only fully correct one.

Oh ho ho! Very well, good sir.

The first comma I wouldn't be so sure about removing. It is a point of contention all of the time in language about how many commas are too many. I think that perhaps a better argument would be changing the comma to a full stop and starting a new sentence without the "And".

The full stop at the end of "end" must be a difference of UK and US English. At least in UK English, where brackets are concerned, one puts the full stop of the main sentence after the brackets. It's a slightly odd way of doing it, but unless I'm incorrect it is the preferred form in England.

Therefore, since the bracketed statement is still part of the main sentence, rather than a sentence of its own but in brackets, the implication of "to indicate ..." still stands. However, I agree with the adjustment of the sentence fragment; and, in-keeping with the full stop earlier, the full stop inside the brackets at the end of the fragment should have been removed.

I kept the full stop in with the quote to make sure that I was repeating it sic, to make it clear of the reason why it was the only sentence to have been perfectly typed.

I appreciate the challenge!

[Cake]

I did not spend 13 years in school learning to read a write properly to not apply it. I hate text speak.

[Vaughn]

I used to be an "IM level" typer, then i got into a IRC community that did DnD and Exalted on it, and they forced me to clean up my language.
I thank them with every keystroke for setting me away from my wicked ways.

Never actually PLAYED anything with them, but the urge to please perfect strangers is still a strong one. =D

[Tim]

Oh ho ho! Very well, good sir.

The first comma I wouldn't be so sure about removing. It is a point of contention all of the time in language about how many commas are too many. I think that perhaps a better argument would be changing the comma to a full stop and starting a new sentence without the "And".

You're right; that one was mostly stylistic. But I figured the more bold the better.

The full stop at the end of "end" must be a difference of UK and US English. At least in UK English, where brackets are concerned, one puts the full stop of the main sentence after the brackets. It's a slightly odd way of doing it, but unless I'm incorrect it is the preferred form in England.

Therefore, since the bracketed statement is still part of the main sentence, rather than a sentence of its own but in brackets, the implication of "to indicate ..." still stands. However, I agree with the adjustment of the sentence fragment; and, in-keeping with the full stop earlier, the full stop inside the brackets at the end of the fragment should have been removed.

Placing the period after the parenthetical portion isn't unique to English english (oh ho!). (See what I did there?) The adjustment I made was because the parenthetical statement was not, in fact, a continuation of the sentence that preceded it, and as such, it required its own full sentence and its own full set of punctuation. (See the parenthetical portions of this very paragraph, including this very sentence, to see examples of when to place the period before the parenthetical statement rather than after it.) And yes, when your parenthetical statement is a continuation of the sentence before it, it should not contain an internal period.

I kept the full stop in with the quote to make sure that I was repeating it sic, to make it clear of the reason why it was the only sentence to have been perfectly typed.

Yeah, I figured. But again, I was trying to go as over-the-top correctionist-style as I could, so I figured the more bold the better.

I appreciate the challenge!

Any time.

[RandomCheese]

The full stop at the end of "end" must be a difference of UK and US English.

I'm pretty sure Canadian English and UK English are the same.

[Tim]

The full stop at the end of "end" must be a difference of UK and US English.

I'm pretty sure Canadian English and UK English are the same.

Virtually.

[Master Gunner]

There are some differences, Canada uses a mixture of both UK and American English. For example, we use the American versions of tire and sulfer (in the UK it would be tyre and sulpher), but we include the "u" in words like colour and favourite. Then there's things like metre and theatre verses meter and theater, but those are mostly used interchangeably. What forms you use is largely indicated by your background. My father came over from Scotland, so I tend to use their spellings more often, whereas those with little attachment to the old world would more likely tend towards the American spellings (due to exposure more than anything else).

[the amativeness]

Then there's things like metre and theatre verses meter and theater, but those are mostly used interchangeably.

You mean just meter/metre. "Theater" is an incorrect spelling in common usage, it should only be used as part of a venue name.

[Master Gunner]

I stand corrected, thank you. I only use theatre anyway, unless I'm typing quickly and it gets mixed up. Also, American Firefox only recognizes theater.

[the amativeness]

Bah, that's because Firefox wasn't developed by theatre people.

[Valandil]

Placing the period after the parenthetical portion isn't unique to English english (oh ho!). (See what I did there?) The adjustment I made was because the parenthetical statement was not, in fact, a continuation of the sentence that preceded it, and as such, it required its own full sentence and its own full set of punctuation. (See the parenthetical portions of this very paragraph, including this very sentence, to see examples of when to place the period before the parenthetical statement rather than after it.) And yes, when your parenthetical statement is a continuation of the sentence before it, it should not contain an internal period.

I'll accept that logic; thanks for the refresher on brackets. I appreciate the "More bold = better" thing. I tend to go overboard when I do something like that, too -- just to drill the point home.