Punctuation and Grammar -

Billy Cripner · #31 02-09-2005, 08:58 PM

I believe in all grammer rules being complete and utter BS. Except after having it integrated in my head so much, it's kind of a force of habit.

Abe's son · #32 02-10-2005, 11:58 AM

Grammar is good for everyone. Grammar is the one thing that seperates us... from the people who don't use it. It also makes you look smarter, and makes me talk less. And EVERYONE wants that, now don't they?

The Shadowman · #33 02-10-2005, 01:25 PM

You know what is funny though, the modern english language doesn't follow its own rules. For example you knock on someones door and they say "who is it" and you say "its me" thats incorrect English. Me can only be used if it is the Direct Object and cannot be the subject. The proper answer should be "It is I" but no one says that...execpt me

Alpha · #34 02-10-2005, 02:06 PM

Saying that make's you sound like you've just came from the late 1600s

Rich · #35 02-10-2005, 03:49 PM

:

The proper answer should be "It is I" but no one says that...execpt me

I speak like that sometimes. Linguistic-ness is fun.

Gretin · #36 02-10-2005, 06:45 PM

I don't really have much of a problem reading things with incomplete grammer, but that is partly because my school work used to have sentences without grammer and I had to write it all in, E.G.
that house which is the third one on the road is white
That house, which is the third one on the road, is white.
However, spelling is what annoys me, especially when a word is spelled completely wrong. That doesn't happen very often, fortunately. Also, abbreviating everything is really, really annoying, as shown in some of the examples in this thread.
Okay, that's all from me, except this:

:

"That's because Tim is Dutch." ***This is not a sentence***

Actually, it is a sentence. Just "Tim is Dutch" would be a sentence, too.

***Alcar*** · #37 02-11-2005, 03:34 AM

What do you suggest we do? Forum-wide spelling test?

Taking into account that everything I try to do on a forum-wide scale usually angers some children who storm out with their school friends and hex my pets.

Alcar...

Kimon · #38 02-11-2005, 06:41 AM

I hate those pet-hexers.

Gretin · #39 02-11-2005, 12:25 PM

Maybe a start would be for new members to be shown this post by Majic: http://www.oddworldforums.net/showpo...33&postcount=1
I don't know how you would go about doing that, though, as many new members don't use the "Welcomes & Birthdays" thread...

***Nate*** · #40 02-13-2005, 08:10 PM

This thread has snowballed out of proportion to my initial request, which was merely to have mods give a polite suggestion to anyone using bad grammar to please do better.

Alpha · #41 02-14-2005, 08:51 AM

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That's because Tim is Dutch. English is'nt his first language. And I have not had to speak to Tim repeatedly I just told him here. Unlike you where I've tried to improve it repeatedly. And you're from Ireland. English is your first language. Oh and about the insult I have noticed three things wrong with that. I believe capitals are only used for nouns,I and at the start of a senetence. Also a bitch is a female dog. Had I been a female dog I would'nt be able to climb ladders, sit on a seat and type. Also you added speech marks when you were talking. Not commenting something. And you ended the speech marks before finishing the sentence. And the reason is what the fuck this thread is about. I got told about grammar with constant swearing until Ambi came out, and said the problem clearly. And now it's fixed. But you. Peole have told you repeatedly, without swearing, things wrong with your posts. If you want me to shut the fuck up, I suggest you pull your finger out your ass and use puncuation and grammar.

First if you say people have told me repeatedley without swearing then you better not include yourself in there. Second when I said Bitch I didn't care about it's true meaning if you would like me to correct it your'e a fat ****er happy now? And third When I said"And just for you I'll use proper grammer" I was being sarcastic you Sizimatic.

Dipstikk · #42 02-14-2005, 09:46 AM

KNOCK IT THE F*CK OFF!
You want to get banned? Because you're on the right track. The Mods will ban your account if the bitching doesn't stop between you and CS! I've personally had it up to my forehead with you two.

I may not be a Moderator, but I know when enough is enough.
Take a pill and both of you stop this little fraccus of yours before you both get your spatty little asses removed from the site. Take it to the PM system if you two can't handle real discussion.
Now, I'm going to hit "submit," and if I see anyone else get off topic, I'll file for their banning, or however they do it.

Alpha · #43 02-14-2005, 09:56 AM

I'll stop if it mean's not getting banned but if CS keep's it up I swear...

Dipstikk · #44 02-14-2005, 10:31 AM

...You'll swear to keep it to yourself or argue privately, that's what you'll do.

Edit: Sorry for being all gung-ho about this, but fighting pisses me off. Like mosquitoes and ATM machines.

Alpha · #45 02-14-2005, 11:24 AM

I'd sound like a kid saying "He started it" But I think I'll just ignore him.

Kimon · #46 02-14-2005, 01:54 PM

:

Like mosquitoes and ATM machines.

Friggin' bugs.

Yeah, but fighting doesn't solve anything, so let's keep it on the down low.

The Shadowman · #47 02-14-2005, 02:22 PM

This reminds me...WHERE THE FREAK ARE THE MODERATORS! They haven't done much recently. Anyway, Alpha, we know CS is like this, but thats his personality, he is a...blunt person he just tells you how he thinks it is. I can understand you fighting to defend yourself, yet it would be nice to show only friendship on the forums, of coarse everyone knows thats horse hockey but it is an attempt.

:

Edit: Sorry for being all gung-ho about this, but fighting pisses me off. Like mosquitoes and ATM machines.

It was good you came back and said that Dipstikk just to let them you intended no hard feelings. Nothing says "no hard feelings" like a joke to finish it up.

Know on topic, Alcar why don't you get a spell check somewhere on the forums. Ad if you can't get a spell check on the forums you could always, have a hyperlink to a spell check on the internet that would let people check for spelling. Maybe we could get a translator link to, so the people who's english isn't the greatest can put something into the translator that they are not sure the english word is, also it would help them read posts in english by translating them back into their language

Cyber-Slig · #48 02-14-2005, 03:31 PM

Shadowman, don't comment on what you don't know. I have sent Alpha friendly PMs in the past, and yet, still he is too lazy. And I suggest that when a member joins, he/she is forced to read Majic's post. It would take them to a quote of that and leave them there for 3 minutes and then, let them continue.

The Shadowman · #49 02-14-2005, 03:50 PM

I would seriously agree with you on that plan, it would force members like it or not to read it. And being blunt is not a bad thing I am often blunt, I just tell people "Well I hated it" and I suppose it get the message across. Thats good you sent kind messages perhaps I did mistake you, sorry if I did.
-Shadowman

Kimon · #50 02-14-2005, 04:25 PM

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It would take them to a quote of that and leave them there for 3 minutes and then, let them continue.

Not many people want to be forced to read something for 3 minutes. I guarentee that about half the people signing up would end up not signing cuz they'd think there's something wrong with their computer. Plus, that'd be super-pushy.

Gretin · #51 02-14-2005, 06:19 PM

Yeah, I don't think forcing people to see it for 3 minutes will work... I honestly don't know what would work, actually!

Maybe, if when someone logged in for the first time, it took them to that thread? I don't think there is actually any way to force them to see it for 3 minutes, anyway, not without screwing around with ActiveX controls or something (not sure whether Javascript can do it or not).

The only trouble with what you said, Shadowman, is that most (not all) people here don't mind spelling mistakes, it's grammer mistakes that they find annoying. A spellchecker could still be helpful, though...

:

but comment's annoy people more.

Alpha, you may find tips/comments annoying, but you have to admit, your posts have improved immensely since the beginning of this thread. They may not be perfect, but nobody said anybody on these forums has, or has to have, perfect grammer. As long as it can be understood, I'm happy.

***Alcar*** · #52 02-14-2005, 10:59 PM

The Shadowman, we've had the idea of Spell Checkers before, but unfortunately, they cost money. And when you factor in that we have to pay regular Server and vBulletin payments, of which come out of our own pockets, I hope you can understand when we aren't all that keen on spending more

Though it is a good suggestion, and one that would be easy to implement (if my memory serves me, vBulletin has a module already set up to allow it, just need the money). If only dictionary websites would make themselves freely available.

Alcar...

Leto · #53 02-15-2005, 09:41 PM

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Yeah, I don't think forcing people to see it for 3 minutes will work... I honestly don't know what would work, actually!

Well, to be completely honest, I wouldn't read it. I would go make some noodles, or something. Many members wouldn't read it, just like people don't read Terms and Conditions (Unless they are about something you like, or cost money) on many things. People just press "I agree" and off they pop.

Gretin · #54 02-16-2005, 12:28 AM

Exactly. Maybe my post didn't clearly say what I thought, but that is why I don't know what will work, you can't force someone to read something. And that's the reason why there's so many people who break rules on so many forums, they just haven't bothered to read them!

Rich · #55 02-16-2005, 03:02 AM

Reading the rules isn't compulsary, learning them is. That's why we have mods. To enforce the rules on troublemakers. Resulting in the eventual banning or behaving nicely of said troublemaker.

The Shadowman · #56 02-16-2005, 05:08 AM

Even though it is to their benifit to read the rules they will not really read them because they think they "already know them." The only way you could see if they actually read it is for them to take a quiz on it and that is just plain pushy and stubby, not to mention, I doubt new members would feel as comfortable about the forums with a quiz on the rule. Alcar, I understand exactly what you mean about wanting something like that just there is a shortage of money. Perhaps ther could be a Sticky thread on all the forum sections that was titled Spell and Grammer check, and on it would be a url to a dictonary or better yet a sentence reader that would check for grammer as well. So if someone is really concerned with a possible mess up with grammer they could copy and paste it in there and it would be free since all you need is a thread and a url.

Alpha · #57 02-16-2005, 05:10 AM

point made by both people I say sudden death round.

Rich · #58 02-16-2005, 07:07 AM

Sometimes people just can't spell or use correct grammar. It's not their fault. As long as you can understand the post, don't comment.

All people have to do is say: "Hello poeple, sorry for any speling mitakes. I'm dyslexic."
Or: "Sorry fof the mistakes, but I'm only 9"

As long as they justify their posts it causes no problem. Plus, translating things are bollocks. I'd much rather the forumer tried to type and understand English. It would benefit them more.

And all they need add to a post is "Sorry, I don't speeka mucho English"...

Teal · #59 02-16-2005, 09:11 AM

I don't mind spelling mistakes much - atefr all, it has been porven taht you olny need the frist and lsat letters in the rihgt palces for a wrod to be legilbe (or at least understandable) msot of the tmie. (That was painful. *icks*) And not everyone can spell - you don't have to be dyslexic to be illiterate, and some people just find spelling hard. Plus, if you type by "point and shoot" like I do sometimes you miss little spelling errors. (I've not mastered touchtyping, I stare fixedly at my keyboard and look up every now and then to check over what I've written - although I did manage to spell "farm" as "famr" twice in the same sentence, once, so it doesn't always work.)

Same with punctuation - so long as there's a few full stops in there so I can "take a breath" and work out what's been said, as it were, I'm fairly happy. It's those great huge non-capitalised non-punctuated sentences that i find really hard to come to terms with i don't know where the sentence stops and ends and some of the things might be new ideas but then some may relate to the previous sentence its painful to try and read it (and write it!) since you have to first decipher the writing before you can decipher the argument.

We don't really need to be Grammar-Nazis, do we? I mean, let's face it - if it's hard to understand, do we even bother reading it? I must confess I just skim over posts that don't have punctuation to see if I can extract the pertinent points fairly rapidly, or else I just ignore it. If someone can't spell brilliantly, who cares? If they can get their point across, is it really that big a deal that they spelt "extinct" as "exstinkt"? If they put in the occasional capital and full stop, who cares if they don't use apheresis dots or semicolons?

It's AOL-speak I'd love to kill. *grs* I can read "how are you, I'm great!" a lot easier than "how r u, I'm gr8!" and whatnot.

It amuses me that the people pushing for grammar the most are the people I remember as being worst at it, when they joined.

T-nex · #60 02-16-2005, 09:39 AM

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It's AOL-speak I'd love to kill. *grs* I can read "how are you, I'm great!" a lot easier than "how r u, I'm gr8!" and whatnot.

I guess thats called chat-speak. Uh, i hate chat-speak. Really, it looks so n00bish, and it irritates me. Don't post in chat-speak!!