Spelling standards on ATS need improvement

Admittedly, I am a real stickler for spelling, I often make typos due to my cheap keyboard and go back constantly to proof-read and edit them! However, while I believe we are an intelligent bunch here, I notice quite a few members who make the same weird errors and repeatedly do it as if they don't actually realise that they have made a mistake. I am talking about these blunders in particular:

1) Misuse of 'your' (e.g. your wrong)
2) 'could of' instead of could've (e.g. Iran could of sent in reptilian secret agents to kill Steve Fossett)
3) Isreal rather than Israel (this one isn't as common as it used to be, but still crops up occasionally)
4) Usage of plurals with apostrophes in them (e.g. usage of plural's with apostrophe's in them)
5) Usage of their or there instead of they're (e.g. their not going to nuke America)

This to me, is stuff you learn when you are 6, 7 years old. Do people not realise that 'you are' is shortened to you're and the apostrophe is there for a reason? You don't just phonetically throw the whole thing out the window and just write your. It is a sad indictment on education systems worldwide that we as internet users on message boards, exhibit lazy habits in the English skills department. Take a look at 'could of'.. it doesn't even make sense. Could OF? Do they have no idea they meant to say 'could have' and the apostrophe shortens that phrase to could've?

Most of the mangled language seems to emanate not from the UFO or SkunkWorks forums, but in the Politics and Breaking News areas - discussing the important events of the day. Surprisingly, those whom speak English as a second language put more effort in than some of us relying on our native tongue.

Mind you, this isn't just an affliction with this forum, it's spread all across the world, on message boards everywhere. It boggles my mind how so many people commonly make these same mistakes on the same word groups. Could it be a mind control conspiracy in the education system making the population partially dumb and lazy when it comes to certain words and phrases? Just kidding, hehe....

[edit on 24-9-2007 by RiotComing]

Originally posted by RiotComing
I notice quite a few members who make the same weird errors and repeatedly do it as if they don't actually realise that they have made a mistake. .

It's actually realize.

Actually it's both realize is the US spelling, realise is the UK spelling.

It's like color and colour.

Anyway, I would also like to see the spelling and grammar standards lifted so that people avoid the long slab posts - which are just a pain to read.

Well,I often make mistakes but I'm sure they were not mentioned here,well maybe.Anyway I'm pretty sure I use commas wrong all the time.

But poeple still read and still generally know what I'm talking about.Even when someone makes all the errors you announced, poeple still know what he's trying to say.

So ya we should try harder,but the message still get put out their.lol


[edit on 24-9-2007 by Project_Silo]

Originally posted by stellawayten

Originally posted by RiotComing
I notice quite a few members who make the same weird errors and repeatedly do it as if they don't actually realise that they have made a mistake. .

It's actually realize.

Let me guess, you're American?

Or... should I say............... your American

Originally posted by Project_Silo
So ya we should try harder,but the message still get put out their.lol

Your right, the message still gets put out their lol

Originally posted by AussieNutter
Actually it's both realize is the US spelling, realise is the UK spelling.

As the language is named English I'll remain partial to the point of view that there is no such thing as "US English" and in the words of John Cleese "Bill Gates will be advised".

It's like color and colour.

In the words of a friend, that shows the fundamental difference between the US and the rest of us, the US don't care about u.

Anyway, I would also like to see the spelling and grammar standards lifted so that people avoid the long slab posts - which are just a pain to read.

Hear, hear. It was a long time ago (on the "week in politics" scale) but the (largely) discredited Jesse Macbeth was a textbook case of how to scare possible support away by turning your argument into a stream-of-conscious rant by omitting such small things as commas, full-stops and capitals.

Presentation is key, even on the internet!

Does it really matter how one spells?? really......

As long as a message is getting out..

I dont understand why people bitch about spelling.. It may be more professional or whatever, but you know what.. you cant judge a book by its cover..

I know alot of things but I spell really bad.. so I dont think it matter how its written but what the message is.

So I realize it might for some.. I just dont understand why.

I was going to spell check this but in this case I wont to make my point..

eye disaggre poeple hear arenut bed speelers yuo jest cont reed varry weel.

but a spell check would be a good idea i try to copy and paste my posts to ms word. but im to lazy to do it all of the time. and even ms dosent catch it all..

you wanna come to my house and give me private lessons? cause besides that theres no hope for me im sorry whats next punctuation no this the internet the birthplace of bad grammar

I agree with the above poster. Why do people give two craps about if someone can spell or not. I've met alot of CEO's, rich people and just plain exteremly smart people who can't spell at all.

Why would you not only get all huffy about someones spelling that you would post something about it calling for a change. Additionally the stuff you are complaining about isn't even spelling as much as it is grammar.

I'm sick of seeing people all over the net try to complain about your vs you're. Why would this bother you?

/endrant

reply to post by RiotComing


I purposely used the wrong their hence I made it bold.lol,could not tell if you were trying to razz on me or was laughing since when you quoted me you removed the bold from the word.Not impresssed.

[edit on 24-9-2007 by Project_Silo]

I try to keep my spelling as perfect as possible, given time and location constraints. But, even I am human and from time to time a mistake gets through unnoticed.

I try my hardest as well to use correct grammar and spelling. Just my little thing, I guess. I do, however, get little giggles when I see words butchered.

In the words of a friend, that shows the fundamental difference between the US and the rest of us, the US don't care about u.

Wow, that really came arcoss as harsh. Your posts have a real prejudice under tone. How are you going to complain about spelling? It is the Internet and this is the Internet Culture. People abreviate a lot. and not everyone on the web is of the same age, country, culture, or education level. Some individuals are pressed for time, others are accessing the web from a hand held device. Numerous reasons why people aren't spelling masters. Oh Well.

reply to post by Project_Silo

Take it easy man, I was just being cheeky! See the emoticons? The wink means I wasn't serious..



I think I need to reiterate my main point. What mystifies me the most is why so many people use the word "your" instead of -you're-. Little spelling errors here and there, typos, it's all forgivable. How many of us can spell the name of the president of Iran without peeking, after all!! But it's just that the same common errors crop up. It's a heck of a mystery to me.

Riot,

One thing you must consider is that for many of our posters English is a second language. So the meer fact that are able to post in English is pretty impressive to me.

reply to post by FredT

I realise that, as I said in this post here:

Surprisingly, those whom speak English as a second language put more effort in than some of us relying on our native tongue.

I'm going to be blunt here, but I feel the members making the blunders in question tend to be overwhelmingly American!!!!

Ok, I've said it... (shrugs shoulders and slinks away slowly...)

spilling iz irilavint! IMO, who cares! it deos not mttaer hwo it looks jsut aslnog as you can raed it

[edit on 24-9-2007 by onthefence81]

Originally posted by FredT
Riot,

One thing you must consider is that for many of our posters English is a second language. So the meer fact that are able to post in English is pretty impressive to me.

Please tell me thats a case of spot the deliberate mistake.

And i haven't really seen a lot of bad English on these boards, but that may just be luck of personal experience of the boards.

[edit on 24-9-2007 by apex]

RiotComing,
You're probably a lot like me. Back in highschool I began to notice those common errors my friends' writing. They would write "could of" instead of "could've" or "could have". I wondered if they'd forgotten, by eleventh grade, what they'd learned so well in fifth grade. I didn't want to be like them lest someone wonder the same about me.

But these were intelligent people. They just weren't hung up on things like that. To this day, I know very intelligent, conscientious men and women who don't seem to notice their own grammatical foibles.

But I think that most people (neither you nor I, but most people) tend to write like they talk. And if a "their" occassionally supplants a "they're" then, well, whatever. So long as it at least reads like it sounds, the message will be delivered.

Language, even on the page, is heard in the head. And I don't expect that the fall of civilization will come on the heels of psycho-phonetic spelling.

"Psych-phonetic"? I just made that up! But, you knew what I meant.