"Bullying" on the forum

momoyama

BusyGirl wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that most people posting on this site do not really appreciate having their grammar and spelling checked by other posters. I think it is quite insulting and I believe that some posters perhaps feels the need to feel superior to others.
People use this site for 'moneysaving' reasons and should feel welcomed here and not patronised by others.

Yes, but the medium is typed English. To me it's nothing to do with superiority. It's not a case of intentional "checking", it's right there in front of you.

NualaBuala

I wonder could we drop this? It might be this kind of thing that prompted this thread in the first place. Maybe a grammar debate is better suited to another forum - it's got nothing to do with Old Style Moneysaving anyway. I'm not trying to antagonise anyone - just looking for a way to move on from this.

ETA: Please! (Where are my manners? )

momoyama

geordie_joe wrote: »

The problem with "experts" is they often just repeat what their teacher taught them, or what is commonly acceptable in their particular circle.

My car is a car. Doesn't matter what circle I'm in. By definition it's a car.

I agree with your point on experts to a degree. I'm an "expert" in my field and can back up anything I tell you. Also, I'm not talking about one person.

And all this over an example :rolleyes:

soappie

momoyama wrote: »

And all this over an example :rolleyes:

I rest my case.

And so to bed said Zebedee - or did Pepys say it first?

momoyama

soappie wrote: »

I rest my case.

That case being what, exactly?

geordie_joe

momoyama wrote: »

My car is a car. Doesn't matter what circle I'm in. By definition it's a car.

But it is also a vehicle, and that is what the police will refer to it as, and if you have an accident in it they will refer to it as a Road Traffic Accident, not a Car Accident.

My point was some things can can have several names, or be referred to in several ways. Some groups of people will only refer to them in ONE way, to avoid confussion, but this does not mean that the way they refer to them is THE ONLY WAY it can be referred to.

As I said, the military use the term "gun" to mean anything that is too large to be carried by a solder, and a rifle to mean another thing, and a side arm to mean something else.

This does not mean a rifle is not a gun, even though I consider the military to be experts in the field of guns. It is simply a way of being sure that everyone who hears the word "gun" knows what is meant.

momoyama wrote: »

I agree with your point on experts to a degree. I'm an "expert" in my field and can back up anything I tell you.

I'm sorry, but you can't

You don't seem to understand that the term "gun" means anything capable of firing a projectile by means of an explosive substance. You are clearly not an expert in "guns".

anguk

Deary me, does it really matter if a post isn't grammatically correct or has spelling mistakes? As long as it's easily understood and isn't "txt spk" it shouldn't make any difference. If I'm asking about freezing leftover food I couldn't care less (or even notice) if the replies aren't perfect written English.

There are many people who post on MSE who don't have English as their first language, I'd hate it if they were scared off because they'd been jumped on by the grammar & spelling police.

jackieglasgow

I've just caught up with the whole thread, and was expecting some dramatic turn of events to have happened as I havent been online since yesterday, I hadn't even seen the inception of the thread, and I cannot believe the turn it's taken? Can you please get back to the topic? Or take it off the board, this is exactly the type of thing that puts newbies off.

I'd also like to stand up in support of the board guides. I have a good idea where Andrea was coming from, here, and I think the accusations of bullying amongst a particular group of people, are a completely different issue to the spelling/grammar/lifestyle police we have all come accross on all of the MSE boards, not just on this forum. I think the board guides do a fine job, and would be sad if this put Pen or Pink off. Let's all get back to MONEY SAVING.

Jackie

momoyama

geordie_joe wrote: »

But it is also a vehicle, and that is what the police will refer to it as, and if you have an accident in it they will refer to it as a Road Traffic Accident, not a Car Accident.

Actually these days they'll call it a "Road Traffic Collision".
Surely "car" is a class of "vehicle", whereas "pistol" is a class of "firearm" and "gun" is something different entirely.

geordie_joe wrote: »

My point was some things can can have several names, or be referred to in several ways. Some groups of people will only refer to them in ONE way, to avoid confussion, but this does not mean that the way they refer to them is THE ONLY WAY it can be referred to.

No, absolutely. But definition of "gun" has been warped so much as it's now a part of Joe Public's vernacular. That doesn't make it correct. If Joe Public start calling my car a "bicycle" that doesn't make it a bicycle.

geordie_joe wrote: »

This does not mean a rifle is not a gun, even though I consider the military to be experts in the field of guns. It is simply a way of being sure that everyone who hears the word "gun" knows what is meant.

No, everyone thinks they know what is meant by "gun". If you refer to a gun around me, I'll be thinking of a huge thing on wheels. Thus leading to confusion. Hence the whole YouTube thing.

geordie_joe wrote: »

I'm sorry, but you can't

Why can't I?

OK, "everything" is a gross exageration, but I won't inform you of something about Martial Arts just because one of my Sensei told me one day. I'll usually have a reliable source to back up the information.

geordie_joe wrote: »

You don't seem to understand that the term "gun" means anything capable of firing a projectile by means of an explosive substance.

I understand that a "gun" is not "anything capable of firing a projectile by means of an explosive substance."

geordie_joe wrote: »

You are clearly not an expert in "guns".

You're right I'm not. I never claimed to be. I was merely using it as an example, remember?

Churchmouse

Oh for heaven's sake, can people please read the first post and get this thread back on topic. For those who wish to debate spelling, grammar, guns, bicycles cars etc there are the discussion boards Oh and as an off topic aside, as the mother of a serving police officer I can confirm he would refer to an RTA ( road traffic accident)