Correcting people's grammar - acceptable?

Petra_70

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I point out spelling and grammar errors as part of my job. I appreciate it when mine are brought to my attention too. There is no mockery, ridicule or assumptions of stupidity involved. Nobody is perfect.

meritaten wrote: »

But you are not at WORK on here are you?

Gloomendoom wrote: »

The point I was making was that there is not automatically any malice intended behind spelling and grammar correction, as some on here seem to assume, merely a desire to help.

Jagraf wrote: »

Why service your desire at the expense of someone else's humiliation? I don't get it. People attending their own needs to make themselves feel good by making someone else feel bad. And then furthermore expecting them to not be offended as if it's wrong to feel offended.

coolcait wrote: »

That's definitely not how I read Gloomendoom's post! Those corrections can be done without any malice on one side, or humiliation on another. Just as it is possible to correct someone's maths errors without any malice on one side, or humiliation on another.

They are still valid points.

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

It's part of his job to do so! I don't know why everyone's turning on him for making a very valid point?

I absolutely agree with Meritaten and Jagraf! Just because someone supposedly corrects people's grammar for a living; that does NOT give them the right to start pointing out peoples grammatical errors and spelling errors on here!

Who do they think they are?! It's rude, it's obnoxious, and it's very unpleasant. Imagine if you have some issue with your spelling and grammar, and someone points it out it on a public forum for all to see?!

I imagine this kind of person, would be happy to point out when someone has a stammer, or if they blush easily. No matter what, they just HAVE to comment. They think it's their right, and their duty; no matter how it hurts or embarrasses the person they are targeting!

What's more; I am sure that picking on someone's spelling and grammar is actually against the rules on here.

I can just imagine the uproar if I did it. :rotfl: I would be absolutely slated for it.

Pollycat

Petra_70 wrote: »

Who do they think they are?! It's rude, it's obnoxious, and it's very unpleasant.

A little like the roll-eyes smiley then?

Petra_70 wrote: »

What's more; I am sure that picking on someone's spelling and grammar is actually against the rules on here.

You seem to be an expert on MSE rules - do you have a link to this?
Not disputing it, just curious if what you have posted has any basis in fact.
I'm not talking about the 'please be nice to all Moneysavers' policy, but the one that specifically mentions picking on someone's spelling and grammar that you seem sure exists.
Thanks.

Petra_70 wrote: »

I can just imagine the uproar if I did it. :rotfl: I would be absolutely slated for it.

TBH, regardless of who did it, I'd be likely to tell them that they were out of order.

missbiggles1

Pollycat wrote: »

It would depend - at least to me what the writer of that sentence intended to do with it.

If he/she were intending to berate British Gas on the 10% increase on their gas bill, then I think it would be appropriate to mention that they'd got their percentages wrong.

If, however, the poster just wrote:
"I cant beleive that my bill has gone up by 15% from £100 to £115", I really don't see what there is to gain (apart from a possible fleeting sense of superiority) by pointing out the missing apostrophe and spelling mistake.

I think most people would, which is why I was wondering whether people thought it appropriate to correct someone's maths but not someone's English.

Petra_70

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I think most people would, which is why I was wondering whether people thought it appropriate to correct someone's maths but not someone's English.

Being a bit poor at maths seems to be more acceptable than being a bit poor at English. Not sure why.

Pollycat

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I think most people would, which is why I was wondering whether people thought it appropriate to correct someone's maths but not someone's English.

If someone wrote - as often happens on the Overseas board - a long diatribe complaining about a holiday company, I would point out that letters of complaint should be concise, to the point and unemotional.
I wouldn't - unless the poster asked specifically for help in wording the complaint - presume to point out errors in s/p/g.

I think Bagpuss puts it well here:

TBagpuss wrote: »

It would depend on context. If they were looking for help with framing a complaint to Bristih Gas, then yes, because it would be relevent to the question they were asking. If I could answer their question or take part in the discussion without correcting it then I would not correct it, as it is not, generally, polite to correct others in public.

In the same way, in the case of other people's grammar and spelling, the only time I would correct this on a forum would be wherer they were looking for help in drafting a letter or other doucment, as for me, they have impliedly asked for that assistance.

@AthensGeorgia - I think it is fine to dislike it when someone uses improper spelling or grammar so long as that dislike remains unvoiced.

I don't like it, but I recognise that there are many reasons why someone's post may be poorly written (my own often contain typos because I am a poor typist and bad at spelling, and I am often multitasking when I am using the forum so don't check as carefully as I do for more formal situations, so unless the errors sre so many and so bad that the post is unreadable, I try not to let it change my response.

To me, it would only be appropriate to correct someone's maths e.g. mention they have got their percentages wrong if it would have an impact on the accuracy of the complaint.
Putting apostrophes and correcting spelling in a letter complaining about a travel agent who has not fulfilled an agreement wouldn't have an impact on the accuracy of that complaint.
It may well have an impact of how the company perceives that complaint but the details would still stand.

Not so a complaint about an increase based on incorrect percentages.

I think the key here is why anyone would wish to correct another user and whether that user would appreciate and welcome that correction.

Jagraf

Would those who correct grammar in a social setting (eg a forum or a discussion etc) also correct those same people if they were at their house and the soup spoons were used for dessert? It would be interesting to see where people draw the line.

I also remember at uni I had had a few bevvies �� and I said "lighted" to someone and he corrected me by saying"lit, it's lit". Later that evening he asked me on a date and I refused based on that single response. I still know him and i have never forgotten it. And I don't like him because of it. He doesn't know it though, I wouldn't dream of pulling him up on his manners.

Petra_70

Jagraf wrote: »

Would those who correct grammar in a social setting (eg a forum or a discussion etc) also correct those same people if they were at their house and the soup spoons were used for dessert? It would be interesting to see where people draw the line.

I also remember at uni I had had a few bevvies �� and I said "lighted" to someone and he corrected me by saying"lit, it's lit". Later that evening he asked me on a date and I refused based on that single response. I still know him and i have never forgotten it. And I don't like him because of it. He doesn't know it though, I wouldn't dream of pulling him up on his manners.

OMG! Sounds like he would have been a nightmare to date. I dated a couple of blokes many years ago (before I met my husband,) and they both took great delight in correcting me when I did or said things that THEY deemed to be wrong. I think it made them feel superior, and they certainly looked smug as they saw me squirm with embarrassment.

Needless to say, I dumped them both after a couple of months.

All I can put it down to, is people must be very insecure deep down, if they feel the need to correct people in public, in front of people...

System

1 person in this thread has corrected me on my spelling a couple of times before and i've just laughed it off by saying we spell things differently down here! Its true, we do spell differently down here :rotfl:but what is more annoying is to see the downfall of what was quite an interesting thread. Arguing over silly little things like the use of a smiley and the rest of the bickering is silly. Like who cares! Its not important. Let it go, have fun and have a friendly conversation

When you are angry or have your back up, people see the worst in you. When you are happy and enjoy the chatter people see the best in you so chin up and get back to your best because right now this thread is a mess

Feel free to correct me on my grammar. Honestly i dont mind :cool:

maman

coolcait wrote: »

Those general points may not be widely applicable, or at all applicable, in specific situations - such as on an internet forum.

I fail to see why standards of grammar, spelling and punctuation need to be lower because it's an internet forum.


I understand the use less formal language when 'chatting' on here compared with something like a job application but that's not the same as being sloppy.

Pollycat

maman wrote: »

I fail to see why standards of grammar, spelling and punctuation need to be lower because it's an internet forum.

I understand the use less formal language when 'chatting' on here compared with something like a job application but that's not the same as being sloppy.

I refer you to this post:

Pollycat wrote: »

Please do read the full thread.

There are at least 3 posters who've explained very eloquently why an illness means that they may make errors in s/g/p.

To make it easier, I suggest you read post #268 and then I would ask if you still feel that you dislike it when posters use improper grammar or spell incorrectly.

I'm sure the writer of the post I mention would love not to be thought 'sloppy' when posting on here.

It's not always a case of 'being sloppy', sometimes there are very good reasons for mistakes in s/p/g.
The problem is, nobody can know if it's just laziness, lack of education or something else that causes mistakes.

And for that reason, I'm prepared to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.