Where did G, S, E & M go?

[Since1982]

Don't lock it down please, I've not had this much fun in months. I stopped spellechecking anyone and I don't plan to start again. No one here is putting in posts that resemble this one from the Female First Forum so we're(SkirtCafe) downright mensa class compared to some.
...............................FemaleFirst Forum Post............................................
what u mean cross dresses coz i dont know many man that would wear tights or high heels and i know gay guys that wouldnt either so u must mean CROSS DRESSES i know saying i have anything against them im just saying i think its not right i know how some ppl can e traped in the wrong body and all that but the thuing it if u feel like that then go and get a sex change dont just wear girls cloths
...........................................................................................................
I know you've seen this before, but this is a better thread for it to be in. Skip

[crfriend]

Ouch.

Reading -- or, more appropriately, trying to read -- that was like having someone stab me in the eyes. Calling such attempts at writing an assault on the language doesn't even come close to the truth.

I can see the extreme forms of abbreviation that get used in some forms of communication (e.g. SMS), but using them where fanatical brevity is not necessary just makes messages difficult to decipher.

[PatJ]

After reviewing the posts in this thread, I failed to see anything referencing short hand notation. Many of the spelling errors are short hand notations people use to to simply speed up their responses to posts. For Example: u = you; ppl = people; wit = with and I'm sure that many more of these notations could be added by other readers.

Having said that, I will add that if a post is long, with no paragraph breaks or punctuation, I don't bother to read it.

Spelling and typing errors happen - it is unfortunate - and I usually am quite embarassed when I make mistakes.

Lastly, I tend to block people who lack manners and are rude - this includes those that add distracting emoticons to their posts (although using the escape key is one way to stop the actions.)

Regarding this thread - I think it is a good policy to discuss the issues and strive to improve.

[Jock]

No one here is putting in posts that resemble this one from the Female First Forum so we're(SkirtCafe) downright mensa class compared to some.

You think?
(quotation from, yes, SkirtCafe) ---->
"Yes shaving hairy legs is the best if you want to wear skirt with or without tights it give you look sexy and cool -- I used Veet cream with bladeless that give my leg so smooth and wear tights look great as much smooth plus short skirt. I do wear as usual cos my legs look cool when I stand at the mirror - keep shaving and dont keep your hair on like ape with big banana..."

I wouldn't want to try and read to much of that type of posting.

I was told when at Uni on the Communications course that failure to communicate is the failure of the communicator, not the intended recipient.

Me? I'm an old fart as well, who prefers to read Milton and Shakespeare, rather than 'Female First' comments!!

and finally.....E&OE

[crfriend]

I wouldn't want to try and read to much of that type of posting.

I believe it's important here to recall that we are a global community, and there are more than a few folks here for which English is a second (or third or fourth) language; let's cut them a little bit of slack and, perhaps, help "pull them along" by setting a good example. Please.

I was told when at Uni on the Communications course that failure to communicate is the failure of the communicator, not the intended recipient.

This works if the communicator and the recipient are at the same general level of literacy and understanding of the subject at hand, and it pays for the communicator to "bear in mind his audience".

I get routinely castigated at work for my writing. Why? I prefer to compose in proper sentences and thoughtful narrative. This conflicts badly with the trajectory that "business English" seems to be on which seems to be fragments, bullet-points, and a level of brutality to the language that'd make even Hemingway wince. So, possibly, what we native English-speakers (and writers) have come to know and respect (if not love) may be on its way to obsolescence; search for "Globish" on the BBC news web-site.

[Uncle Al]

crfriend wrote

Jock wrote:
I wouldn't want to try and read to much of that type of posting.

I believe it's important here to recall that we are a global community, and there are more
than a few folks here for which English is a second (or third or fourth) language; let's cut
them a little bit of slack and, perhaps, help "pull them along" by setting a good example.

Carl,

I agree with you 100%, however the post that Jock referred to is by a member located in
the South East quadrant of the U.S. of A. Personally, I don't understand how someone can
function properly with this type of written communication.

Before my wife retired, she would ask my help in understanding what several of her students
had written. Unfortunately, she was not allowed to correct the grammar and spelling of these
kids. She would talk with the other teachers about these errors but the main teachers would
tell her that they had their hands tied. They could only do so much with out the help of the
parents. Yet some of these kids were better writers than their parents.

This is sad!

Uncle Al
Duncanville, TX

[Inertia]

crfriend wrote

Jock wrote:
I wouldn't want to try and read to much of that type of posting.

I believe it's important here to recall that we are a global community, and there are more
than a few folks here for which English is a second (or third or fourth) language; let's cut
them a little bit of slack and, perhaps, help "pull them along" by setting a good example.

Carl,

I agree with you 100%, however the post that Jock referred to is by a member located in
the South East quadrant of the U.S. of A.

Dear me... do you mean that *nobody* living in the South-Eastern United States is an immigrant, for whom English is a second language? I had no idea the region was so homogenous! <evil grin>

Cheers,

Inertia

[Jock]

I believe it's important here to recall that we are a global community, and there are more than a few folks here for which English is a second (or third or fourth) language; let's cut them a little bit of slack and, perhaps, help "pull them along" by setting a good example. Please.

An erudite non-English poster asked the person I quoted if English was not his first language. Apparently he IS a native English speaker ( but a victim of current educational standards perhaps). In my limited experience the non-English posters show a very good grasp of our language, perhaps because thay have applied themselves to do so.

I was told when at Uni on the Communications course that failure to communicate is the failure of the communicator, not the intended recipient.

This works if the communicator and the recipient are at the same general level of literacy and understanding of the subject at hand, and it pays for the communicator to "bear in mind his audience".

What was said holds true as does what you said Carl. Yes, the communicator has to do the work to ascertain his recipent's level and pitch his words accordingly. For a mass audience, practicalities force a general level of understanding, which I believe is what we have on this forum.

We do "cut others some slack", but there comes a point at which it all becomes too much like hard work. After all, I don't have to read anyone's post if I don't want to. It is the Poster that wants to get their message across and should endeavour to make it as easy as possible for us. So I do not bother reading posts by the person I quoted, but, although I may not agree with his thoughts, I can always understand what Skip Fraser has written, for example.

Phew! Uncle Al and Skip - pour us a beer and let's sit under the potted palm and talk about the good ol' days!

[Since1982]

:::hopping away from the potted palm:::I try really really hard not to allow the good luck I had in having parents that paid for me to have an excellent education to give me an unnecessary feeling of superiority over those not so lucky.

I've had lots of conversations with the poster who uses "cos" instead of "because". I know what it means and say nothing. I certainly don't think "down" on that person because of it. To me, it's just an abbreviation. I'd also back off a bit before painting everyone in the S.E. US of A with the brush of ignorance or illiteracy. Ted Turner might disagree with you, as well as the other 40% of the Forbes Billionaires list. I know I disagree with you, having lived the last 65 of my 67 years in that same area. Florida IS in the S.E. USA. Being born in Pennsylvania was simply the result of being born premature.

We have 3 members who, for different reasons have some spelling and sentence construction problems. They ALSO support families and are good honest hard-working members. One is from Slovenia..I only wish I had his language skills. His occasional mistake in English is just the tip of the iceberg of what I'd look like trying to speak Slovenian.

Now, having studied some, I can say to him...Thane vi svoj prijatelj,Jaz uvazevati vas pomoc. Which means, Thank you my friend, I appreciate your help.

[TomH]

I have lots of friends that are 'older' and are probably trying to keep up with their kids by using short slang, like "cus" and "gud". The texting generation might just change the language. I'm betting any language. I can't imagine that the kids around the world that have phones are not doing the same thing to their language.

Tom

[Uncle Al]

Phew! Uncle Al and Skip - pour us a beer and let's sit under the potted palm
and talk about the good ol' days!

OK Jock - What'l ya have? On Tap or bottle?

We aim to please

Uncle Al
Duncanville, TX

[Sarongman]

By the way, what about parsing? I've always had a problem in the semicolon area (although a good laxative might help ) And, whilst we are in this area, don't feed the gerunds, they are an endangered species and must fend for themselves