Blog Grammar STFUGG
- 25th Jul 2008
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- Rant
Over the last few weeks on various blog’s I’ve noticed many commenting on others grammar or spelling. (Even mine, ohh the shame of it) Seems to me it’s all too easy to read through a post and pick as many holes in it as possible. Surely if the message is conveyed in such a way that most people understand what you are talking about nothing is lost in the odd spelling mistake or extra comma, etc.
I agree a spellchecker is a must have, but come on, lighten up those folks checking every word! SEO’s often share their thoughts and ideas just as they come into their head, keep this in mind next time you point out the next error.
So next time you get a clever person on your blog… just reply STFUGG, perhaps this will be a new internet word ;) Shut the f*** up Grammar Geek.
22 Comments | Leave a comment »
Isn’t it “SEOs”, not “SEO’s”? ;)
STFUGG ;)
Yeah and blogs not blog’s.
See me Horton!
Maybe they stick better than simpler comment styles? ;-)
“…their head, keep this in mind…”
I think you’re supposed to use a semi-colon there instead of a comma.
;)
Surely it is just SEO. :)
Forum Rule No1.
F*ck them delete their comment it’s your blog.
I actually prefer a gram correct page but I put up with bad grammar if I enjoy the read and you can still identify the writers emotion at the time.
Plus you don’t need to watch your spelling on Dave’s blog. :)
Bad spelling/grammar distracts me. Sorry, I’m just a bonafide grammar nazi.
I freely and happily admit to being a grammar geek and a spelling Nazi. Bad spelling and grammar give me hives. I wouldn’t leave correction comments on someone’s blog. That’s just impolite.
The most important thing for me is the way the post sounds when I read it in my head. If it flows like natural speech then I can forgive the grammatical errors but if I’m unable to read smoothly, then yes, that does distract me. I’d definitely recommend authors read posts to themselves before publishing.
This is a subject close to my heart, as, although I would love to agree with the sentiment in the post, there are limits.
After all, a wrongly placed apostophe can change the meaning of a sentence.
On the most part, though, blogging is more conversational in tone and can be forgiven for adopting a more conversational style when it comes to grammar. But even here, there are certain conventions that should still be adhered to. For example, run-on sentences (where the writer fails to use a full stop, running two distinct sentecnes together) is rife in blog posts and can make it very confusing for the reader. If I have to read a sentence twice to glean the meaning, the writer has failed.
I agree we shouldn’t split hairs over every niggle, but similarly we shouldn’t throw it all out of the window, either.
Words and grammar are the tools of a writer. Some minor misuses can be forgiven and overlooked, but just as you would complain if your mechanic wrongly used his tools on your car, a reader should be able to point out an error if it distorts his enjoyment or derails the meaning of the article.
“Bad spelling/grammar distracts me. Sorry, I’m just a bonafide grammar nazi.”
Surely it’s “Nazi”?
I’ll stop now.
The simple solution here is to use voice technology software to write your blog posts. That is how this response is being created. The flow of what you write will be more conversational and it does not make spelling mistakes. You may still have a very small number of grammatical problems but they are rare.
Love the post. I get so tired of those Grammar Geeks. Although I could think if some better words to better describe them.
Rebecca, there were 4 errors in your comment!
I guess as Kimota says it’s more about splitting hairs that is of concern. I’m not saying throw everything out of the window. What about those who really struggle with English for example or those who’s native language is not English ?
Not sure I like the Nazi undertone ;)
never seen a post of yours with fewer spelling errors, Dave. Good job :D
When I write, its 90% off the cuff and goes straight live on to my blogs. If people have a problem with the odd spelling, then it is their problem.
They are only jealous because they dont have the creativity to have been able to produce a blog post such as the ones you write Dave from the top of your head in seconds.
I would actually take it as a complement.
The aim of communication is to be understood.
When on the receiving end of communication if we aim to understand rather than correct then it opens the door for people to talk more freely with us instead of being afraid of opening their mouths in case they say things the wrong way.
so what if there is an apostrophe out of place? if you notice it then chances are its because you understood what is being said and should maybe correct it only if you are asked to
“Testify” “Testify Brother”
enough with the dyslexia Haters
Grammar and spelling are important, but I’m sure most people realise that blogs (and comments) are often written on the hoof and don’t expect the same grammatical standards from them as they do of PhD theses!
is there any information about this in other languages, maybe german or other else?
I like the stfugg idea :D
I need one of those to read my posts before I post them though, provided they do all the edits as well :D