i've been noticing an influx of people becoming frustrated at how people are posting. not the content of the post, but the way it's written. it seems that people feel that since this isn't English class, we don't have to follow any rules whatsoever.

well, as a courtesy, here's some of the rules i've found in my years of surfing. :) feel free to comment or add your own.

periods are not optional. you need to have your paragraphs broken into sentences.


speaking of paragraphs, it helps to have them. and, unlike English class, it's actually a lot easier on the eyes to have an extra space in between them (like this post).


capitalization is optional. tho, personally, i try to capitalize proper names like John and Bible and God.


spelling is key to understanding. who to i now what yor saing if yu don tspell rite? (that is, "how do i know what you're saying if you don't spell right?") check out www.webster.com for a good dictionary. it corrects your misspellings (tho if you're really off, it doesn't give you the word you want).

i know there are other rules, but those are biggies. feel free to add your own.

I find most people will blast someone for grammar when they don't like what someone says but can't come back with a proper flame other than "LEARN TO SPELL!!!"

CJ

Thank you Unshakeable. I do not have perfect grammer nor spellling. However, simple words and phrases should be spelled correctly. All it takes it time.

i dont always capilatize, but i hate misspelled words and missing punctuation. i love the edit button. :D

(Thanx for addressing this topic Mike)

it corrects your mispellings

*snickers*

*stands far away so Mike can't smack him*

Just trying to adhere to your very informative post about web etiquette. ;)

lol.

Something that gets on my nerves when used too much is L33t-sp34k. It's not a problem here, must people actually use English. But some other boards... sheesh.

here's another one. Before clicking submit reply it's a good idea to proofread what you have typed. Sometimes even I find that I have typed something totally unclear although I knew exactly what I meant when I typed it. For some reason it didn't make sense to me when proofread. If it doesn't make sense to me how can I expect anyone else to know what I'm talking about.

Ya, that is true as well. Also, when they use alot of shorthand, that reallly irritates me. Alot of 8's and U's, etc...

Ummm...why do I get the feeling Mike was looking my way as he typed this thread ;)...if you guys saw one of my post before I proofread it you'd swear I was speaking in tongues or something ;D

Good points Mike....thanks for the input.

I agree, Mike. thanks for addressing it. I have this phobia of misspellings, so it really annoys me when someone's post isn't even understandable. ::]

Ya, that is true as well. Also, when they use alot of shorthand, that reallly irritates me. Alot of 8's and U's, etc...

yeah, I despise it when people abbrievate (sp?) alot. It is quick way to write things for the writer, but it takes the reader 2 hours to comprehend it ::]

Haha. I agree. It annoys me to no end when there's an abbreviation there and I can't figure it out. ::]

Why si that I thoght that peole would be more undrstanidng to those of us who arnt good at things like grammer and stuff I thkin that they aer ok

cJ

nice Terrasin, very nice.

another thing to remember:

If someone on the boards gives you a reminder such as 'We already have another thread on this' or 'Go to this thread to talk about this topic' don't freak out. It helps keep the boards less cluttered.

here's another one. Before clicking submit reply it's a good idea to proofread what you have typed. Sometimes even I find that I have typed something totally unclear although I knew exactly what I meant when I typed it. For some reason it didn't make sense to me when proofread. If it doesn't make sense to me how can I expect anyone else to know what I'm talking about.
That's when my all-time favorite button comes in- "edit". I have a habit of writing something, posting it, and then editing it for errors. =) Prolly not the most beneficial posting habit to have...I'm trying to break it.

*snickers*

*stands far away so Mike can't smack him*

Just trying to adhere to your very informative post about web etiquette. ;)
thank you for that. ;) and just goes to show that mistakes do happen and we won't crucify you for them (someone else took our place on that one ;)).

and John, this wasn't directed towards any singlar individual or person, or even with a handful in mind. it was just a trend i was noticing.

i we don't get to be nazis on this either. ;)

invaded, i'm right there with ya. how else could my mistake in the first post no longer exist. ;D ;)

another thing to remember:

If someone on the boards gives you a reminder such as 'We already have another thread on this' or 'Go to this thread to talk about this topic' don't freak out. It helps keep the boards less cluttered.
that's a good one... some people get uber-defensive if you remind them of something like that. ::]

yeah... i mess up like that allllll the time... ask the mods ::]

It's sad that I have to bring this up (after Mike has said this many times recently), but I would like to past something from the Laws of the Land:

- Please keep in mind that these message boards are not the only tool we have for communicating with each other. There are private messages, our chatroom, as well various instant messaging (AIM, MSN, ICQ, etc) programs available. Please use the one appropriate for your chatting (ie. please don't use the boards to have individual conversations with another member).

Follow the rules please or don't post at all. It's clogging up space and wasting other people's time. Private message systems and chatrooms were created for a reason.

Is it possible to make this a sticky thread, too?

yeah, i guess that would be a good idea. :)

another point that was brought to my attention is short posts. if your post is only a couple words long, it's probably not needed. the reason to post is to bring something new to the table. responding saying "yeah" or "i agree" or even "i think so" don't do anything for anyone. there is a reason there's a ten character minimum set on posts.

granted, Pointless Post is another beast all together. anything goes in there (as long as it doesn't go against the Laws of the Land).

*coughs softly*

ahem... *counts her short posts*

ok, im leaving now.

ah yes, i forgot about this post. good thing it was made sticky...just friendly reminders. :)

and John, this wasn't directed towards any singlar individual or person, or even with a handful in mind. it was just a trend i was noticing.



I know you wasnt.....i was just being a doofus :P


Something else....If you make a thread asking for some specific info and ppl take their time to answer you be courteous enough to come back so they will know you got the info and to thank them.

One thing I've noticed is commaphobia. It's painful to read something that should never be said in one breath that isn't broken by anything and seems to go on much longer than it should even if there is good information in it.

painful because you hold your breath when reading and only read on punctuation? why would you do that? oh, wait, that's pretty normal. i do that too. :)

Yeah... it's like a bad habit, I guess. I can't help but not pause unless there is some form of punctuation. Even if I'm reading it in my head, I still breathe as if I were reading it out loud.

Yes, I know of a few people who need directed to this thread... the short posts are getting quite annoying.

CJ

Hey did any1 here see the skillet concert in Colorado? There was also a band called Wrestling Jacob there. They are cool. Skillet did awesome! I was singing the lyrics as loud as possible but I still couldn't hear myself. My voice was hoarse the next day :D.

What was that about?

Hey did any1 here see the skillet concert in Colorado? There was also a band called Wrestling Jacob there. They are cool. Skillet did awesome! I was singing the lyrics as loud as possible but I still couldn't hear myself. My voice was hoarse the next day :D.
Uhhh.... *doesnt know what to say*

CJ

well, speaking of hoarse, I want a goldfish. But seriously, where did that comment come from? I think you have the wrong thread.

i'm reaching, i know, but i think that person was commenting on being off-topic. ;)

yeah, i try to stay on topic, but when everyone else is going totally off, its hard to steer them back. hehe :D

It's how you tell who the leaders are ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) Leaders use five winking smileys in a row.... :afro:

Wow...Way off topic

look at me im not using periods what now????

look at me im not using periods what now????
I'll find out where you live :P.

Yeah, back to the topic, it does kind of get annoying with the internet lingo that people use. Bob likes talking in third person, yet he doesn't like lol :o... I like using elipses a lot, is that ok? :)

elipses are da bomb!

...

...

...

Whats an elipse

three dots:


...

oh yeah. thalia told me what an elipse is. she's cool.

I use those all the time

so do i...

What does it mean when it says sticky before the thread name?

What does it mean when it says sticky before the thread name?
a sticky message stays at the top of the board

Punctuation is our friend.

And it's ellipse.

But what makes it a sticky message?

the moderators and admins have the ability to make a thread sticky or not. it's an option we can select.

messages become "sticky" when we feel the thread is important and we want everyone to see.

OK, thanks

no problem. glad i was able to help. :)

And it's ellipse.

you really can't stand typos, can you?? ;)

You're right. I can't stand them. It's possible to review a post before you hit send and make shur you don't misspell anything.

*snickers*

CJ

ooh, i see how it is... :D

Punctuation is our friend.

And it's ellipse.
well punctuation isn't my friend >:-O

Are you kidding. . .

You've just used punctuation with you typed that smiley. So how difficult IS it to actually use it at the end of a sentence?

Are you kidding. . .

You've just used punctuation with you typed that smiley. So how difficult IS it to actually use it at the end of a sentence?
i was joking.......jeez....here's some punctuation for you .,/,.,/,./,???!!/././

hey, no worries Josh. it's just hard to tell what emotion you're using when you type. it could be angst, anger, fear, hatred (those lead to the dark side btw), humor, happy, serious, and a whole gammit of others. Riz was just taking your emotional state as "serious" and responding as such.

I guess the real reason that I sometimes don't correctly punctuate my sentances is because i'm lazy. But, at least i'm; not using; semicolons; improperly.

*sigh* the wonderful humor on panheads.org

one thing to add, never ever take things too seriously. Tone changes the entire meaning to a sentance and, well, since we can't really hear it over a message board so try not to get offended or anything when someone reply's to a comment of yours. I always try to assume sarcasm or friendly joking and it makes posting that much more pleasant :D thnx!

o thnx so so much ttfn!

Nah, i'm just playing with you dogs. HEHEHE yeah I know what you guys mean, it does get really, really, really annoying at times especially when people do a bunch of abreviations that arent official, and then they get smooshed together I don't know what their talking about! But anyways, yeah its a good thing you brought this up.

i love to mispell on the internet. it should be a place you dont have any worries and can relax.. unless ur going for a job or something .. u know

true...but a lot of typos make it difficult to understand what someone is trying to say. so it does take away from communication because it takes more effort to read posts with a lot of incorrect spelling. at least for me anyway. and i will say that i am not the spelling queen. sometimes i'll just type it out how it sounds or something and put "(sp?)" next it as an apology of sorts because i'm not aware of the exact spelling.

but i try to make a habit of checking my spelling before i submit a post.

I think 'relaxing' makes people type more poorly outside of just a forum... like on english papers... Thank God for WordPerfect... cuz chatting rotted my mind... until I started to speak more ... grammatically correct.

... Although, I use '...' too often still.

Be wary of what you trust. Sometimes that grammar check function on Microsoft Word and Works can be a bit inaccurate also.

that's true. they don't catch everything.

hehe or they change things so that they totally don't make sense... and i love ellipses too!

yeah this is only my third post...if i misspell a word it's probably because i suck at typing and not spelling problems ;)

no worries. a misspelling every once a while's all right. but every sentence, where it gets hard to read, then you need a bit of help. :)

Elipses can be used in desperately cynical cirmcumstances. Though using them in awkward msn conversations makes the awkwardness all the more fun... :evil:

the only thing i find myself doing constantly is getting letters in words mixed around, but then i fix it...and also leaving the "g" off of words like "going" but i put "goin" with no apostrophe. another thing is that i dont use apostrophes on words like isnt and im, but i think people can still understand what im saying, RIGHT??? well if it doesnt bother you then it doesnt bother me...!

-Savannah-
(CAGE NAME: electricskillet)

There are many people who find the misspelling or improper use of language irritating, and often feel the need to correct. I thought I might post this to contribute to a better understanding of such things.

Frequent misspellings and/or internet slang are pet peeves of mine, too, but I have opted to be silent about it.

I have a processing disorder that inhibits me from learning normally. Throughout years in school I took mostly special ed or "resource" classes. In those situations, a person usually does not learn at their grade level. I have always loved English, but because of a processing disorder and other learning disablities, could not take normal classes. (Though my spelling is fine, I've never been able to understand the ins-and-outs of grammar and I have a major deficit in math, for example.) However, the processing disorder is the worst. I process at a much, much slower rate than the average individual does. It may not sound like much, but it is very maddening.

Processing affects all aspects of life. Most of the time I sound and look like a fool - Most people do not even have to think about how they respond. It does not take too long to decipher, understand and/or recall a sentence (spoken or written), experience, event, etc., etc. Relationships (platonic and romantic) are difficult to make and often impossible...the list goes on.

I am out of high school now, 19, and unable to do the things I love, and learn in ways that I'd like. I love music, science and psychology...I can forget about ever being involved and comprehending any of those things (unless there is a miracle).

Oh, what I would do to finally grasp things, quickly and thoroughly...To understand, for once, and to be rid of this difficulty...

The world cannot slow down for me, and I am trapped and inhibited this way. This is the way I was created and evenutally I'll see God's place for me.

I wanted to share that to let you know that some people cannot help the way they are. Perhaps a person who frequently mispells words or uses grammar improperly has a learning disorder of some sort (such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or even struggles with processing as I do). God has intent for every one created, and I hope we all can contribute (positively) to that purpose.

This is a post from the mods when this used to be an issue before...

periods are not optional. you need to have your paragraphs broken into sentences.


speaking of paragraphs, it helps to have them. and, unlike English class, it's actually a lot easier on the eyes to have an extra space in between them (like this post).


capitalization is optional. tho, personally, i try to capitalize proper names like John and Bible and God.


spelling is key to understanding. who to i now what yor saing if yu don tspell rite? (that is, "how do i know what you're saying if you don't spell right?") check out www.webster.com for a good dictionary. it corrects your misspellings (tho if you're really off, it doesn't give you the word you want).

thanks for the reminder Divine Mystery. a lot of us forget on a regular basis to remember people don't always think the way we do, or process things the same way or in the same capacity.

on the other hand, most of the problems with spelling and such stem not from a mental disorder but from laziness. people feel that since the Internet isn't English class, they can spell and write however they want. unfortunately, it makes it near to impossible sometimes to read.

so, to bridge the road between the two, it takes tact in asking people to correct their grammar. that way, if they do have difficulty we won't be yelling at them for something they can't help.

most of todays writting "slang" came from the internet. people have picked up how to shorten words or phrases.

yeah thats true, but its still annoying.

You Do It Too!! And Its Not That Annoying. Its Just Showing Idividuality

Yeah right. Thsre is no individuality involved. :P

Mike, for starting this thread, you get a brownie point. And, the obligatory...

*whiny voice* Yooou'rre my heeeerrrooooo. :P

I won't start discussing my agreement with the purpose of this thread, I want my eye tick to go away, not to come back with bloody vengence in its very heart wanting to slay all those who use "imporper" English.

Maybe I was destined to be an English teacher...

You Do It Too!! And Its Not That Annoying. Its Just Showing Idividuality
if everyone does it, how does that show individuality?

if you do write in IM shorthand, you also have the added benefit that half the people who read it won't be able to understand you. :D something i know we all strive for on the boards. :) :P

yeah! a brownie point! only 9 more and i can redeem them for a pint of fudge brownie ice cream at the nearest DQ.

yeah! a brownie point! only 9 more and i can redeem them for a pint of fudge brownie ice cream at the nearest DQ.
You'd better work toward them then. ;)

*Steals Brownie Point*

Omghax

Seeing Greg as the last poster on a thread entitled "Web Etiquette" couldn't be left for long.

Seeing Greg as the last poster on a thread entitled "Web Etiquette" couldn't be left for long.

*Posts*

I believe in proper web etiquette. If anyone, ever says something that is not the most positive, upbeat, encouraging thing possible for them to say, I say that's a shame. :\

*forced to post again*

Oh no, it looks like a war is starting. *Heads for cover*

I'm not asking. Did you know "y" is the 25th letter of the alpahabet?

Did you know "y" is the 25th letter of the alpahabet?

Umm yes, that's the only reason that Outback Steakhouse was ever succesful.

*steals task from Lisa*

Umm

DOS PANTALONES!!!??!?!?!11!?!!?ONE?!?!!?

*Has last post back*

another point to make could be said using the example of the above.

don't post just to have your name show up as the last poster. it's rude. post to add to the topic.

Greg's been pwn3d.

another point to make could be said using the example of the above.

I'm glad I was available to help.

There has to be an open spot in the rule book for this one:

No one is allowed to used pwn3d ANYWHERE in ANY sentence or with ANY word in ANY post on these boards. It's overused and pretentious and older than ... something old. Leave it at the door when you come here. Please. < -- there, said it as politely as I could.

There has to be an open spot in the rule book for this one:

No one is allowed to used pwn3d ANYWHERE in ANY sentence or with ANY word in ANY post on these boards. It's overused and pretentious and older than ... something old. Leave it at the door when you come here. Please. < -- there, said it as politely as I could.
Wow... now that you said that, I foresee the usage of that word at least doubling... myself? I'm weaning off of that word and slang...

Okay people, simple lesson:

God is capatlized out of respect.

"Your" is not the same as "You're"

and periods bode wall at the end of sentences.

Apparently bob doesn't mind spelling errors, though.
capitalized*
well*

Ouch. Well done.

"Your" is not the same as "You're"

I'm glad someone finally decided to point that out. ::]

Apparently bob doesn't mind spelling errors, though.
capitalized*
well*

I have my off days. :P

And yall, please dont write messages consisting entirely of Leetspeak and IM acronyms with the exception of "lol".

Example: OMG d3wd WTF @r3 u talkn bout? STFU!!!!

Really yall, does it take THAT much longer to write in normal english?

And remember: Dont use an acronym for anything you wouldnt spell out. Ex: Would you spell out what WTF means?

Women Terrorizing Fins? I agree, Fins are nice people, and we should be nicer to Finland. :P

*rolls eyes* :P thank you for saying that Stell.. I can't stand it when people put that down..

I believe the proper term is NOT "Fins" ::]

When I was at uni in England last year, I met some Finns who were real cool guys. The only thing that irritated me would be when they talk to each other and sometimes they'd switch to Finnish.

Obviously no one else knew the language.

Whoa, howd we get on the subject of Fins? I just looked through the last page and it kinda came out of nowhere...

Actually, we're talking about Finns. Not Fins.

Sorry, yeah I meant Finns. People from Finland. Just spelled it wrong. Same question though, howd we get on the subject?

WTF = Women Terrorizing Fin(n)s.

and now the subject ends.

or rather, a better way to switch back to the subject at hand is...

it's proper Web Etiquette to spell people's nationalities correctly. :)

Hold on Mike, I just have to say ONE more thing.

WTF = Women Terrorizing Fin(n)s.

Wow. I think I started a conversation about Finns without even knowing it!

Hold on Mike, I just have to say ONE more thing.



Wow. I think I started a conversation about Finns without even knowing it!
'
4453
SQL = Silly Questioning Leprechauns

Another piece of Web Etiquette is this very important rule.

Don't sideline conversations simply because you want to make a joke. If you can make the joke and keep conversation where it needs to be, great. If not, save it for another time.

Another piece of Web Etiquette is this very important rule.

Don't sideline conversations simply because you want to make a joke. If you can make the joke and keep conversation where it needs to be, great. If not, save it for another time.

Which is obviously what I was going for there. ;)

Dude, why is everybody talking about Finns? I'm 'effing Finnish thank you very much! So what if it's only a 1/4? It's all I have! *cries*

As for wtf, I usually just use other nonesense words. Ie. 'What the 'eff?' 'What the frig?' 'What the fug?' 'What the frick?' If people don't like that...well, I don't care. There's only so many words I can use to communicate sentiment, and if you take offense to nonesense, well...yeah.

p.s. If any other Finns are about, you could be considered to join the FNA. That is, the Finnish National Association (a group began by me and a friend). Also, it's just really fun to say FNA...

Dude, why is everybody talking about Finns? I'm 'effing Finnish thank you very much! So what if it's only a 1/4? It's all I have! *cries*

As for wtf, I usually just use other nonesense words. Ie. 'What the 'eff?' 'What the frig?' 'What the fug?' 'What the frick?' If people don't like that...well, I don't care. There's only so many words I can use to communicate sentiment, and if you take offense to nonesense, well...yeah.

p.s. If any other Finns are about, you could be considered to join the FNA. That is, the Finnish National Association (a group began by me and a friend). Also, it's just really fun to say FNA...our language policy is pretty clear. Don't even allude to the words. In the words of my grandmother, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." (As should be clear from recent events, we have no problem enforcing the rules)

Will's grandmother is being quoted a lot recently. I should put her in my signature . . .

our language policy is pretty clear. Don't even allude to the words. In the words of my grandmother, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." (As should be clear from recent events, we have no problem enforcing the rules)

Then you should make it a rule, because "What the fug?" For instance, doesn't mean jack squat. One could say, "What in the world?" or "What in Same Hill?" Or "What in shaggy waggy daggies?" and it means the exact same thing in sentiment, except that it doesn't really roll off the tongue as easily. You taking offense to "fug" is your own personal code of etiquette that may or may not be shared by others because it means nothing. If you want to make that personal code a legality of the boards, then see what the mods think and have at it. This is not an attack on your personal, but a genuine disagreement with this, IMO, flawed sentiment.

edit: I amend my previous statement. Fug has a meaning -

"fug ( P ) Pronunciation Key (fg)
n.
A heavy, stale atmosphere, especially the musty air of an overcrowded or poorly ventilated room: “In spite of the open windows the stench had become a reeking fug” (Colleen McCullough)."

Pretty harmless if you ask me. And apparently, as does Frick -

"Frick ( P ) Pronunciation Key (frk), Henry Clay. 1849-1919.

American industrialist who amassed a fortune in the steel industry and bequeathed to the public a New York City mansion housing his art collection."

Dictionary.com also defines Frig as akin to another 4 letter 'f' word, which is honestly new to me. So I amend myself about using that one...though seriously, last I knew a frig was slang for a frigate (aka, ship). Darn american slander changing meanings...

This is from the Laws of the Land:

"- Language: Please be mindful and avoid any language, graphic descriptions, and images that would be inappropriate on the boards. This includes substituting in various punctuation in place of such words... just don't even make reference to it. If you can't seem to convey what you want to say without resorting to such language, we suggest you either check here or simply don't say it."

That's pretty clearly a rule to me.

What you expect people to think of when someone say "what the fug?" or "that fricking such and such"? Do you honestly believe that people are going to think "oh, he actually meant "what the heavy stale atmosphere?"

This is from the Laws of the Land:

"- Language: Please be mindful and avoid any language, graphic descriptions, and images that would be inappropriate on the boards. This includes substituting in various punctuation in place of such words... just don't even make reference to it. If you can't seem to convey what you want to say without resorting to such language, we suggest you either check here or simply don't say it."

That's pretty clearly a rule to me.

What you expect people to think of when someone say "what the fug?" or "that fricking such and such"? Do you honestly believe that people are going to think "oh, he actually meant "what the heavy stale atmosphere?"

No, I expect them to think "What the fug." I've even used the word in real life, and people say, "The heck does that mean?" And I say, "Nothing." I also use the terms Flippin, 'Effin, Son of a Mother, etc. If you don't use one word, you're going to use another, as "harmless" as it may be, and the sentiment is exactly the same. I can guaruntee you that no one uses the "f" word in "wtf" as it's actual meaning. The only reason I don't use it personally is because people take offense to it, and there's not much reason to use the term that some may not even know or need to know the actual meaning of when I can just use a non-descript nonesense word. If people start taking offense to gibberish, though...well, that's their bloody problem. There's no graphic descriptions here, and no "punctuation substitution." Our society is far too sensitive to these sorts of things, honestly. But if Mr. Will thinks such is inappropriate behaviour, then he can say that no nonesense words used in an abrasive manner are allowed, or something of the sort. W/o such a rule, though, it's just him dictating which words case by case that mean nothing or something random that he deems appropriate and which he does not. Pointless, IMO.

It's clear that we don't agree here, so there's no point in arguing about it. I just thought I'd point out that paragraph in Laws of the Land that I thought were stated pretty clearly.

No, I expect them to think "What the fug." I've even used the word in real life, and people say, "The heck does that mean?" And I say, "Nothing." I also use the terms Flippin, 'Effin, Son of a Mother, etc. If you don't use one word, you're going to use another, as "harmless" as it may be, and the sentiment is exactly the same. I can guaruntee you that no one uses the "f" word in "wtf" as it's actual meaning.

WEll, amodman, here I must disagree. Maybe it's just the people I know or the area I'm in or something, but when people say or write WTF it means What the ****. Perhaps it's been watered down or Christianized in your cirle, but it still means the above to a majority of people.

If you don't use one word, you're going to use another, as "harmless" as it may be, and the sentiment is exactly the same.

Then swear. If your going to come precariously close with the exact same sentiment, then don't bother stopping. Or else quit using words that are "harmless".
And follow the spirit of the "Laws of the Land". Not just the letter.

it's like what paul talks about. there are things that you are not convicted about but other people are and they take offense. when you do those things (ie swear) that you are not convicted of but someone else is, knowing that they are convicted and it causes them to stumble (or at least isn't edifying), you are sinning.
to me swearing (or using other words in place of them) is offensive, and it reminds me of my old life & puts me back in that mindset, which consequently brings me down a bit. obviously it's not a huge life or death issue, but it is something. maybe that's not exactly what the passage is talking about, but i think it is in the same spirit. we are to be building each other up, not bringing each other down.

No, I expect them to think "What the fug." I've even used the word in real life, and people say, "The heck does that mean?" And I say, "Nothing." I also use the terms Flippin, 'Effin, Son of a Mother, etc. If you don't use one word, you're going to use another, as "harmless" as it may be, and the sentiment is exactly the same. I can guaruntee you that no one uses the "f" word in "wtf" as it's actual meaning. The only reason I don't use it personally is because people take offense to it, and there's not much reason to use the term that some may not even know or need to know the actual meaning of when I can just use a non-descript nonesense word. If people start taking offense to gibberish, though...well, that's their bloody problem. There's no graphic descriptions here, and no "punctuation substitution." Our society is far too sensitive to these sorts of things, honestly. But if Mr. Will thinks such is inappropriate behaviour, then he can say that no nonesense words used in an abrasive manner are allowed, or something of the sort. W/o such a rule, though, it's just him dictating which words case by case that mean nothing or something random that he deems appropriate and which he does not. Pointless, IMO.



if i said that around my parents, i'd be in for it!!!

yeah, I despise it when people abbrievate (sp?) alot. It is quick way to write things for the writer, but it takes the reader 2 hours to comprehend it ::]

yea. what ticks me off most, is when people spell things shorter that would only take like one more second to type the stupid correct key!!!

but stuff like "teh" (the) and yer (your) dont make me mad, because you can tell what someone is saying. 8|_|1 !f u 1y|o3 71ke 01z !1..and now im tired of typing like that. means, if you type like [leetspeek], than you make me mad.

sometimes i instant message my friends and they use all kinds of abbreviations for words and sayings. i'm like "what is that?!?".

Yea, that happens to me a lot...

i just find it annoying when people are like:
wh4t5 up m4n d0 y0u k|\|0\/\/ \/\/|-|47 I/\/\ 54yi|\|g ?
If you have to get Firefox and then go to add ons and search for spell check, it auto-does it! Im ESL so its harder for me and sometimes I even run it threw MS word.. but hey its me..

It doesn't auto-correct your spelling, it underlines it in red like a word processor and then you have to right click it and correct it. There's a certain bit of manual labor involved. :P

And always remember that spell check isn't a cure-all for errors.

You can mess up "to," "two" and "too." Or write "right" for "write" accidentally.

Maybe even "threw" and "through."

Or if you're really creative "and" and "dan"

Write, for example: My Dad once sent an email out at work that went to about 500 people. At one point in the email my Dad used the word "shift", but he forgot to put the f in it, must've missed the key. Well, the spell check didn't pick up on it of course. So instead of my Dad telling people to check their shift schedule the sentence's meaning changed clompletely.

Lol! :D

Write, for example:

You're form is very good tonight.

Wow, that was so horrible that I'm not even going to fix it. :P In my defense, I'm tired.

Just say you meant to do it on purpose, as an illustration. ;)

Just say you meant to do it on purpose, as an illustration. ;)

^ What he said.

My spelling and grammar are not always perfect, but i'm trying harder to make my posts more clear. It's better than what it used to be, because now I have looked at old posts I made on other boards where I used hardly any punctuation, spaces, or paragraphs at all, partly because of laziness or not thinking clearly when I was typing, and didn't realize what a annoying idiot I looked like, and people would misinterpet what I had to say or would totally ignore my point because of the distarct of too many stupid errors.

Also I would read other people's posts that were just like mine, and then I could understand where people were coming from and how annoying and hard it can be to read them. But sometimes the people that did correct me like people you would call "grammar Nazi's" were rude about it, or were correcting me in a condescending/bashing way, instead of for the pure sake of correcting to be helpful.

But many times I make grammar or spelling errors is because I suck at typing and/or punctuation, or forgot to add or take away a few words, and forgot to check my posts or I'm too lazy. But sometimes even when I do check my posts I still don't see the errors, but many times I can see or correct other people's mistakes lol sometimes it's easier to see someone Else's mistakes but your own.

One thing I totally can't stand is when people say "kewl" instead of "cool", and they think it's cool to spell it that way, but it's just dumb. I mean what's the point because it's the same length right?

A little bit of that ("kewl" over "cool") is style. It's pronounced differently, so personally, i would use it for specific sitations where i wanted that sound instead of the usual sound. But, you are correct; overuse is unnecessary.

As for occasional error in grammar, punctuations and spelling, we all make them, so it's not something we'll jump on you about, so long as it doesn't interfere with the clarity of your post. Even then, hopefully we won't jump on; hopefully we'll raise our hand and say "Hey, would you might repeated what you just wrote so we can understand it better? The misspellings are getting in the way."