[DevilsDuck]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7546975.stm

I am willing to bet that Topher, Yuds and S4B all agree with Cen Smiff

[Munki Bhoy]

Here lies the English Language

God Knows When - August 2008.

[SAV1OUR]

It was much earlier than that.

[Munki Bhoy]

Fair point. Have you seen predictive text recently? It really suprised me...

[DevilsDuck]

why did it surprise you?

Did it predict you what you wanted to type?

[SAV1OUR]

I never got predicitve, how do you argue with it? Like the irritating red and green lines you witness when using Word 2000. No wonder people come here to flout literal anarchy!

[DevilsDuck]

I use predicitive text, but its easy on my phone.

Do occasionally send stupid texts like "You coming to the sub mate?* and get smart arse replies of "nope but im going to the pub in a min"

[Ezza]

I found this article the other day, and suprisingly it did remind me of this place. I don't think that the bad spelling should be accepted though.

[TIAL]

I think that language should be able to evolve and expand, as it inevitably will, but this is going too far. Accepting incorrect spelling removes the foundations that the language grows on.

[MK Chris]

Yes, quite right, we shouldn't be blaming the education system or laziness, we should be blaming the English language for being hard to learn.

* lunatic.

[Munki Bhoy]

In fairness, the English language is a joke compared to other languages when it comes to things like rules. But that to me makes it all the more important that we don't start pish like allowing bad spelling to infiltrate the language and make it an even bigger joke.

[Nicola_Red]

I read this news story yesterday and it horrified me too. Next people will be suggesting that text message speak should just be incorporated into everyday language. Slippery slope...

[Yudster]

In fairness, the English language is a joke compared to other languages when it comes to things like rules.

That's absolute rubbish. There may be more exceptions to grammatical and spelling "rules" than in say German, or Italian, but French is just as bad - and when you move out of Europe, many languages have very few discernable rules at all, they really are a question of learning.

Bad spelling is a result of laziness and indicative of a poor attitude in general. And before the "I'm dyslexic" brigade get going (yawn) yes, I know you have certain specific difficulties (my son is severely dyslexic), but again the solution to these problems is to accept and use a different system of learning, and most dyslexic people I have come across are far more careful and accurate in their written English than non-dyslexics. They just learned how in a different way.

If you can't be bothered to present written work accurately, you will give the impression that accuracy and care aren't important to you in other areas of life and work. Not useful.

[DevilsDuck]

If you can't be bothered to present written work accurately, you will give the impression that accuracy and care aren't important to you in other areas of life and work. Not useful.

Bullshit!

Im lazy when it comes to writting on say a forum and when just jotting down notes in meetings etc etc, but if im doing a presentation I will make sure its bloody perfect.

But just because im lazy when it comes to writting doesnt mean that im lazy in life

[Yudster]

But just because im lazy when it comes to writting doesnt mean that im lazy in life

I totally accept that - but the problem is that it gives the impression that is the case. I never said it was fair, or even right - and I wasn't talking so much about stuff on here as application forms and CVs and stuff like that - mainly because that's where my experience of this phenomenon comes from. If I had 80 application forms to sift down to 7, poor presentation was always going to be a primary sifting point. If someone couldn't even be bothered to get their spelling right in a job application, then they are assuming too much if they think they are going to be considered above those that do.

[DevilsDuck]

oh ok, I agree with the CVs stuff

If someone didnt put any effort in when they are applying for a job, then I would think they didnt care.

I dont think that bad spelling should be accepted, but im too lazy to correct things when its not important

[Nicola_Red]

I'm lazy in many ways, but I actually can't physically leave spelling and grammar mistakes uncorrected, even in an informal email or message board post. If I spot that I've mistyped a word or missed out an apostrophe or something, it drives me crazy until I put it right. I don't know why that is. Maybe I'm just a pedant.

(On another message board I used to use there was a poster called Spellcheck Police who used to follow people round correcting their mistakes. It sounds awful but it was actually done by a clever poster in a very funny way. I've often thought more boards could do with one of those.)

[DevilsDuck]

We have topher and yuds!

[MK Chris]

But just because im lazy when it comes to writting doesnt mean that im lazy in life

I totally accept that - but the problem is that it gives the impression that is the case. I never said it was fair, or even right

I think it's right. Typos are one thing, laziness and constant spelling and/or grammar mistakes are another.. it makes your post harder to read and frankly makes you look illiterate and thick. As Yudster said, that may not be the case at all... but that is how it looks and I think that is fair; if you can't be bothered to look intelligent, why should I assume you are? (To be clear - I'm not really talking about DevilsDuck here.. his laziness is a very minor annoyance compared to some others.)

[Yudster]

We have topher and yuds!

I hardly ever do that! Topher does, and so does S4B though.........

[DevilsDuck]

sorry yuds, wasnt cinfusing you with s4 was I?

how rude

[S4B]

sorry yuds, wasnt cinfusing you with s4 was I?

how rude

Oh good god!

*shakes uncontrollably*

But just because im lazy when it comes to writting doesnt mean that im lazy in life

I think you'll find that is bullshit - and not just because the spelling and grammar was.............errrrrrrrrrr..............a little poor. If you have no pride in what you are posting on a forum for the whole world to see why should any of us believe you're not a lazy arse the rest of the time?

[DevilsDuck]

you dont have to believe it, I know it, im just quite layed back and dont think it matters because this isn't the real world

[S4B]

"LAID"! not "layed" You're not laid back you're lazy and uneducated. That much is obvious.

[DevilsDuck]

uneducated? ok. bet I earn more than you, which isnt me being a * and pointing out that im better than you, like you just did, but does mean that my sub-standard A-level education and my attitude towards work is good enough.

To me the occasional speeling(actually typed that and willleave it as it is ) doesnt mean the end of the world and I wont get worked up over it.