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Breaking the rules on forums

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number1fan
Member
#11 · Posted: 6 Aug 2006 17:14
I know there rules but sometimes i think some are a bit pettey
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I did actually mean like peoples opinions i have writ en my opp ions on things before and i ember one time i actually got banned for an opinion :( Wich wasn't very fair

[combined two posts]

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Moderator note:
No-one is ever banned for an opinion. You were suspended for these reasons: no punctuation, no grammar, off topic and encouraging illegal activites.

You were later allowed to rejoin the forum.

We ask again that you improve your grammar and punctuation by using full stops and capital letters where appropriate. You could also try using the "check spelling" feature. Take a bit more care with your posting! Your posts will not be accepted otherwise.

Thanks!
The Happy Tintinologist Team :-)
tybaltstone
Member
#12 · Posted: 8 Aug 2006 15:34
I've always felt a little uncomfortable about the spelling/grammar rule on some forums, if I may say so. I've seen, on one occassion that I'm fully aware of, a person with dyslexia being banned and joked at for their spelling, when actually they were trying the best they could.

Also, it is not easy to take into account either a lack of a particular area of education, or a lack of familiarity in English language, neither of which should be discriminated against. My own view is that if you can understand it then that's good (not that I'm wanting to force my view, these are just a few 'pennies').

I do understand why these standards/rules would be made, but I also worry someone who may not be able to abide by these rules is being penalised through no real fault of their own.

I'm not the world's greatest speller myself - especially when typing quickly (though my large dollop of ignorance and ill-education helps too)! :-)
number1fan
Member
#13 · Posted: 8 Aug 2006 17:27
I know i have bad spelling (sometimes) but were knot all oxford proffesors sometimes were in a bit of a hurry and things that we write on theres boards come out wrong.
I think who ever is in charge of the spell check becuase there otherday i spelt were wrong by accident and the correct spelling came up weir*
Harrock n roll
Moderator
#14 · Posted: 8 Aug 2006 20:56
tybaltstone wrote: Also, it is not easy to take into account either a lack of a particular area of education, or a lack of familiarity in English language, neither of which should be discriminated against. My own view is that if you can understand it then that's good

I agree with that entirely and many of your other points Garen. Certainly the moderators here would never discriminate against anyone and always try to use their best judgment in every circumstance.

And thanks, the punctuation is much better number1fan! With regard to the spell check feature, it's always approximate but it can help make some posts more understandable. Even Oxford professors have been known to use them... ;-)
Stas Werno
Member
#15 · Posted: 8 Aug 2006 23:39
Also, it is not easy to take into account either a lack of a particular area of education, or a lack of familiarity in English language, neither of which should be discriminated against. My own view is that if you can understand it then that's good (not that I'm wanting to force my view, these are just a few 'pennies').

I think this is a very fair point well made :) I have a girlfriend with dyslexia and I can forget and be quite snobby with her by mistake when it comes to her spelling and stuff. But I've got to admit when I go on to a forum and see

"OMG LOLZZZ!!!!1111oneone Ddi u see teh B1g Bro lazt nitwe?? omg pete iz so fit!!!! lollz xx"

Then there is absolutely NO excuse! Even when i was a kid we managed to actually make coherent sentences when emailing or MSNing each other. Do these people talk like that in real life too? Heh.

So my point is: though I do prefer my ruleless forum, it is VERY refreshing to come here and instantly find stuff worth reading without the above language involved, a condition imposed by the rules.

Not that my other forum containes the above language either, but you get what I mean.

Oh and Number1fan, i'm at the UK's worst uni, with the highest dropout rate and lowest teaching standards (sadly), quite the opposite of Oxford! :)
jock123
Moderator
#16 · Posted: 9 Aug 2006 10:53
number1fan
were knot all oxford proffesors sometimes were in a bit of a hurry and things that we write on theres boards come out wrong.

Quite so - no one is disputing the fact; but you have to look at it in the light of how often, and how much.

Somebody who makes mistakes from time-to-time will tend to be more readable than someone who constantly takes no time, or care, over the way they post.

Many of our members are using English as a second- or even third-language, and they make a huge effort to conform to the rules just for the sake of clarity.

You yourself have described yourself in your biography as a writer, so in a way you have set yourself up as having perhaps a greater appreciation of this fact than most (and I believe previously you described your interest as "learning languages" so you will have sympathy with our foreign readers if they are face with a lot of hard to read posts...).

Sometimes being in a hurry is different from always being in a hurry, so poor spellin, grammar, punctuation etc. (which is often no more than mis-typing, more than any in-built lack of knowledge of the language.

(Did anyone notice that spellin just now? The spell-checker did...)

If you do find that you have posted in haste, you can still repent (and review and edit) at leisure, using the Edit button next to your post, so there is a period of grace for you to amend errors.

By the use of incorrect spelling you can actually confuse your readers - if that happens, people might give up, and what you have to say, which could be important or useful, will be lost.

Just as an example, you have written were knot - two legitimate English words, just neither of them the ones that you wanted, and which don't actually make sense together, or in context.

If you slowed down and wrote "We're not", you would improve things for everyone, because only then does it make sense. The time it took you to write the extra k you didn't need could have been used to put the apostrophe in we're, so it wouldn't actually have cost you anything, even in a hurry.

I think who ever is in charge of the spell check becuase there otherday i spelt were wrong by accident and the correct spelling came up weir*

Now one problem here is that you have dropped an entire word (or entire words) somewhere along the line, and again we have to guess at your point; do you mean "whoever is in charge of the spell check should be given a medal because..." or "whoever is in charge of the spell check must be doing something wrong because...", or what?

How is anyone meant to know, unless you take time to review what you write?

As to the spell check and weir, well that too is a proper English word, and the spell check doesn't actually know what word you are intending, so presumably whatever you wrote was closer to weir that were (or we're - see? I don't know which you were going for...). So the spell check actually appears to have been okay.

To sum up, I think the gist of the thing is manners and politeness above all else - not taking the time or expending a little effort in what is posted is like eating with your mouth open and talking at the same time - it shows little respect for those with whom you are conversing, and maks the whole thing less tolerable.

(No doubt there are errors in spelling and grammar here too, but hey, I'm not an Oxford professor either...)
Tintinrulz
Member
#17 · Posted: 10 Aug 2006 02:11
I have dyslexia, but there are many different kinds. Up until I was around 6 years old, I hated reading - had lots of trouble with it. Due to understanding teachers and some good books in early primary school I learned to love to read. By 7 years old I was lapping up the Narnia books, Asterix comics, Tintin comics and Hardy Boys novels. I still love to read. But it took a lot of effort and time. I still have some pretty dodgy sentence structures but overall I'm not too bad there.

I can understand that someone dyslexic will have problems following the grammer etc rules, but I also think it's very important to have some parameters.
I know for a fact that some may be dyslexic and they try hard (good on them) but don't always have coherent sentences, but there are also some people who get drunk and go on forums and that amounts to pretty illegible posts also.
Then there are the really lazy people who just can't be bothered editing thier posts and don't care that they have so much to say and in the end no one can understand them. (Don't blame it on ADD)
That's what ticks me off.

If your dyslexic, you have a good reason, if you are just drunk or a lazy SMSer etc - grow up!
admin
Administrator
#18 · Posted: 10 Aug 2006 06:48
tybaltstone wrote: Also, it is not easy to take into account either a lack of a particular area of education, or a lack of familiarity in English language, neither of which should be discriminated against. My own view is that if you can understand it then that's good (not that I'm wanting to force my view, these are just a few 'pennies'). I do understand why these standards/rules would be made, but I also worry someone who may not be able to abide by these rules is being penalised through no real fault of their own.

The language rule exists solely to encourage members to make their communication as clear and effective as possible.

Everyone makes mistakes, so I do not mind the odd spelling mistake or a bit of unorthodox grammar--as long as I can still make sense of the content of the posting. Since this is an information resource site, postings need to at least be readable to be useful to our readers. If a posting is gibberish or is so riddled with mistakes that no sense can be made of it, it will unlikely be considered useful and will therefore be subject to moderation.

number1fan wrote: sometimes were in a bit of a hurry and things that we write on theres boards come out wrong.

There is no need for posting with speed on this forum--we have no plans to move! Taking a few extra seconds to read back over a post makes all the difference and is appreciated. :-)

Stas Werno wrote: though I do prefer my ruleless forum, it is VERY refreshing to come here and instantly find stuff worth reading without the above language involved, a condition imposed by the rules.

I am pleased to hear that you find the forums here refreshing. The whole idea of having rules and guidelines in place is to help keep this place a useful resource for people who are interested in Tintin. :-)

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