In the world of instant messaging a common practice seems to be to use the shortcut language everywhere including forums.

Nothing is more annoying than trying to read a post that has absolutely no punctuation or capitalization of sentences and is full of instant messaging shortcut words like u for you and the obnoxious prolly for probably. Or the never ending paragraph.

I completely under stand that we get forum members from all over the world with varying levels of English skills but I would think most people would have basic knowledge like knowing to start a sentence with a capital letter and end with a period.

What are the thoughts on adding some guidelines around use of very basic proper English on the forum?

It is just frightening to think is that this is how English speaking people will be communicating in the future. I think we can do better.

 

The old enlish teachers are turning over in there grave and

applicates,that know higher english...lose again because of

tweeter.

 

While I tend to agree I prefer proper English, this is first and foremost an electronics forum. I will protest phone speak when I see it, but as for the rest, if the OP visits often they will pick it up.

 

Ironic, loosewire the first one to respond to this post.

A question I recently answered on Yahoo Answers:

Y d voltage drop acros a fwd bias diode remains 0.7 volts?

-The asker was from India. OGMTXTLAWLZNOOB speak is not confined to English speaking countries anymore.

 

A new thing our communictions people have to deal with when they say the noise is

up for an attack,go figure.

 

The unofficial forum of my university explicitly demands from its members not to use Greeklish (Greek words written with English characters) and I strongly support this idea. I don't enforce it in my forum, for some reason, though.

Here, in AAC, you can usually tell if the poster knows bad English or uses textspeak. I never frown upon the former. I always comment on the latter. But I guess I 'm too much of a tree hugging hippie to ban someone for that.

Also keep in mind that some foreign, but regular members do similar mistakes. T06afre uses full stops excessively. What would you say to him?

 

BOYCOTT M! BOYCOTT M L! F U CNT UZ PRPR INGLISCHE, DON' 'SPECK NO REPLY, NOHOW!

FWIW,
--Rich

 

In the world of instant messaging a common practice seems to be to use the shortcut language everywhere including forums.

Nothing is more annoying than trying to read a post that has absolutely no punctuation or capitalization of sentences and is full of instant messaging shortcut words like u for you and the obnoxious prolly for probably. Or the never ending paragraph.

I completely under stand that we get forum members from all over the world with varying levels of English skills but I would think most people would have basic knowledge like knowing to start a sentence with a capital letter and end with a period.

What are the thoughts on adding some guidelines around use of very basic proper English on the forum?

It is just frightening to think is that this is how English speaking people will be communicating in the future. I think we can do better.

@spinnaker, "understand" is one word, not two.

 

The old enlish teachers are turning over in there grave and

applicates,that know higher english...lose again because of

tweeter.

Loosie calling the kettle black.

 

The unofficial forum of my university explicitly demands from its members not to use Greeklish (Greek words written with English characters) and I strongly support this idea. I don't enforce it in my forum, for some reason, though.

Here, in AAC, you can usually tell if the poster knows bad English or uses textspeak. I never frown upon the former. I always comment on the latter. But I guess I 'm too much of a tree hugging hippie to ban someone for that.

Also keep in mind that some foreign, but regular members do similar mistakes. T06afre uses full stops excessively. What would you say to him?

I think Georacer put it very well. I think it is the use of "textspeak" that bugs me the most. I have no problem with someone whose first language is not English misusing a homonym or makes a mistake in the use of tense on a word. I in fact admire people trying to communicate in a language that is not their first language on a subject matter that is already complicated.

I think the use of "textspeak" has little to do with the command of a language and everything to do with laziness.

 

@spinnaker, "understand" is one word, not two.

Obviously a typo. You know full well that is not that I was talking about.

 

I have a varying sentence structure all the times.

Look, http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=64986 .

Please pardon me if I do not have a proper sentence structure all the times. Sometimes, when I have a strong excitement or feelings it makes my sentence structure not proper.

I use proper sentence structure when I am having formal conversations and even when talking to my friends.

All the best,
Lightfire

 

@ Spinaker, the english teachers wanted me to diagram sentences,can you

believe that. Draw the funny lines below and between word,you could do better.

I heard a lot,I did remember the Gettysburg Address,I nailed it,school wasn't all bad.

 

lightfirecatapult,
I have noticed a night & day difference between your English now, and when you first came here. You have made a great improvement in a short time. You should be proud. In any case, I think this thread was aimed more at people who's native tongue is english, and went through 12 years of English-taught school, but are too lazy to properly organize their words or even fully type them out. Not aimed you, or any other person who may have legitimate trouble with the English language.

 

Obviously a typo. You know full well that is not that I was talking about.

Yes, I know what you were talking about, I make lot's of mistakes myself, nobody's perfect.

 

I don't use spell check,its right there,my brain tell me how to go,sorta

my way.I not trying to impress anyone,some times it come out right.

My mind spills it out and I push the keys,you notice i don't do alot of

stuff. Most of the guys understand,I have been double spacing and

no one said any thing,I thing it looks better.

 

I just put on 3D glasses and I can read loosewire posts no problem.

 

Several years ago we took out a CD at the local bank.
A week later we received a letter explaining that the rate was misquoted and was actually lower.
This letter had 23 punctuation mistakes.
Talking to the bank manager it was mentioned that the letter was written by a new trainee who was in his 3rd year of college.
Inexcusable when a official letter written on the company letterhead contained all of these mistakes.
Instead of correcting the writer, we were continually harassed until we switched to another branch.
I guess overlooking writing like that is the new norm.

 

I just put on 3D glasses and I can read loosewire posts no problem.

I put on my "stream of consciousness" glasses. ... Sometimes it works.

 

lightfirecatapult,
I have noticed a night & day difference between your English now, and when you first came here. You have made a great improvement in a short time. You should be proud. In any case, I think this thread was aimed more at people who's native tongue is english, and went through 12 years of English-taught school, but are too lazy to properly organize their words or even fully type them out. Not aimed you, or any other person who may have legitimate trouble with the English language.

Well said. And for those that don't have English as their first language a simply capitalizing sentences and putting a period at the end. Pretty much the rules in many western languages.

Also not running on endless paragraphs helps a lot to make the post more readable.

Lightfire,

I have already mentioned I admire people like you. I don't think I could work in this hobby if I had to do it in another language other than English.