Writing "proper English" on the forums (split from Published books in Novels)

Ugawa · Aug 18, 2008

Thank you all for ur help =]
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geardrops · Aug 18, 2008

Writing "proper" English on the forums (split from Published books in Novels)

Ugawa, something that might help you in general:

Try to refrain from using netspeak or poor grammar in your posts. Write correctly, even here, and it will translate to your work.

Ageless Stranger · Aug 18, 2008

dempsey said:
Ugawa, something that might help you in general:

Try to refrain from using netspeak or poor grammar in your posts. Write correctly, even here, and it will translate to your work.

Top notch advice.

Woodsie · Aug 18, 2008

Not to take away from the great advice, but wasn't Ugawa talking about someone else's published books?

I notice things like that, too. It's funny how I don't notice my own, though.

Ugawa · Aug 18, 2008

dempsey said:
Ugawa, something that might help you in general:

Try to refrain from using netspeak or poor grammar in your posts. Write correctly, even here, and it will translate to your work.

Okay lol, i go on a few different forums and i'm used to text writing. So i use it all the time on forums. I can't see how doing it offends anyone but if you think i should stop then i'll try

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Madison · Aug 18, 2008

Ugawa said:
Okay lol, i go on a few different forums and i'm used to text writing. So i use it all the time on forums. I can't see how doing it offends anyone but if you think i should stop then i'll try

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It's just easier to read normal English

Shweta · Aug 18, 2008

Ugawa said:
Okay lol, i go on a few different forums and i'm used to text writing. So i use it all the time on forums. I can't see how doing it offends anyone but if you think i should stop then i'll try

It's not about offense, really. It's about practicing our craft, which does affect how easily it comes to us. It's also about... well, let's put it this way. Most places, how you write is irrelevant. But in a community of writers, when we show (not tell) that we are able to write, it affects how other people see us.

And in a community where most people write full English sentences, they're far easier to read than text speak. As Madison points out.

None of that is saying that text speak is wrong or silly in its context. Just that this isn't its context

geardrops · Aug 18, 2008

Yeah, it's not that it bothers me. But here you'll be taken more seriously and your posts will get more attention if you write correctly. Also, as I said, writing correctly here will naturally leak into your writing, to the point where editing becomes less daunting of a task.

I feel like I say this a lot

KC Sunshine · Aug 18, 2008

Hmmmm, I think you guys are being a bit hard on Ugawa. Just because you have a few typos in your forum posts doesn't mean you don't take care in your written work. It takes a lot of energy to get everything correct in our manuscripsts- surely we can chill when we are on these forums and not be so particular about grammar and punctuation. It's not like we couldn't understand the post.

geardrops · Aug 18, 2008

I think you all misunderstand me.

I'm not saying she doesn't take care in her written work. I'm saying that if you always write correctly, you don't have to.

If you force yourself to always stand with correct posture, it will come naturally and you will do it without thinking about it. Athletes practice moves over and over until they perform it with the same conscious effort as breathing.

That's what I'm saying. If you always write correctly, you won't have to try. You'll just write like that.

Toothpaste · Aug 18, 2008

KC Sunshine said:
Hmmmm, I think you guys are being a bit hard on Ugawa. Just because you have a few typos in your forum posts doesn't mean you don't take care in your written work. It takes a lot of energy to get everything correct in our manuscripsts- surely we can chill when we are on these forums and not be so particular about grammar and punctuation. It's not like we couldn't understand the post.

It isn't about the odd misspelling. If it was I would be banned from this forum. It's about using obvious text speak in a forum dedicated to words. Yes Ugawa was understandable, but what I have always loved about this forum is the care its members take to use proper grammar, to think over what they are posting. Almost every other community out there is all about short hand text speak, taking out the musicality and beauty of language and making it all about sounding the same as each other. As odd as it may seem, NOT using text speak allows the author of it to explore his/her own voice in writing.

Aside from that, as I often recommend to students, writing "properly" in emails, forums etc, is a great way of getting practice writing, while not having to go out of your way to do so. It's the lazy man's way of practicing, I would think people would embrace it, I know I do! (my spelling has improved since being on this forum, by the way, by virtue of simply writing so much and paying attention to it).

Lastly, no one is being hard on Ugawa, suggesting he/she write not in text speak is hardly cruel, or even an order. If Ugawa chooses not to, he/she is free to. It's not that big a deal, just a really good suggestion.

ETA: Very well put Dempsey!

Shweta · Aug 18, 2008

Hey all,

I figure this is a conversation worth having, but wanted to not have it overwhelm the initial topic. So you have hereby been splitted out, and having undergone splittification, are about to be launched into the Roundtable. Fasten seat belts please

Charlie Horse · Aug 19, 2008

Them's sum good rules to foller.

Seriously, I always scratch my head when I see poor grammar being used here. It's about as out of place as Michael Phelps doing the dog paddle.

BenPanced · Aug 19, 2008

I use "normal" English everywhere online. I figure I don't want my mother to be embarrassed when she hears about how rotten my spelling, grammar, and punctuation are.

Ugawa · Aug 19, 2008

Okay, I didn't think he was being hard on me.

I'll start trying to write proper English when on the forum. I'm just not used to it when talking on forums.

. I'm a bit embarrassed that it's been split into a different thread because now people are going to think i'm stupid.

XD

P.S... i'm a girl lol.

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nevada · Aug 19, 2008

Charlie Horse said:
It's about as out of place as Michael Phelps doing the dog paddle.

If he did, he'd still win the gold.

Phaeal · Aug 19, 2008

I notice that even in my gamer forums, the people who want to be taken seriously write in standard English rather than textspeak. I'm much more tolerant of textspeak in chat situations, where speed is crucial, but in a forum, nah. Textspeak is too much like Newspeak there, to my sensibilities.

Mr Flibble · Aug 19, 2008

Phaeal said:
I notice that even in my gamer forums, the people who want to be taken seriously write in standard English rather than textspeak.

They certainly do. Also what you have to remember is that unlike, say, a gamer forum, there are probably people here who don't get textspeak at all. I can normally get it, I use it when I'm actually gaming to an extent because speed is often important, but it takes extra effort for my poor abused brain cells. You wouldn't want them to explode now, would you?

Sheryl Nantus · Aug 19, 2008

think of it this way.

in REAL LIFE you have to be able to spell and write properly.

unless you plan to do nothing with your life other than textspeak then you better get as much practice in as you can.

Clair Dickson · Aug 19, 2008

Heh. I'm too lazy to learn a new form of 'english' communication... especially when the old one works so well across so many situations. I'd rather focus my memory on trying to make sure I spell "definetly" correctly or that my fingers didn't pick the wrong 'there' or something like that. But I also type fast enough that I don't need to abreviate for chatting... ;-)

Beach Bunny · Aug 19, 2008

Ugawa said:
Okay, I didn't think he was being hard on me.

I'll start trying to write proper English when on the forum. I'm just not used to it when talking on forums. . I'm a bit embarrassed that it's been split into a different thread because now people are going to think i'm stupid.

Not at all.

You're just using a form of English which is difficult to understand if you aren't used to it. In fact, the opposite is true, is it not? Not only can you write in normal English, you can write and understand textspeak. If you were "stupid" you wouldn't be able to do either one.

geardrops · Aug 19, 2008

Phaeal said:
I notice that even in my gamer forums, the people who want to be taken seriously write in standard English rather than textspeak. I'm much more tolerant of textspeak in chat situations, where speed is crucial, but in a forum, nah. Textspeak is too much like Newspeak there, to my sensibilities.

4 srs i wuz tnking SSC n dis ossum plate drops n i wntd it but sum noob pally won da roll n i wuz all wtf?!?!?!?!?!11!! nobdy lieks prot war im gunna respec armsfury

I mean... what?

Shweta · Aug 19, 2008

Ugawa said:
I'm a bit embarrassed that it's been split into a different thread because now people are going to think i'm stupid.

Nah, nobody thinks you're stupid, just that you started a useful discussion

P.S... i'm a girl lol.

PS, so are several of us

IdiotsRUs said:
I can normally get it, I use it when I'm actually gaming to an extent because speed is often important, but it takes extra effort for my poor abused brain cells. You wouldn't want them to explode now, would you?

Splodeys!

Er, I mean no, of course not!

dempsey said:

Dempsey, your smileys should have little blood spatters in 'em. I wonder if anyone's done a watchmen smiley smiley?

windyrdg · Aug 19, 2008

My two cents worth: Capitalization is also a big part of proper writing. i think.

Sassee · Aug 19, 2008

BenPanced said:
I use "normal" English everywhere online. I figure I don't want my mother to be embarrassed when she hears about how rotten my spelling, grammar, and punctuation are.

Really? Because I remember this post.

nevada said:
If he did, he'd still win the gold.

Troof, you speaks it.

Phaeal said:
I notice that even in my gamer forums, the people who want to be taken seriously write in standard English rather than textspeak. I'm much more tolerant of textspeak in chat situations, where speed is crucial, but in a forum, nah. Textspeak is too much like Newspeak there, to my sensibilities.

Whyfor you dis on teh lolspeak??

It really depends on how silly someone is feeling that day. Myself, for instance. If I'm trying to be serious and contribute something to a thread, I'll write in normal english (like now) with a few slips into lolspeak land. But if I'm in a good mood and just playing around I start being like "zomg stuff!" and spooge my silliness all over the intarwebz.

Once you get into the groove of the language it's sometimes hard to make a mental switch between proper speech and slang. I'm one of those unfortunate people blessed with the ability to pick up any form of mangled English and run with it immediately... sometimes to a scary level of inventiveness that even my gamer friends blink at.

(And I've been known to slip into the speech patterns of my characters... which is another issue entirely.)

dempsey said:
4 srs i wuz tnking SSC n dis ossum plate drops n i wntd it but sum noob pally won da roll n i wuz all wtf?!?!?!?!?!11!! nobdy lieks prot war im gunna respec armsfury

I mean... what?

I am ashamed to say I understood all of that on first pass. (And I thought Demps was already arms/fury build?

)

Also, just because I can... Alamo teeches U 2 Play DURID!

^^ Go there for one of the original lolspeak gamers!

Writing "proper English" on the forums (split from Published books in Novels)

It's a catastrophic success!

Good thing I like my day job

Dave Brubeck kicks your ass.

I have tendencies.

It's a catastrophic success!

summertime...

gone

Good thing I like my day job

Good thing I like my day job

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

gone

Speaking in metaphors

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

It's a catastrophic success!

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Holding out for a Superhero...

A dark core to every cloud

The Provocative One

Good thing I like my day job

gone

New kid, be gentle!

Momma Wolf