Stupid writing errors made on Internet message boards...

MsK · Jan 31, 2009

Here's what I'm talking about...

I just made a comment on a friend's photo, wanted to tell her how happy she looked.

I wrote, "You're happiness is apparent."

Took a glance at it a few minutes later, and I was like, "What the heck???? Was I even thinking when I wrote that?"

Now I'm the first to admit I'm not the most sharpened pencil in the pack. I haven't stepped foot in a class room since high school, and I only started writing much more than journal entries and emails a couple years ago.
But... I DO know the proper usage of your vs. you're.
So why do I make so many stupid mistakes such as this while posting on the internet?
Sometimes it makes me laugh, sometimes it makes me feel kinda stupid.

Feel free to chime in. Does anyone else have this problem? Are you ever appalled when you look back at an earlier post?
Gosh... I hope there's at least one more person of the 28,000 here at AW who can relate.

Clair Dickson · Jan 31, 2009

I wish I knew. I'm a perfectly literate individual. I know the differences between all the commonly confused words... yet, time and time again, my fingers will type the wrong one. (Just recently, I used weight instead of wait... I mean, really? I'd never confuse the two.)

I do it far more in message posts and emails than in my normal writing. And I reread all my message posts before (and often again after) I've posted them. And yet, my stupid fingers are still hellbent on making me look like an idiot.

I'd understand if I was hurrying in my posts, but I really don't hurry. And I still reread what I've written before posting, so I miss the stupid errors twice...

I think the technology gods have just decided that I'm meant to look like an illiterate fool...

qwerty · Jan 31, 2009

You are not alone.

Earlier today I posted "to fast" and didn't even notice until someone sent me a message saying, "shouldn't that be too fast?"

I just think that writers are so obsessive about checking for correctness and standards when working that we often over relax when posting.

gypsyscarlett · Jan 31, 2009

Ah, everyone makes an error sometimes. Nothing to sweat over.

What I don't understand are the people who obviously don't care. Case in point? Youtube Comments.

tehuti88 · Jan 31, 2009

I can't think of examples off the top of my head, but I know I've done some pretty stupid things in forum posts, even after proofing them! (And I proof EVERY post I make.)

In my case, I think it's mainly because I'm always afraid my Internet connection will kick me off if I don't hurry up and post!! (It's happened.) Still embarrassing, though.

gothicangel · Jan 31, 2009

gypsyscarlett said:
Ah, everyone makes an error sometimes. Nothing to sweat over.

What I don't understand are the people who obviously don't care. Case in point? Youtube Comments.

You obviously haven't been around the BBC Sport 606 threads . . .

WendyNYC · Jan 31, 2009

Oh yeah, I've done that. I type *really* fast and...well...mistakes happen. And they happen a lot.

Kathleen42 · Jan 31, 2009

I hold myself to a different standard when posting to forums and on sites like Facebook - unfair, but there it is. The fact is that I'm most often checking these forums and sites quickly on lunch breaks or while waiting on hold and that, as everyone well knows, is when the typo fairies love to strike.

What irks me slightly, though, is when other people point out typos in posts (the exception being posts that work put up for critique). I haven't had this happen to me on AW (though lord knows my posts are riddled with enough typos that someone could have a field day) but I have had it happen on blog comments.

san_remo_ave · Jan 31, 2009

Absolutely. Happens more often than I like to admit...

dpaterso · Jan 31, 2009

Never happens to me. :Shrug:

-Derek

The Rav · Jan 31, 2009

I always have to think about its and it's. I know the rule, but sometimes my fingers type it one way instead of the other. I shudder to think how many times I may have sent out submissions with this stupid mistake--not to mention other stupid mistakes I probably haven't caught.

judy.s · Jan 31, 2009

I know the difference between words: since and sense, its and it's, course and coarse, there and their, etc etc etc, and as I go back and read what I wrote; I find these mistakes all the time. What is sad is I don't catch them all as I go back and reread. My mind knows what I am trying to say so it does not catch my attention when I come across one of these mistakes.

MsK · Jan 31, 2009

Happy to see I'm not alone in this.

I try and proof what I've written as well, and how these things still slip by is a mystery to me.

Liosse de Velishaf · Jan 31, 2009

I proof read all my posts--before and after posting. Mistakes still get through. I once spent three hours correcting over a hundred of my posts on one writing site I visit, and whenever I just happen to come across a mistake of mine when reading a thread, nothing will do but that I fix it before continuing...

Ciera_ · Jan 31, 2009

I very often mix up 'write' and 'right'. Seriously, I'll be welcoming a newbie on here and type 'You've come to the write place' without even TRYING to make a pun. 'Write' is a prettier word and comes more naturally to my fingers! That's my excuse. (Don't worry, I DO know the difference, and when to use them. I even know when to use 'rite'!)

kuwisdelu · Jan 31, 2009

When I take my time, I don't make a lot of mistakes, or I go back and edit them as soon as I read over my post again.

However, sometimes when I'm sleep or in a hurry I'll make a lot of stupid errors/typos and the next day I'll see my post and think "what the hell?"

Of course, no matter what errors we make, AW is fortunately one of the far better message boards I've ever been on. I hate it when I visit other forums, and people post in huge unreadable blocks of misspelled text without paragraphs or sometimes even sentences. When someone suggests spell check or paragraphs there's the inevitable "gosh, I dint relize this was english class! this is the internets, dumtard!" reply. :Headbang:

KTC · Jan 31, 2009

i think im quit pleased with my righting abilitys. im quilt sher i dont make mistooks, so im okay.

Cassiopeia · Jan 31, 2009

It seams to me that poeple is jest so picking nit an we shud be glad their not out to gat us.

RJK · Jan 31, 2009

I know what my problem is. ther is a gremlin in my keyboars. it removed the trailing 'e' on most of my worsd and switched the 's' and 'd' keyd arouns.
it also deemd to hav broken my dhift key, becaud my dentenced never dtart with a capital letter. thid dtartes when microdoft dtartes automatically capitallizing th firdt wors in a dentenc.

iherzi · Jan 31, 2009

i dun't no wut u men i nvr mk mstks or spk in cht.

That was painful.

Kateri · Jan 31, 2009

Don't worry about your righting issue MSK! I'm sure it will be all write. x

kuwisdelu · Jan 31, 2009

KTC said:
i think im quit pleased with my righting abilitys. im quilt sher i dont make mistooks, so im okay.

Cassiopeia said:
It seams to me that poeple is jest so picking nit an we shud be glad their not out to gat us.

RJK said:
I know what my problem is. ther is a gremlin in my keyboars. it removed the trailing 'e' on most of my worsd and switched the 's' and 'd' keyd arouns.
it also deemd to hav broken my dhift key, becaud my dentenced never dtart with a capital letter. thid dtartes when microdoft dtartes automatically capitallizing th firdt wors in a dentenc.

I hate you all.

KTC · Jan 31, 2009

this thred whent downthehill fastly.

And, hay! hat is a very strong word to use!

kuwisdelu · Jan 31, 2009

I love hats.

See avatar.

KTC · Jan 31, 2009

oh, sew if you saw you hat us it mens you love us.

Stupid writing errors made on Internet message boards...

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