I don't know where to post this, but can spelling errors by a poster using fat fingers on a new smart phone he has not yet mastered bring scorn from the community? After all, we're supposed to be experts, aren't we?
Noob Wishing Not To Annoy
- Thread starter drdave
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Somewhere around here is a thread on whether or not spelling/typos in forum posts bother people.
My advice would be to read that, find the people who say yes, and avoid them.
As for me, I'm a copy editor by day, and even I'm sloppy on forums. I'm thinking quickly and typing as fast as my fingers can keep up with my brain. The only thing that bothers me on forums are egregious usage errors that I know aren't the product of thinking too fast or typing on a smartphone.
Unless you're being snotty about someone else, you're probably going to be fine.
I can't spell, and half the letters in the alphabet look alike to me.
Fortunately posts are editable. I'm constantly editing to fix my screw-ups.
Welcome to AW.
You should see some of my posts after I've taken my tablet (which I am just about to do). Itt mkase ym spelgni lal orwng.
Sadly it also makes me think I can post clearly!
Sadly it also makes me think I can post clearly!
Tush.
We don't make errors . . . it's the Internet!
Yes, that's it, it's the Internet.
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I feel ur pain. My fone haz small keyboard 2 & i h8 it but o well what can u do? its made 4 wimin hands i think.
There are similar threads about, but this might be the one you're referring to. (Even though the original poster flaked out and deleted all of his posts in that thread, it still bears reading.)
If only everyone on the net was as considerate =)
You could add a disclaimer to your sig, I suppose!
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I do a lot of my posting via my phone too. However, I did have some one PM me suggesting that my MS wasn't getting picked up by an agent because it wasn't polished enough, using my recent posts (and pointing out the errors) as a reason to suspect this.
Of course I polish my MS, have beta's and friends read and re-read and work on it until I'm blue in the face. I just don't put that same kind of attention into a post some times.
My spelling and grammar are not up to snuff by any means, I'm still learning.
And it will annoy some people, however, it doesn't make you a bad writer, not at all. So don't worry too much about it.
I highly doubt you will get blacklisted because you're not good at grammer. Hell I've been here well over a year and they haven't kicked me out yet.
Of course I polish my MS, have beta's and friends read and re-read and work on it until I'm blue in the face. I just don't put that same kind of attention into a post some times.
My spelling and grammar are not up to snuff by any means, I'm still learning.
And it will annoy some people, however, it doesn't make you a bad writer, not at all. So don't worry too much about it.
I highly doubt you will get blacklisted because you're not good at grammer. Hell I've been here well over a year
and they haven't kicked me out yet.But...
it might pay in the future if you do try to post correctly. You would be amazed at the number of editors and agents who do check you out by reading your blog and posts.
I have a sneaking belief that editors new to you as a writer will do a swift reckie via google and your posts to see how professional you seem to be. If you don't seem stroppy or difficult but come across as reasonable and professional then they buy your work.
And the number of corrections I've had to do to this post means I deeply sympathise. I have a swift brain and fumble fingers!
it might pay in the future if you do try to post correctly. You would be amazed at the number of editors and agents who do check you out by reading your blog and posts.
I have a sneaking belief that editors new to you as a writer will do a swift reckie via google and your posts to see how professional you seem to be. If you don't seem stroppy or difficult but come across as reasonable and professional then they buy your work.
And the number of corrections I've had to do to this post means I deeply sympathise. I have a swift brain and fumble fingers!
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My spelling thread is still around, though I can't find it atm. Edited, found it: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=208980
I didn't flake out, though I might occasionally be a little flakey.
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It doesn't bother me when other people do it, but I hate it when I do it myself. I always go back and edit my posts because I have dyslexic fingers. My keyboard has several times tried to sue me for malpractice. Once, it actually won, hence the edits.
Spelling mistakes are human. Editing is divine. Though I'd say typos are caused by fat fingers. Spelling mistakes are caused by not knowing how to spell.
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I don't think you'll find people get all up in your stuff over it. However, taking the attitude of 'it's the internet and not my job/memo/school/essay, I don't feel like I haaaaave to follow strict punctuation/spelling/capitalization on boards durr hurr hurr' tends to have people look at you with less seriousness. Sometimes, derision.
But the occasional fat-fingered typo is usually looked around. Or poked fun at if it happens to be a funny one.
But the occasional fat-fingered typo is usually looked around. Or poked fun at if it happens to be a funny one.
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Even people with tiny hands and skinny fingers make typos. I know, because I have tiny hands and skinny fingers that make plenty of typos. It's worse when I repsond here at work, because I can't get spell check to work in IE. At home, spell check in my browser works great.
Love editing, which I do plenty of before the post reaches you guys. I don't always catch it all, though.
Welcome, by the way!
Love editing, which I do plenty of before the post reaches you guys. I don't always catch it all, though.
Welcome, by the way!
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I don't have a problem with the occasional error regardless of why it's there. However, I'm prefect...err...perfect, so this doesn't apply to me.
On the other hand, if I have to work to decipher poorly written pieces - blog entries, forum replies, novels, whatever - I'm not going to keep it up for long. There's a big difference between the occasional typo or misspelled word and a five-paragraph post written entirely in l33t.
On the other hand, if I have to work to decipher poorly written pieces - blog entries, forum replies, novels, whatever - I'm not going to keep it up for long. There's a big difference between the occasional typo or misspelled word and a five-paragraph post written entirely in l33t.