Is it asking too much for DUers to please hit PREVIEW

[tavernier]

before posting? Some of the posts are so garbled that they are unreadable, with missing words plus grammar and spelling errors. I know we are used to typing quickly, and anxious to get our message out there, but be considerate of those of us who are trying to make sense of your post. It only takes a few extra seconds to preview your work and correct the mistakes.

*climbs off soapbox*

[ProfessorGAC]

1. Any Of Your Past Neighbors Bugging Out, Tav?

Our Tav friends and our friends in KW all bugged out Tuesday. All of them rode out past storms, but not this one. They all decided too much risk.

[tavernier]

3. My kids left yesterday

and made it as far as Georgia on the old roads. My friends are idiots. They are all staying.

[W T F]

38. Aren't you closer to Key Largo?

A year and a half ago, I lived on a boat in KL, next to Jule's Undersea lodge. Last I checked, it was directly in Irma's path. Just worried about all my friends there.

[tavernier]

57. Tavernier is a town at the far southern end of

the island of Key Largo. The other half of the town is located on the island of Plantation Key, which is connected to Key Largo by the Tavernier Creek Bridge.
We are approx 100 miles from Key West.

[PoliticAverse]

2. Friends don't let friends post drunk. n/t

[tavernier]

4. True, lol!

I've done that myself, but even then I preview my post. I think I'm actually a bit more clever after a glass or two.

[underpants]

5. i aGree

[3catwoman3]

6. And might I put in a plea for small to medium paragraphs, as well as...

...capitalization of the first word of a sentence, periods at the end, and other basic conventions?

There are some posts that are just giant run-on paragraphs/sentences, with no punctuation at all. Very hard to read, so I usually don't bother, but always wonder what wisdom or humor I might be missing.

[tavernier]

8. Thank you!

All thoughts are important, but if they are unreadable, why bother? And please don't think I'm being a picky old crank... I make lots of mistakes in my posts, and I don't care if you mistake your for you're. But take that extra second to review your work.

[PatSeg]

25. This is excellent point

It is such a strain on the eyes to try and read very long paragraphs, when it would be so easy to break up a post into smaller paragraphs. This is true for emails as well. I'm sure I have also missed some "wisdom or humor".

[KatyMan]

53. particularly on a tablet or phone

long paragraphs are hard to read.

[PatSeg]

56. As I get older,

I appreciate some of my English teachers more and more, especially the ones who were very strict about grammar and composition.

[defacto7]

36. Oh I forgot...

Twitter is the standard limit not only for length of statement but for attention span. The future looks bleak measured in characters.

[3catwoman3]

61. Twitter, IMO, is directly contributing to the...

...dumbing down of the population. A 140 character limit does not do much to encourage deep thinking.

Facebook, too. I see so many inane or stultifyingly dull posts - "Went out to lunch," and the like. "Out shopping." BFD. I fully expect to see one some day that says "Just took a leak."

[Snarkoleptic]

7. I try to keep it wired-tight, but

my thumbs are like large meat-paddles looming over a tiny smartphone keyboard.

[tavernier]

14. Same problem as 45, huh?

[ret5hd]

9. Pfffft! If your so perfict Im just gonna

Why i oughta. grammer nazis go to hell!

[tavernier]

11. Well Hilarys emailsand bernie hates dems

Well Hilarys emailsand bernie hates dems and ill kick your ass!

[HipChick]

15. Exactly...my English teacher can go roll in

his grave....the memory I have of him, is that he smells of moth balls...people's attention span is short on the internet..

[Borchkins]

40. What you. . . squirrel!!!

[Javaman]

10. for what you think am the belief you stuff!

from tome to time I runt to the fair gourd for the upteenth time.

So excuse from by mine too!

[tavernier]

12. Olny once. n/t

[Javaman]

13. for front bent my lavalamp! nt

[fleur-de-lisa]

37. Ahem to tath!

[octoberlib]

16. I usually preview and if I don't I always go back and edit.

[Bruce Fallsteen]

17. Good Punt

Why dos ittake solong fo

[MineralMan]

18. Yes, I'm sure it is asking too much.

Oh, well...

[Lucky Luciano]

19. I post quickly at work. No time for carefully crafted messages.

If my iPhone autocorrects me into gibberish, oh well!

[tavernier]

22. Yes, I can that.

[SCVDem]

20. Usually that happens when you're in a hurry

and spell check totally slides its version of what you entered.

That happens to the best of us!

Usually on a phone.

[GetRidOfThem]

21. Wants us to do better in postings than POTUS...

...So sad. Covfefe...

[rpannier]

23. covfefe

[NurseJackie]

24. Not everyone posts from a desktop computer with a full screen and full-sized keyboard.

[tavernier]

27. I don't own a computer.

I post on my iPhone. The preview option is still available. I'm just saying, if it's important enough to post, at least make it legible.

[NurseJackie]

29. Dexterity and vision levels differ between individuals. Suck it up.

Not everything that annoys you is due to people being lazy or inconsiderate.

[Iggo]

26. Yes.

[procon]

28. What? And miss all those unexpectedly witty malapropisms?

Seriously, there are a few DU contributors whose rambling screeds are so notoriously indecipherable and they confound my military grade Klingon translation device, leaving it sparking and belching clouds of noxious smoke.

Sometimes I wonder if the Moran Man has invaded DU as part of some nefarious Russian plot to make America illiterate again.

[cwydro]

35. Lol!

Just posted and then read your comment!

I referenced him too!

[democrank]

30. My son and two of my grandsons have learning disabilities

and have difficulties with spelling and grammar. I'm always grateful to people who care more about what they write than how they write it.

[NJCher]

33. doesn't have to be an either/or

It's about respect for your reader and about how much the poster cares how the message comes across.

People are used to English conventions, AKA a certain level of correctness and form in the written language. When you violate such conventions, it's like watching bad acting. It causes people to deviate from the gist of the message and distract them to thinking about how well educated you are or how much care you put into your written communication.


Cher

[tavernier]

44. Well said.

No one is trying to shame people with learning disabilities. My experience is that those folks take greater pride in their hard earned work than someone who just throws any kind of tripe on a page and expects us to read his mind.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

69. Especially when writing online, when you can use a spell checker or

google any word you're not sure of. My husband is dyslexic, but he works pretty hard to make sure what he writes is as error-free as possible.

In texts or on Twitter, the rules seem to be relaxed, but errors in common English writing conventions do generally distract the reader from the message the writer intends to convey.

[procon]

41. I have dyslexia. As an adult, I learned from my mistakes and know how to compensate.

I enjoy reading a well crafted screed, and few minor misspellings or the occasional grammatical faux pas don't matter, and I sure make enough of my own. However, there are some regular writers on DU whose didactic prose is so badly written as to render the hidden message indecipherable without considerable effort of the part of the reader.

Those posts are usually not a one off, but part of a long established pattern that clearly shows such authors neither want to improve or care about the suffering reader who tries to reconstruct their gibberish to glean some semblance of the original intent. Those folks who don't take the time to clean up their text should not expect the readership to do it for them.

[tavernier]

45. Wow. Read my post right above yours.

I think we were both saying the same thing at the same time, but you said it so much better!

[edbermac]

31. You're tipping off the trolls.

[Beartracks]

32. Covfefe

[cwydro]

34. Thank you!

Some OPs remind me of the guy with the "Moran" sign.

And the posters who simply write with no punctuation or commas in some stream of consciousness thing are annoying.

[3catwoman3]

62. ..."no punctuation or commas in some stream of consciousness thing..."

ITA. Hence, my plea above for paragraphs.

[longship]

39. The exemplar of posting before preview.

I give you Gabby Johnson.

[tavernier]

48. Omg

[SCantiGOP]

42. yes, yes, yes

Thanks for the post.
While I am not a grammar nazi, I may come close to the grammar alt-right.
(Ain't no excuse if your not able to grammarize rightly.)

[syringis]

43. I understand your feeling

I feel the same in French forums.

Sometimes, a post is so messed up that it looks like the poster has reviewed it thru a blender or so...

It is more difficult to provide an assessment on English threads, since I'm not a native speaker and don't have a very extended vocabulary.

Please, accept in advance my apologies for my own posts. I do my best, however, I'm sure I'm sometimes beatting hardly the English language.

I'm lucky : people are very tolerant with me, in addition to be friendly.

[defacto7]

50. Just write the way you feel it and think...

The language doesn't need to fit the readers lowest common denominator, readers need to get better or at least try. Otherwise language dies. And for god sakes don't use modern American English as a standard of good practice. Your doing just fine.

[syringis]

59. Thank you

It is so true. Not only for the English but also for many languages.

In French, it is sometimes horrifying.

We live in an era where the levelling down seems to be a standard...

[LanternWaste]

63. I think that applies to writers more

"readers need to get better or at least try. Otherwise language dies..."

I think that applies to writers more; inference is relative, implication is absolute.

It's my responsibility to express my sentiments both accurately and clearly, rather than the reader's responsibility to interpret my garbled, misspelled and grammatically incorrect meaning.

That being the actual purpose of language-- which becomes something other than language if neither accuracy nor clarity exists.

[defacto7]

65. I absolutely agree with...

interpret my garbled, misspelled and grammatically incorrect meaning.

I'm talking about writing style, length of sentences, paragraphs or other variables that are important to share more complex ideas or to amify a writers personal expression. Grammar, spelling, those are basics that should be mastered and practiced... I have to. Meeting the reader where they're able understand is a monumental task. Just look at all the heated arguments on this site because someone misunderstands the poster or refuses to try; it goes back and forth for more reasons than grammar. Understanding the basics helps but applying a complex mood or subject can't always be accomplished by simplifying the writers thoughts.
I want to make points as clear as I can, but not at the expense of losing what I'm trying to say. What reason would there be to try saying anything?

[cwydro]

51. You write in a more readable fashion

than many native speakers here.

[syringis]

58. Thank you

I think it is the least of courtesy to make an effort and post something decent.

[Fritz Walter]

46. Grammar Police

"Here to Correct and Serve"

[Bradical79]

49. Best way to troll me

Constantly attack a minor typo I made, or someone else made. I tend to flip out when that's their response. Have had a bit of trouble letting that bullshit go lol. Would be a bannable offence on some other forums I frequent though.

[procon]

55. Some of the posts in question go way beyond that.

I can't defend lazy writing, or excuse the boorish efforts of someone who is just seeking attention. No one is griping about the usual there-they're-their spelling errors, or the lack of commas and periods. This is stuff that is completely undecipherable as to content and meaning. It's almost like these particular 'writers' just made up a list of words and did a straight C&P, there-they're-their words are nonsensical. They aren't even on a par with a 5th grader's essay, or a drunken spue of semi-consciousness, and even those so can say English is a second language, can do better.

[cwydro]

60. Ditto!

Well stated.

[defacto7]

47. Your suggestion is important though sometimes

difficult to remember. Thanks.
Unfortunately the thread has moved into writing tecnique versus twitterological mind limitations. People seem to be stressed by expansive or creative ways of looking at life and that is really, really unfortunate. In the 18th and 19th century a sentence could be 15 lines long and not for a moment approach run on proportions because they made sense that could not be made any other way. Now ideas and paragraphs are chopped into brain belching.
There's a place for Dostojewski and a place for "OMG". That place should be everywhere. Maybe we could start selectivly fighting the great rw dumbing numbing... and just try.

(and yes, I split infinitives for a reason sometimes)

[vkkv]

52. No kidding! It's embarrassing to view some of the LBN misspelled headlines.

As if DU posters are a bunch of idiots.

I gave up complaining in a Reply within their posts a long time ago.

Use spellcheck if you have to MORANS!!

[Kentonio]

54. If we're making format requests can I just add one!

Is it even remotely possible that people could actually quickly scan the 1st page before posting a new topic about 'OMG this just happened!!!'? Every time any news thing hits, there's about 10 versions of exactly the same thread on the front page, and it drives me crazy. It takes about 10 seconds to see if there's already a thread about something, is it so hard to check before hitting 'Start A Discussion' really?!

[FSogol]

64. I wish that people could actually quickly scan the 1st page before posting a new topic so they don't

repeat something someone already said. Every time something happens, there's about 10 versions of exactly the same thread on the front page, and it drives me crazy.

[Kentonio]

70. Bah..

[phylny]

71. See, I was going to say JUST that, and I scanned this thread

and no longer have to. Yes, on occasion, threads are posted simultaneously, but I started a thread about the earthquake and have seen at least two more since I first posted mine. AND before I posted it, I did a quick search on the first page of General Discussion for "earthquake."

[raven mad]

66. I never don't unless it's just words.

I like your soapbox. I use mine a lot too. And I agree.

[lpbk2713]

67. Hold on a minute will you please?

I think I hear my door buzzard.

[JDC]

68. I'm guilty sometimes. I use my iPhone a lot

I travel for work more than most and often I'm on a shuttle, train, at a gate, etc.

DU's mobile presentation, spell-check etc are not well optimized. I have to edit sometimes. It's not lack of want, it's a convenience compromise and desire to get in on a conversation colliding.

I'm sorry in advance is all I can say. I mean it too.

J