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Capital letters
mr henderson - 19/9/08 at 05:10 PM

One is seeing more and more posts which are devoid of capital letters.

I personally like to use capitals at the start of each sentence, for proper nouns and when I refer to myself (I). I believe that this makes my posts easier to read, but it does involve extra effort on my part. perhaps i should stop using capitals?

John

[Edited on 19/9/08 by mr henderson]

SeaBass - 19/9/08 at 05:12 PM

Get off the high horse!

blakep82 - 19/9/08 at 05:12 PM

yeah, whatever...
not sure it really makes a difference to be honest. it doesn't bother me...

Flamez - 19/9/08 at 05:14 PM

i USE CAPITALS CORRECTLY. gRAMMAR AND CONSTRUCTION OF SENTENCES IS IMPORTANT.dON'T YOU AGREE.

blakep82 - 19/9/08 at 05:20 PM

ayE, wot He sAid

mangogrooveworkshop - 19/9/08 at 05:38 PM

slaver SLAV-uhr; SLAY-vuhr, intransitive verb:
1. To slobber; to drool.

noun:
1. Saliva drooling from the mouth.


[Edited on 19-9-08 by mangogrooveworkshop]

theconrodkid - 19/9/08 at 05:43 PM

i think anyone using text speak should be banned and made to walk the plank Jim lad (had to get that one in)

daviep - 19/9/08 at 06:09 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mr henderson
One is seeing more and more posts which are devoid of capital letters.

I personally like to use capitals at the start of each sentence, for proper nouns and when I refer to myself (I). I believe that this makes my posts easier to read, but it does invlove extra effort on my part. perhaps i should stop using capitals?

John


I wish I had the confidence to refer to myself as "One"

Perhaps you should stop using capitals letters for a while. Then in a few months you could do another poll to see how many of us noticed?

I found another forum which I think you could certainly contribute to HERE

[Edited on 19/9/08 by daviep]

Peteff - 19/9/08 at 07:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daviep
Perhaps you should stop using capitals letters for a while. Then in a few months you could do another poll to see how many of us noticed?


Now do you think you really needed to divide that with a full stop and use an extra capital T and was the question mark really necessary? It sounds more like a suggestion being made than a question being asked

davie h - 19/9/08 at 07:30 PM

the grammar police strike again.

whats next on the spot fines and penalty points for spelling mistakes and bad grammar.

Davie

mr henderson - 19/9/08 at 07:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by daviep

I wish I had the confidence to refer to myself as "One"



Funnily enough, and you are going to laugh at this I'm sure, the word 'one' in this context doesn't actually oneself. I certainly didn't mean it that way.

You might like to look at this for further reading on the subject (pronoun).
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/one

Hope this helps

John

[Edited on 19/9/08 by mr henderson]

mr henderson - 19/9/08 at 07:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by davie h
the grammar police strike again.

whats next on the spot fines and penalty points for spelling mistakes and bad grammar.

Davie


Well, that's a good few points on your licence right there!

John

blakep82 - 19/9/08 at 08:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mr henderson
quote:
Originally posted by davie h
the grammar police strike again.

whats next on the spot fines and penalty points for spelling mistakes and bad grammar.

Davie


Well, that's a good few points on your licence right there!

John


ha ha, should have lost his license after that one! lol

to be fair, you actually started to lose me with 'One is seeing'

dmac - 19/9/08 at 08:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mr henderson
quote:
Originally posted by davie h
the grammar police strike again.

whats next on the spot fines and penalty points for spelling mistakes and bad grammar.

Davie


Well, that's a good few points on your licence right there!

John


Said the pot.

Perhaps you should review the spelling of your first post.

Duncan

PS. I generally agree that an attempt should be made at correct grammar and spelling, if only to help avoid making such mistakes where they are more important (such as on your CV).

[Edited on 19/9/08 by dmac]

mr henderson - 19/9/08 at 08:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by dmac


Perhaps you should review the spelling of your first post.


I've edited my first post to remove the typo, thanks for pointing it out.

John

David Jenkins - 19/9/08 at 08:39 PM

These may help:

Hartman’s Law of Prescriptivist Retaliation: “any article or statement about correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling is bound to contain at least one eror”.

“McKean’s Law” (after Verbatim editor Erin McKean):
Call it McKean’s Law: Any correction of the speech or writing of others will contain at least one grammatical, spelling, or typographical error.

“Skitt’s Law” (after alt.usage.english contributor “Skitt”):
Skitt’s Law, a corollary of Murphy’s Law, variously expressed as “any post correcting an error in another post will contain at least one error itself” or “the likelihood of an error in a post is directly proportional to the embarrassment it will cause the poster.”

Note to the anally retentive - the speeling errur in the first rule is deliberate... as were the two in this line...

[Edited on 19/9/08 by David Jenkins]

procomp - 19/9/08 at 09:06 PM

Hi.

AND THIS IS IN THE LOCOST RELATED SECTION BECAUSE.

Yes one was shouting.

Cheers Matt

JoelP - 19/9/08 at 09:16 PM

i feel the need to say i think this thread, and ones of its ilk, are pointless. Indeed bloody annoying. I also think that to be so obsessed about spelling pronunctiation and granma says a lot about someone, though im not sure exactly what. But i suspect i wouldnt like to be alone in a pub with you

JoelP - 19/9/08 at 09:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
i feel the need to say i think this thread, and ones of its ilk, are* pointless. Indeed bloody annoying. I also think that to be so obsessed about spelling pronunctiation and granma says a lot about someone, though im not sure exactly what. But i suspect i wouldnt like to be alone in a pub with you


and i know the 'is/are' might cause some discussion, but im not really bothered. Pointing it out would amount to point scoring IMHO since it makes no difference in readability, and if someone feels the need to score point, then obviously their confidence is lacking?

Just thought id add that suggestive '?' on the end too. Is it really needed/allowed?

JoelP - 19/9/08 at 09:24 PM

the vote doesnt represent the sentiments express here, cant believe that only one other person uses them when they feel like it?

ReMan - 19/9/08 at 09:44 PM

Should it not be
Mr Henderson?

omega 24 v6 - 19/9/08 at 10:11 PM

WTF This is a car forum for others to help each other with problems and problem solving. It doesn't really matter to me whether it's text speak or capitals or swahilli as lond as people get they're point acroos and/or solve the problem.
We are not all grade A students and many of this country's great minds are not literate in many ways. Branson And Jackie Stewart for instance. Posts like this boil my p**s as they will put off people who have confidence problems with they're own learning difficulties and may stop them posting a radicall and great solution for a problem in case of ridicule or comment.
Perhaps one might fit in better with the Caterham (pronounced cater- am or Cater-ham) crowd

As the second post rearrange

high your get off horse

[Edited on 19/9/08 by omega 24 v6]

RK - 20/9/08 at 12:05 AM

I spent a long time at university, a lot of it majoring in linguistics, an entire course on how Latin and Greek influenced English included. Two words: so what?

If people continue to be more or less understood using all capitals, or all small letters, and get away with no punctuation, then the trend will go on, otherwise writers wise up and try to not waste finger effort on messages that nobody can read. In other words, it all sorts itself out, just like talking.

[Edited on 20/9/08 by RK]

[Edited on 20/9/08 by RK]

C10CoryM - 20/9/08 at 01:28 AM

"Me fail english? that's unpossible"
Ralph Wiggum.


I try to type reasonably well, but it really doesn't matter. We all get in a hurry sometimes.
I forget who here had an animated gif complaining about grammar use in their signature. Oddly enough I think it had a puncuation error in it . Always thought that was funny.

Besides, you probably spell tire, tyre so you have no right to complain about capitals
Cheers.

RK - 20/9/08 at 02:57 AM

And Jackie Stewart is literate; he's also Scottish. So let's add racialist to the discussion shall we?

David Jenkins - 20/9/08 at 06:48 AM

If this was a forum about the use of the English language then I'd be bothered - as it is about Locosts then I'm not fussed, as long as I can understand the intended meaning.

I try to write properly, but I am tolerant of other people's best efforts. After all, we do have a few self-confessed dyslexics on here...

The only thing that gets right up my nose is txt-speak... FIND THE VOWEL KEYS!

mr henderson - 20/9/08 at 07:56 AM

quote:
Originally posted by procomp
Hi.

AND THIS IS IN THE LOCOST RELATED SECTION BECAUSE.


The Anything Else section doesn't allow for polls. Next question?




Interesting to compare the poll results with the actual posts on this thread.

Also the attitudes expressed in some of the answers are rather interesting. The original post doesn't contain any value judgements, but some of the responses suggest that people are reading things into it that just aren't there.

John

Macbeast - 20/9/08 at 08:19 AM

I use punctuation, and try to get grammar and spelling right, because that's the way I normally write. It would take extra effort not to.

End of story.

(no value judgements were implied in the composition of this post )

mistergrumpy - 20/9/08 at 08:48 AM

quote:

The Anything Else section doesn't allow for polls. Next question?


Aye but it doesn't belong in anything else either. As that is for "anything else on a car theme". So you may as well just stick it in the chassis section for what it's worth!
I don't really think it needs a poll either. If you don't like the misuse of grammar that's been going on lately then by all means bugger off and use another forum. I hear Barry Builders is quite good! I think LCB is just fine and serves its purpose well.

omega 24 v6 - 20/9/08 at 09:54 AM

quote:

And Jackie Stewart is literate


Yes but he's dyslexic and campaigns for help for others.

mr henderson - 20/9/08 at 10:00 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
If you don't like the misuse of grammar that's been going on lately then by all means bugger off and use another forum.


I didn't say I didn't like the misuse of grammar.

I think I will stick around though, all the same, thanks. If you don't like my poll then feel free to ''bugger off' and post on a different thread

John

Triton - 20/9/08 at 12:51 PM

I talk rubbish so makes no difference if I write it, well not to me it doesn't.
English gramma was never my "subject" but the teacher...wow she was something though...nobody listened ,just stared at her....
A Miss Jefferies was her name and came in one day saying she had got married...crikey noooo we thought then she anounced her new surname was also Jefferies.
Argh we thought that's ok she has married herself....

oldtimer - 20/9/08 at 02:12 PM

Oh Mr Henderson what have you done! Sadly the innocous qustion that started this has seen the opening of Padora's Box. Why on earth some people who respond to others on this site do so in such an unpleasant way is beyond me. It really should be OK to have different thoughts and opinions without having to get offensive. The poll seems to show that the vast majority are for good grammar and a small, vociferous and sometimes rude minority are against.

Macbeast - 20/9/08 at 03:18 PM

I'm sure this doesn't apply to anyone on here -

There seems to have been a huge increase in the number of dyslexia sufferers. Or is "dyslexia" just trotted out as an excuse by people who can't be bothered to learn to spell or have been badly taught under a system where educators think spelling isn't important and gets in the way of expression?

Dyslexia my asre

omega 24 v6 - 20/9/08 at 04:11 PM

quote:

Dyslexia my asre


LOL was just about to lambast you when, one did a cut and paste, and saw the irony Nice one.

rusty nuts - 20/9/08 at 05:30 PM

I tend to try to use correct punctuation, grammar etc but having left school so many years ago I sometimes let things slip . It doesn't bother me too much if others use bad grammar , punctuation or spelling . More than one member is dyslexic which again isn't a problem but I tend to ignore posts that are written as a text message . It doesn't cost any more to word replies or questions in normal language on this forum.

JoelP - 20/9/08 at 09:17 PM

text speak is one thing, complaining about capitals and apostrophies is a step beyond.

I hear John saying he wasnt complaining, merely observing, but whichever it really was, it seems a pointless thing to bring up.

02GF74 - 20/9/08 at 09:36 PM

The lack of CAPITAL (or UPPER CASE) letters is symptomatic of the times we are living in, namely the credit crunch.

Think about it. How much bigger is a capital i, m or o than its small letter equivalent? Not only do they use up more pixels on the screen, it takes more electricity to transmit the bigger letters over the internet and none of us can say we are not feeling the pinch due to increasing energy costs.

Naturally as belts get tightened, so we will see fewer big letters being used. Unless more nuclear power stations are constructed, big letters may become extinct. The Chinese had the right idea all along as they use squiggles instead of letters.

Luckily I have made some shrewd investments so I can afford to use BIG LETTERS IF I WANT TO!

MikeRJ - 21/9/08 at 10:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
The lack of CAPITAL (or UPPER CASE) letters is symptomatic of the times we are living in, namely the credit crunch.


Hehe, just think of the number of black pixles that could be saved!

Unfortunately the current UK edyookayshun system has a lot to answer for. Except they could barely manage to put their name on top of the answer paper.

If you can write correctly, then not doing so is simply laziness. If you have some genuine underlying problem such as Dyslexia then fair enough.

martyn_16v - 22/9/08 at 01:00 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
If you can write correctly, then not doing so is simply laziness. If you have some genuine underlying problem such as Dyslexia then fair enough.


Ding ding

The standard of written English in this country is slipping quite alarmingly, and apathy towards it is only going to increase the rate at which this happens. If you start to ignore something it'll eventually become the norm. There's nothing wrong with the odd mistake, but to not bother at all is ridiculous. Language is constantly evolving, but laziness shouldn't be a driving factor in any process

And wouldn't using larger black characters on a light background mean less light pixels need switching on, saving energy?

RK - 23/9/08 at 12:41 AM

Indeed! And what kind of world is it when a bunch of oldsters no longer run the world!! Every succeeding generation is seen as a threat to the world order. I have a way to combat this idea, but nobody would want to wade through it all, so I will save everyone the pain.

mr henderson - 23/9/08 at 08:30 AM

quote:
Originally posted by chris mason
If spelling mistakes and poor grammar are of that much concern to some on here, you must lead very dull lives, or could it just be another way of advertising there services without actually putting up pictures or details of there work.


How odd, to comment on spelling mistakes and grammar in a poll about capital letters?

Oh, and btw, 'their' in the above context, not 'there'

John

mr henderson - 23/9/08 at 05:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by chris mason


still you managed another plug for your business there

Chris


And so did you

Although I am not trying to 'plug my business'. I happen to enjoy posting on this forum. The 'business' as you put it is hardly a business in the generally recognised sense, more a rather ill-paying hobby. I'm semi-retired and don't actually need the money, although reducing my outgoings is always welcome.

I certainly don't need to 'plug my business' as I have two customer jobs on at the moment (neither of which are particularly photogenic, one is the build up of a NG, the other repairs etc on an old Sylva chassis).

I'm sorry if this thread is upsetting you, perhaps it would be better if you ignored it? By posting on it you keep bringing it top.

What I don't understand is why you assume that the only reason I post on this forum is to advertise my business. Why would you assume that? I haven't made a similar suggestion about your motives, nor do I intend to, so perhaps you would do me a similar courtesy

John

02GF74 - 24/9/08 at 10:15 AM

Stop it!! This has gone on far enough.

There is no need for anyone to start insulting other posters or acusing them of promoting thier business.

The bottom line is we were taught how to spell and rite English proper right and although this is no English test, there is no excuse for not following those rules.

Mr H was correct to bring the subject up.

So why the negative reaction?

If you saw a car built where the nuts were not done up or wiring not supported, then I am sure you would have issue with it.
So why is it any different to poorly assembled posts on this forum?

I type stuff, usually correctly but don't go the full 100% to ensure all the i's are crossed adn the t's dotted so long as it makes snese. Maybe I am lazy but I simple don't want to spend time correcting myself.



[Edited on 24/9/08 by 02GF74]

Fozzie - 24/9/08 at 11:43 AM

Closing this thread.

Fozzie (Admin)