I Swear I'm Not a Grammar Nazi but If You're Going to Share a Long Story Here...

While I totally agree with you when it comes to reading those long paragraphs, I think that we need to give each other a break. I feel that there are lots of women out there with little education who are really in need of some unbiased advice from other women (whether educated or not). In fact, many less educated women need MORE help from educated women since their support systems are likely uneducated, too. It's important to look past grammar and spelling and to show some support. I hope this is coming across nicely – as it is meant to be. There are so many great women out here asking for and showing support. Let’s not try to scare anyone off just because they can’t spell or hit enter. :)

I don't care to be honest. When a mom needs help and reaches out, that is where my focus lies...not with her grammar and spelling habits.

Agree!

Paragraphs are a wonderful thing.
And punctuation really helps too!

Here's how I read the long, unbroken posts:

Hi, I need help with....blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Thanks in advance!

In reference to those who don't understand about paragraphs, if they would just put a blank line in between every few sentences, it would be easier to read.

My eyes get tired reading to the point that I miss entire lines. I only go back and figure out what I've missed when the subject is of real interest to me.

Later: I suggest our comments are NOT meant as criticism. I'm writing this in hopes of making it easier for mamas to get the help they want.

I agree with Mommy of 1's statement that we need to cut each other a break. Why don't you just skip over the posts that bug you? People post to ask for advice, not to cater to our preferred reading format.

you are not alone. and you are not the grammar nazi!!

when the post is too long and just goes on and on it hurts my brain. If one wants advice or even a poll on what is going on - paragraphs, periods and space are your best friends!!!

I'm a grammar nazi as well (actually nicknamed that in college).

However, the fact that someone doesn't use proper grammar or formatting only bugs me on websites and forums like this to the point that it makes the post difficult to follow.

I actually stopped reading one person's post about 2 sentences in because the majority of the words longer than 4 letters were misspelled and I actually could not follow her syntax.

Mommy of 1 - I completely agree. Sometimes, though, it's just too much and I literally cannot follow it. Maybe that's an issue with my comprehension...

Fun fact: My spelling skills are so abhorrent that, often, I have to use google to search for the word I'm trying to type. Spell check doesn't even know what to suggest to me because I'm THAT off. My posts are LITTERED with rogue commas. The rules just don't stick in my head. What's funny is that I actually really try, but spelling and grammar seem to be a blank spot in my brain.

Anyway, paragraph breaks do help me read posts. It's hard for me to know where I'm at in my reading if there aren't breaks in a page. If I want to though, I can just use the courser to keep track.

I wont read them if it's just one big paragraph.

I agree. It hurts my brain.

I feel your pain. I don't mind posts that are long, I've written some of them myself, but they need to be made easier to read. Paragraphs, or blank lines in-between. Proper punctuation and capitalization, so there are actual sentences, instead of just statements that run on and on. And for heaven's sake, can we use the correct words and spelling for certain words? I can't stand seeing "no" for "know", "to" for "too", etc. I hate seeing words "dumbed down" where people write "dunno" for "don't know" and "gonna" for "going to" and "sposta" for "supposed to" - I know that's how they often get pronounced, but writing them that way is another story. And can we please get "there", "their" and "they're" down right? As well as "your" and "you're"?

When I see a post with a lot of that going on, I can't even be bothered to read it, because I can't follow it - it's too hard. I understand there may be less educated women on here that need help and advice, and they deserve that help and advice - but unfortunately their posts are just too difficult for me to read and follow and figure out the details of what they are trying to say.

I totally agree with ya. If they're really long with no or few punctuation marks and no or few capital letters, I skip it. I may start reading it, but will just hit the back button and not finish reading the question due to frustration of understanding the huge run-on sentence.

if I was turning in a term paper, then sure I would proofread it and make sure it was not one huge long run on sentence...but when I am distraught and asking advice, it is pretty much going to be one big blob...and since it is up to the reader what they read and what they respond to, I guess I am ok with that. = )

The paragraph part is hard for me, because on my computer at a certain point i cant even see what im writing. The screen doesnt let me scroll down, so im writing blind.
And my spelling just sucks. And sometimes i type one handed while im breastfeeding my baby.
Sorry grammar nazi!!!! ; )

There is NOTHING wrong with being a grammar nazi.

Yeah, sure, it's annoying. I don't think it's annoying enough to ignore someone's post or make my own posts about how annoying it is, though ;-)

Yes...I stop reading or skip over large portions or just skim to get the gist of it when someone doesn't use punctuation or when they seem to be repeating themselves constantly. I dislike the spelling and grammatical errors but I can let them slide especially if it is just a missing or mixed up letter (which I assume is because of typing quickly). However, when a mom is asking about homework or how to help her child with school work and there are gross errors in her writing, I must admit I think 'Help your child? How ever will you do that when you clearly have no grasp of things yourself.' Judgy-McJudgerson here.

I totally agree and get where you're coming from. BUT, if you're going to complain about OUR grammar, at least have YOUR posting correct!!!

its - should be it's

esp - should be esp.

I believe in using periods and apostrophes!!!!!

I AM a grammar nazi and it really bugs me too!!!

You sound like my mom :).

I'm sure I've been guilty of it on here too because sometimes a mom is in a tizzy and really needs some advice. It's what this place is for. Bad grammer and all.

I'll try to put more spaces in my questions and responses if people promise to read the whole question and respond with contructive advice, and not bashing :). Deal?

I skip those unless I feel I could really help.

What I see here is several generations of moms. Many of us have had the education and many have not. However, there was an English class or two that we had to attend in order to move to the next level. It all depends on how well you/we were paying attention to what was being presented.

Many times I fthink that students don't feel that they have to do what is asked in order for them to get ahead and the proof is in the pudding so to speak with end results of long run on sentences and no paragraphs. I was told that any time you changed your thought you made a new paragraph and continued on. Texting has become the evil villian to correct grammar and clarity.

Enough. My head is spinning around trying to figure out what is and is not said in the long winded post. Grammar sure ain't what it used to be. You couldn't spell; you couldn't graduate.

The other S.

PS We all want to help but if you cannot communicate it is very hard to figure out how to help.

Amen! Thank You! :) You've said what I've been thinking when I read those long posts. I skip right over them when they're like that. Sorry, but it gives me a headache to try to figure out what someone is saying when they type/write like that.

I dont care about spelling and grammar enough to keep me from reading posts. There are things that bug me like spelling 'elementary school' words wrong or using the wrong word (to, two, too).

I have to admit there is one persons writing style/format that drives me bonkers and I will not read her answers if they are too long! LOL

I don't see the big deal, this is an advice site, these questions are not college reports, and I am not the grammar or punctuation police. I read the question and answer it the best I can, I don't even notice if they don't capitalize a word or skip a line.

I'm with you, so thank you for posting this. It is incredibly difficult to read a paragraph that goes on forever (or sentences that go on forever, with no punctuation). I always re-read what I write, even here, or in my emails. What I write reflects who I am, and presents me to the world in a certain way, so grammar and spelling matter to me.

I don't know why they don't matter to more people.

p.s. And while we're at it, could people PLEASE figure out how to use apostrophes?! If you'd like to make a word plural, then in most cases you just add the letter s to the end, NOT apostrophe s. For example, the plural of mom is moms, NOT mom's. The plural of knife is knives, not knife's. The plural of Thompson is Thompsons, not Thompson's. That one just drives me insane.

I agree about the paragraphs - it makes reading someones question much easier on the eyes!

Re: everything else - yes it would be nice, but I look at it as this... if their grammar, etc. is that bad (GROSS generalization here people so don't crucify me for this) then maybe they live in an environment that doesn't lend itself to getting exposure to other ways of life/ideas/etc. so I often think those people need our advice the most. New ideas, views from a very different experience, etc.

I think it really does not matter when it comes to websites. I mean, as long as you're getting your point across. I'm kind of big on English too but it's really just how it is! But hey, i'm 19 . What do i know? lol

It is sooooooooooooo frustrating! I try so hard to read it all but find I skip over a lot of stuff just to get to the end. I often have to go to another tab and do a different question just so I can get through them. I wish they could do at least some different paragraphs! I don't care about spelling so much, although I am not 12 and don't really enjoy texting language on a mom page.

I know some people like everything to be perfect. One of my adult children is like this. Always correcting someone's grammar when they speak or write online. But seriously who really cares. Someone who writes here to ask for advice needs help and answers quickly. What they do not need is to worry about their spelling or if they started a sentence with a capital letter. If this was a school site or an assignment then okay. We all need to lighten up!!

Hear, hear!

I'll admit to being a grammar nazi as well as a spelling nazi. It drives me up the wall when I see posts that are full of mistakes. It's so hard to get past them to understand what someone is trying to say. I honestly can't understand how folks can be so unskilled, we all go to school right? We're all taught the same basic things, like spelling and grammar.

Anyway, I try to put those feelings aside if I can manage to get through a badly written post and feel like I could help. However, I wish it was acceptable to offer corrections. That way, the poster would learn. I think people would get offended though, so I'm not going there!

Can i do it improperly>?

.

Today I need a spelling nazi. I responded to a post earlier today and then reread it a few minutes ago and man the typos/mispellings in it are terrible. Sometimes we all have our good and our bad days.

In true facebook fashion, LIKE, LIKE, LIKE a million times over.

I totally understand - I actually tested it out today on my own post and an answer, and I couldn't space my paragraphs!

I'm trying now - and let's see how it posts.

EDIT - DURH - it worked. But yeah - sometimes they look like a big run on sentence.

If I can't read it, I skip it.

The many grammatical and typographical errors in this site as well as in many other websites are just a reflection of the bad state of education in this country. For example, I review medical school applications from college students who are supposed to be the best and brightest. Twenty years ago, I used to outright reject the ones that had the most glaring writing errors. If I did that now, I would end up with very few applications. It is sad to see that while the price of college continues to increase, the quality of the education is decreasing, especially in basic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics. It is terrible. But I don't think it is most people's fault if they are not taught.

What annoys me the most is when I notice I'VE used the wrong their/ they're/there or the wong your/you're AFTER I've proofread and posted...

If I can't read it I skip it. Most things I can make out if I read them outloud-- which is a great tip for people who aren't confident of their writing skills. Read it outloud to yourself (or your cat or your baby) If it makes sense people will be able to figure it out even if it's not perfect.