Wowza. Normally i would just go in and edit Zac’s posts for spelling, grammar and format mistakes right after he posts them up (because i absolutely cannot stand bad spelling, bad grammar and bad post formatting) but this time i think i’ll just leave it be. I was over at some sights last night and i was complaning to liz aBout this post that id just read and i was liek:
psykotik2k: how come i have better english than most north american people
x girlhugsboy x: because slang is popular
psykotik2k: no like how some people say your instead of youre
psykotik2k: or how some people cant spell for shit
x girlhugsboy x: oh
x girlhugsboy x: because americans are stupid
x girlhugsboy x: i have great english skills!
psykotik2k: like they spell wages as wadges
x girlhugsboy x: ewwww
x girlhugsboy x: thats terrible
x girlhugsboy x: i hate spelling/grammar errors
Not a big deal?
Kids. It is too “a big deal”. You don’t have to know how to spell everything in the dictionary, and you don’t have to have the serial-semicolon rule embroidered on a pillow, but if you have reached voting age in the United States, you need to know the basics of English usage, because if you don’t, you look like an idiot. No, don’t. Don’t start with that “grammar Nazi” business. Don’t get all “nobody gives a shit about that crap” and “it’s so anal, who cares” and “well, you know what i mean.” I give a shit about that crap. I know it’s anal, but i care, and so do a lot of other people, people who respect you, but might respect you less when you dash off an email to the effect of “I’ll meet you their”; people in a position to give you a job, who won’t because you didn’t proofread your cover letter and they don’t appreciate your addressing them as “Deer Ms. So-And-So.” And no, in fact, i don’t know what you mean when you leave me a comment that reads, “You’re site sucks,” because that doesn’t mean anything. Because it’s grammatically incorrect. Because you’ve substituted a contraction of a verb phrase for an adjective, thus rendering the sentence nonsensical. And it makes you look stupid, and therefore i cannot take you seriously. Sorry, but it’s the truth. I do not care that we live in an age of rapid fire communication, or that the intarweb has changed the rules of formal correspondence, or whatever excuse you have for starting sentences with “me and my friend.” And, for the record, i know full well that i break the rules of correct usage in my posts all the time. I can break the rules because i know them cold, so don’t write and tell me that you’ve spotted at least sixteen sentence fragments and think you’ve scored a point off of me. Seriously. You need to know basic rules of English usage. You do not have to use them all the time in every single IM you send, and not knowing them all does not in and of itself make you dumb or uneducated; you don’t have to spend an hour poring over the dictionary just to send me an email. But you have to try to learn the language, especially in business correspondence, and you have to make an effort to use the language correctly. It’s your native tongue, and it’s worth doing.
I mean, fuck, English isn’t even my first language and i write it better than most.
Most of the time anyway.
Americans are tards.
#1 | Comment by smash — September 1, 2003 @ 8:48 pm
Come to Australia, we speak the Queens english. I find that many Australian’s tend to use American English, which is incorrect within Australia. For instance, we spell "jail" "gaol" and "color" is "colour" in Australia. Just a bit of "nitty-gritty" for you.
#2 | Comment by Dom — September 1, 2003 @ 9:18 pm
I don’t think I’m very comfortable with Justin calling me a kid. I feel dirty now…
Yes.
What’s yes?
My answer to the post.
Ah, yes, makes sense.
No it doesn’t…
Oh. You’re right, it doesn’t.
=\
#3 | Comment by Bubba — September 1, 2003 @ 9:19 pm
i turn 23 in november. i am old.
not as old as smash though. gyahahaha.
i use american english on the site because most of my visitors are from the US. but i was educated under the british education system so around here (brunei, malaysia, singapore, the UK etc etc), i use british english.
colour. honour. etc etc. like in australia.
never heard of "gaol" though. sure you’re not taking the piss dom?
#4 | Comment by Justin — September 1, 2003 @ 9:53 pm
U’re sight iz teh sux0rs
I’m pretty sure I know the rules of correct usage, and in any place other than the internet I would use them.
Although I must admit to having made the "me and my friend" mistake quite a few times.
But no, internet speak has no place in formal communication just yet. However, I say(type) this because if I ever, ever got some sort of business e-mail containing a smiley or any such filth I would go postal.
#5 | Comment by Seriously — September 1, 2003 @ 10:46 pm
The average American on the net can suck my purple Danish baby cock.
My English is far from impeccable, I know. To put it smelly: My grammar is shit, and not -exactly not- the shit. It’s nougat-star shit. Shit from the entrance to an alternative lifestyle. Steaming human-waste-product shit.
I dunno how to spell defieneiateaily or even place my commas right.
My pathetic attempts at typing something remotely coherent are still way better than average Nettish grammar, though.
At least there’s a reason I spell like shit: English is my second langauge.
I’ve never spoken more than two English words (Shit and fuck). I haven’t got the faintest fucking idea of how to pronounce what I’m typing right now!
The sad thing is that the guy reading this probably couldn’t rewrite it.
#6 | Comment by Kingolf — September 1, 2003 @ 10:52 pm
Kingolf –
> I’ve never spoken more than two English words
>(Shit and fuck). I haven’t got the faintest >fucking idea of how to pronounce what I’m typing >right now!
Are you serious? That’s fucking amazing, especially after you used a phrase like "remotely coherent" (coherence being one of my all-time favorite words)
Justin – I actually get angry and hit people for the reasons you gave. Maybe we all should start doing that.
#7 | Comment by Stink — September 1, 2003 @ 11:23 pm
¡Los Americanos estúpidos!
#8 | Comment by Bubba — September 1, 2003 @ 11:46 pm
for you justin
winona-ben stiller-reality bites scene near end-jiggly
#9 | Comment by SSJ2 — September 2, 2003 @ 1:00 am
I agree with you justin if English is your first language you should learn how to write it. A lot of times it looks as if I write better english then people who are english/american… but I also talk alot better english at least if you compare me to the average texan or whatever. and I’m from the Netherlands!
#10 | Comment by WP_LeGeNd — September 2, 2003 @ 1:47 am
some jr high/hs students here in southern cali began writing their english papers using internet slang.
teachers were on the news talking about "what this world has come to", although some teachers actually supported it as a means of expression for teenagers…
the hell? I can understand seeing "ttyl" online, but not on an english essay.
meh
#11 | Comment by TheOtherAmy — September 2, 2003 @ 1:52 am
"A lot of times it looks as if I write better english then people who are english/american… but I also talk alot better english at least if you compare me to the average texan or whatever. "
then = than
alot = a lot
#12 | Comment by TheOtherAmy — September 2, 2003 @ 1:56 am
I blame Bush… no i don’t but he’s damn stupid.
#13 | Comment by WhoaMan — September 2, 2003 @ 2:00 am
"for you justin
winona-ben stiller-reality bites scene near end-jiggly""
hehe. i remember that scene. damn near wore out my vhs copy of that movie rewinding that scene over and over again.
oh winona.. you so jiggly..
#14 | Comment by Justin — September 2, 2003 @ 2:54 am
What the hell?
Why was my comment deleted?
#15 | Comment by Kingolf — September 2, 2003 @ 3:14 am
WUT?
#16 | Comment by grud — September 2, 2003 @ 3:25 am
wow. i just left a comment for kingolf saying:
"which comment? isn’t it still there? repost!"
and then it suddenly became a post from grud.
something screwy is going on! i shall fix.
#17 | Comment by Justin — September 2, 2003 @ 3:30 am
"Are you serious?"
No. No really, yes.
I know some film quotes, I guess… I bet it would be kinda hard to actually talk, though.
I mean, "You talkin’ to me?!?" and "Hasta la vista, baby" only gets you that far.
#18 | Comment by Kingolf — September 2, 2003 @ 3:35 am
I might point out that "Hasta la vista, baby" contains a good deal of words that aren’t Engrish.
I’m an asshole.
#19 | Comment by Seriously — September 2, 2003 @ 5:32 am
"I can break the rules because i know them cold…"
Exactly. You have to know the rules of grammar before you’re allowed to break them. As an example, my first sentence "Exactly", is not a sentence at all. But I can do that.
Because me write good.
🙂
And smiley faces are perfectly acceptable in Internet speak. For a chick, they’re practically required. Otherwise (god forbid), someone might think you’re a bitch.
#20 | Comment by Amy — September 2, 2003 @ 6:31 am
not that i write a lot of comments but hey, english isn’t my first language either 😉
justin is teh cool!
#21 | Comment by vhw — September 2, 2003 @ 8:26 am
Thank you, Justin. I’m kind of a grammar whore too (you’re/your, I write good, etc), so it’s nice to see someone fairly well-adjusted is too.
Eh heh.
#22 | Comment by kenlaan — September 2, 2003 @ 2:47 pm
"I might point out that "Hasta la vista, baby" contains a good deal of words that aren’t Engrish."
I doubt that Spaniards say "to the view, baby" a lot.
#23 | Comment by Kingolf — September 2, 2003 @ 3:01 pm
I refuse to see your point.
#24 | Comment by Seriously — September 2, 2003 @ 6:49 pm
i account for most peoples spelling errors not for retardation but for fat fingers on little keyboards. You say you can’t stand people spelling "youre" well the E is right next to the R. And yes, Americans are lazy and wont take the time to hit the DEL button…same reason i usually post with a shitload of……between sentences and i dont use " ‘ " …….apostrophe
#25 | Comment by EverSnow — September 4, 2003 @ 1:08 am
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe
#26 | Comment by WP_leGeNd — September 19, 2003 @ 4:29 pm