why does everyone care so much about grammer in the hunting forum?

Question

the forum is for questions on hunting. the grammer does not matter only the content. just because someone offends you does not mean you can try to sound smart and correct there diction. current college policy at the university of north texas is that current american diction is anything known by the masses. so text language such as 4 or "u" is still correct. unless it is an english class they dont grade the essays on grammer anymore ony content. so please just answer the questions at hand who cares about grammer really? get a life or something

Answer 1

You almost hit the nail on the head by saying:



"just because someone offends you does not mean you can try to sound smart and correct there diction."



This is an open forum where a lot of nay sayers flock to fill up thier egos by attempting to point out how smart they are compared to everyone else. Or in other words they like to nit pick here because it's safe to do so, no one is going to reach through the computer screen and strangle them for being annoying.



I used to list myself as an avid hunter / amature gunsmith on this forum. The one and only time I accidentally spelled "amature" incorrectly I got an email from another yahoo answers frequent flyer notifying me that it was wrong and he informed of how it's supposed to be spelled.



Sorry dude I sometimes type too fast!!!



Besides I know too many hunters and outdoorsman who can barely speak english without gibbering up half thier words due to poor grammer, however they are a slice of Americana and when it comes to hunting or fishing they are among the best in the nation.

Answer 2

With firearms, mistakes can get someone killed.



Using the correct terminology to discuss items which can deliver lethal consequences is better than giving unintelligible advice that could backfire.



Occasionally, small errors may be forgiven.

But consistently poor writing will detract from your "street cred".



Edited to add: quoted dialogue from an episode of Star Trek, 'The Mark of Gideon.'



"Hodin: [on viewscreen, speaking from Gideon] Mr. Spock you are an officer of a spaceship. In your profession you use many instruments, tools and weapons to achieve your objectives.

Mr. Spock: [on the bridge of the Enterprise] True, your excellency.

Hodin: However, the only 'tool' diplomacy has is language. It is of the utmost importance that the meaning be crystal clear.

Mr. Spock: Your excellency, I am basically a scientist. Clarity of formulation is essential in my profession also.

Hodin: I am glad to hear it. Perhaps you could then make greater effort to choose your words more precisely."

Answer 3

"current college policy at the university of north texas is that current american diction is anything known ..."



And we are expected to be impressed by a statement by UNT? Not to denigrate the school, but I suspect the change is due to incoming students who can't parse or spell. Notice that they don't say that this is a good thing.



Reading what you wrote, poorly structured and loaded with incorrect homophones, lack of capitalization is a CHORE.



As a result many who could contribute to answering your question decide that it's too much bother to wade through the paragraphs to find your question. This means you lose answers that could help you.





I don't expect you to change...but you limit yourself.



Good luck.

Answer 4

Maybe it's to follow Yahoo guidelins as well.

Quote;

“Ask clearly.

Keep your questions succinct, but be descriptive enough to help people understand what you're asking. Correct spelling and grammar help people find your questions, and you'll get better answers when others can clearly make out what you're asking.”

http://answers.yahoo.com/info/community_guidelines



I find it interesting that some kids in third world countries who may live in poverty have higher test scores and are better at mastering the English language than most American kids.

The move by schools to play down the importance of writing skills, may be part of the reason American kids are behind students in other countries. I mean don’t you think it’s sad an American student is surpassed by some poor foreign student living in a shack who has to burn dried camel dung to say warm?

Answer 5

Good Lord! 5,000 years of recorded civilization, 4 major wars, and 3 major international conflicts; and America, now, comes down to this!



NO WONDER THE CURRENT AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM LAGS SO FAR BEHIND THAT OF: CHINA, INDIA, AND THE ENTIRE MALAYSIAN ARCHIPELAGO!



The way things are going, my fine erudite friend, within the next several decades Americans are going to be working for: Chinese, Indian, and Malaysian corporations rather than the other way around; and, who is to thank for this sorry situation?



Corrupt self-serving American politicians, mindless, 'castle-building', academic pedagogues, those international power brokers who have already determined to bring this great nation to its academic and financial knees, and (finally) all those preoccupied and semi-literate members of the general public who've allowed themselves to become, 'sucked-in' by it all.



Suggest you continue to hang around and learn all you can from Yahoo's Hunting Forum. Before too much longer, people like you are going to be needing all the help they can get. You be warned, foo! (How's my vernacular? Did I say that right?)

Answer 6

The grammar matters when it is so bad it distracts from the question.



No one is going to mind the occasional misspelling or missed comma, but the basics of grammar are what make the message understandable.



Besides, something like holding the shift key to get a capital letter for the beginning of the sentence is NOT much to ask.



If you have so little time that you have to use 'text language' when asking, then why should we bother actually answering your question?

Answer 7

Grammar matters, as does spelling.

Mark Twain once recommended against reading articles on health, on the basis that you might die from a misprint. Something akin to that is at work when you ask about things that go Boom.

Answer 8

I would like to comment on this topic. First what people of my generation do not know (maybe they don't) is that the spelling and grammar is reflective of what is being taught in our school systems.



And there lies the shame of it.Here is some indication of how bad this has become. In my state no student is taught to write in longhand. Evidently in the age of the computer world it is no longer necessary. But when today's kids in my state go to get their first drivers license, they are required to sign their name on the license. They cannot even write their own name!!!!!!



At least most of them can't. It's enough to bring tears to your eyes.

Answer 9

GOD SAVE THE MARK!!



I never thought I'd live to see the day when an English Class in a Texas university did not graded compositions on grammar!!!



Gentlemen we are doomed!!



OK college boy, I'll explain things to you



Many of us on this forum are not Gen X youngsters. We are Baby Boomers or older. We don't do the text messaging, we don't fool around with Facebook or MySpace, We don't speak modern slang.



We were taught, and in many cases very painfully taught to speak and write Standard English.



We are the generation that you will be asking to employ you when you leave college. I will be honest with you kiddo, your college is doing you a serious disservice not to teach and demand you use Standard English in class and in assignments. If you send a letter requesting a job interview and it is sprinkled with "U's", "4;s" and other non-Standard usages, don't expect to get the job. If it landed on my desk I'd trash it with the comment, "I have enough ignorant buggers around here, I don't need this one."



Which brings us to the core of your question. Why do us old farts demand Standard English on the forum?



The answer is we don't understand you! We don't understand you any better than you'd understand us if we answered you with a barrage of slanguaage from the '50's, '60'a and 70's.



Every group, every profession, and even every hobby has it's on jargon or dialect. Standard English is the common language that permits us to communicate.



So if you want to profit from the experiences and knowledge of us middle aged and older guys, you'd better frame the question in a manner we understand. Otherwise, the only people who might understand you will have no more experience or knowledge than you have.



I don't get my knickers in a twist as much as some do about grammar and spelling. God knows that 30 years of rough living and rough working among rough people have roughened my own grammar,and as King of the Typoists I can't say much to anyone about misspellings other than to praise SpellCheck and encourage its use. But I do try to use Standard English grammar and spelling so that others can understand me.



Do yourself a big favor kiddo, get into the habit of speaking and writing Standard English. Otherwise, one day when you are sitting, and sweating, across a desk facing a Personnel Manager asking tough questions, rather than answering in calm measured, and logical Standard English, you will start trash talking and blow the interview. I've seen it happen.



Doc Hudson

Answer 10

Because you sound dumb. Plain and simple. It's 'allowed', not 'aloud. And 'rifle', not 'riffle'.



I'm a horrible speller. And am even worse at typing. But I'm never mistaken for a 13 year old kid.



It show a lack of basic respect and caring.

Answer 11

I type like a normal person,no its not perfect but I get tired of seeing this



yo doode dat wuz so k00l mayne now i want dat rifl3



I never got why they type like that it took me about a minute to type that and my longest questions written to where you can understand it take less time.

But I type fast so I can move on to the next question so if I have a few mistake I don't care



Edit:See I forgot to make mistake plural

Answer 12

I think when a person corrects a persons grammar its because they are offended by what the person wrote. Its just another way to say "I am better than you are"

Answer 13

does not mean you can try to sound smart and correct there diction.



i think you meant "their" diction. its a good thing you aren't graded on spelling either.

Answer 14

If you are texting your pals, go ahead and use whatever "grammer" [sic] you want. When you are addressing a group of strangers to elicit their answers and opinions, you should try to use your best grammar. A poorly written question is bound to get plenty of crappy answers. Garbage in, garbage out.

Answer 15

It is because when a person uses poor grammar, spelling and punctuation, it shows a lack of intelligence. And I think this is fuel for the fire for anti-gunners that would like to pigeonhole gun owners as a bunch of tobacco chewing rednecks that dropped out of school, drive an El Camino, live in a trailer park and belong to the Ku Klux Klan.

Answer 16

Because poor grammar makes it hard to understand what you're asking. Its that simple really.

Answer 17

Nice rant. If it takes me twice as long to decipher what the hell you are trying to say, its inconsiderate and annoying. It also means that you arent very intelligent, so i would doubt your answer is accurate. I dont care if you misspell a word or three, i do that too. I jus don wana have to spent a halfhore tring to figre out waht ur tryin to say.

Answer 18

Seriously you just waisted 5 point with that question? WOW!!!!

Answer 19

B cuz, it maked peeple dink yous not serius cus you didn't read yous replys ;-)

Answer 20

Its so much fun watching people get creative with spelling and grammar.

Answer 21

People who are illiterate seem to lose credibility.

It's as simple as that!



it's "grammar" not "grammer"

Answer 22

Being careless with grammar can imply that they are careless with firearms.

Answer 23

I can see that you don't, anyway.