When it becomes difficult to read, or is blatently lazy.

Attention Boarders! by Vixenmage on 2010-11-23 02:06:00 UTC Reply

Agents, Assassins, Janitors, Security, Authors, and everyone else who I may have forgotten to address:

Although we do advise that you leave your sanity at the door, there are parts of it we'd like you to keep! (For this purpose, we have kindly provided an array of sporks and scalpels, located directly to your ~~write~~ right!)

I've noticed a disturbing trend on the 'Board at large lately that's... well, disturbing. People seem to have forgotten that among the hallmarks of a truly Good 'Fic (and therefore, a good community of writers) is mastery of the English Language. I understand that while trawling for badfic, it's easy to lose your way, but if you find yourself falling into the habit of leaving off capitals, ignoring the Common Comma, and mixing up your two, too, and to's, they're, their, and there-- is an answer. Stop reading badfic! We must beware, lest we fall into the same traps we so despise. Remember, nothing bolsters a canon against destruction like goodfic! We're not in danger of running out of 'fic to spork anytime soon, so it's okay to stop looking and assuage your brain with your favorite well-written epic from time to time. (I heartily recommend Don't Panic! and Okay, NOW Panic! for these purposes-- and of course, PPC-centric 'fics are also rather lacking in English errors.)

Now that I've rambled on a fair bit, there was an actual point to this post... ah, yes.

Please, please, please double-check your posts for grammar/spelling/syntax errors before you click "Post Message." This is, after all, a group based around writing skill; it ill becomes us to have our home base riddled with basic errors. It's okay if not every post is perfect; we all make mistakes. But a little bit of proof-reading goes a long way, and if you treat your posts as if they're important, you'll find yourself making fewer mistakes when you write 'fic.

This has been... a public... service... announcement! ~~With guitars!~~

Thank you for your time; we now return to your regularly scheduled insanity!

Okay. *Where were the guitars, again?* (nm) by Aeidhryn on 2010-12-01 00:43:00 UTC Reply

Ah, that's just a semi-obscure Clash reference. (nm) by Vixenmage on 2010-12-02 16:33:00 UTC Reply

On a less serious thing... by Sergio Turbo on 2010-11-29 17:32:00 UTC Reply

While I was playing aroud with the files of an old RC cars racing game (Re-Volt), I found out that the three cars going around in the Options menu (cars normally not avaible for use in the races, and even when hacked in they are very slow and with horrible handling), while the directories of the files are called wincar1, wincar2 and wincar3, the name that appears in the selection menu when hacked in are Wincar and Wincar Three for the first and the last, but the second one is called Wincar Too. Yes. And the game was developed in the UK, too! (Pun non intended.)
Under what circumstances? by Marx on 2010-11-26 08:20:00 UTC Reply

I can understand if the posts are writen ent13rly l1ek th1s, or if the missions have errors, but isn't making a big deal out of a few missing caapitals and punctuation marks in posts just a little stuffy and high-school-English-teacher-like? It seems to miss the point of the PPC.

When it becomes difficult to read, or is blatently lazy. by Sedri on 2010-11-27 00:23:00 UTC Reply

Certainly, no one is going to throw a tantrum over one or two missed punctuation marks or a typo or slipped capital - we all make those kinds of mistakes, and more overt ones - but what VM was saying is that it's becoming too common, and that in some cases people clearly aren't even bothering to re-read their own words before hitting "post", and that is quite hypocritical for a community that prides itself on pointing out errors. The 'point of the PPC' is an almost-obsession with accuracy, and while, again, we're not going to make a fuss out of a little mistake here or there, when people mix up to/too/two or there/they're/their, it's going to be picked up on.

And that said, I'm not sure if anyone around here actually is a high school English teacher, but a large number of us are definitely the type. I'll admit to being a bit stuffy about SPaG issues, too, but that's just me.

*blatantly by Vixenmage on 2010-11-27 01:14:00 UTC Reply

>>
<>
*cough*

Case in point! :D by Sedri on 2010-11-27 06:55:00 UTC Reply

See? Being stuffy-teacher-like would be to frown at me for my typo and instruct me not to do it again. The PPC way is to point it out like this and have a good laugh. Cheers, VM :)

whew! by Marx on 2010-11-28 07:33:00 UTC Reply

Thanks for clarifying, I thought I was in the 9th grade again! (:

No worries. by Sedri on 2010-11-28 22:34:00 UTC Reply

If this WERE secondary school all over again, and we were the teachers, it'd be a lot more fun and I bet a lot more students would enjoy being there!

Omigosh! by JulyFlame on 2010-11-25 19:45:00 UTC Reply

I hsd nevar thaught thaat nebody hear o he baord wuld evr spel badlee! I meen, taht's whu wee r hear, rite?

And, to, think; that here is people... Who. are FLAGRANTLY ignoring the rules of grammar while posting!!! I don't believe this??? After all; that's saying like people are having here no sense of humor!!!

Hey, there's no need for that. by Cassie Cameron-Young on 2010-11-26 03:28:00 UTC Reply

There's a difference between doing it as a joke, and just not bothering to check before posting. I have to admit I've seen things slipping a little recently, and this post was a good reminder to make sure we do just give our comments a once-over before we hit the post button.

I'm glad someone pointed this out. by Sylibane on 2010-11-25 05:21:00 UTC Reply

Bad spelling/grammar is a charge, so shouldn't we try to avoid it?
Yes Ma'am! by BookwormMika on 2010-11-23 21:35:00 UTC Reply

I generally try to check my spelling on everything, but I'll start to make a special effort for PPC related writing. If we're sporking people who make these mistakes, we can't very well make them ourselves.
*delurks* Most heartily agreed! *re-lurks* (nm) by Sedri on 2010-11-23 08:12:00 UTC Reply
*salute* by Silikat on 2010-11-23 07:31:00 UTC Reply

Yes, ma'am! No more typos or errors in our posts, ma'am!
Hear, hear! by Neshomeh on 2010-11-23 02:26:00 UTC Reply

(Incidentally, that expression literally means "Hear, listen! This person has something important to say, so pay attention!")

Anyhow, Firefox users, take especial note: you can get an add-on that spellchecks anything you type into a text field, like the one you use to post on the Board. Here's American English, and here's British English. If you prefer another variety, check the list.

And, of course, if you DON'T have Firefox, you can always download it. It's free, it's easy to use, and it's much safer than (for example) Internet Explorer. {= )

~Neshomeh

I'll do my best, pinky-promise! (nm) by Xanthia B. on 2010-11-23 09:33:00 UTC Reply
*Agrees thoroughly* by KsandraMallan on 2010-11-23 08:01:00 UTC Reply

I believe Google Chrome has the same function. Mine's currently telling me "google" is not spelled correctly. So, your choice of browser! :)
Oh man... by caddy-shack on 2010-11-23 03:51:00 UTC Reply

Firefox has a free spellchecker? Well, looks like I'm switching over, can never be too careful!

Wait a minute..."Here, listen!" Why am I getting a flashback to Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time all of a sudden?

Navi: "Hey Listen!"

"OH GOD NO! NOOOO! NOT AGAIN!"

*Curls into fetal position*

I feel for you. by Draxion on 2010-11-29 18:52:00 UTC Reply

Nobody should have to have flashbacks of that. Have a cookie.