Why do people point out obvious spelling mistakes on online discussions ?

Jeremy Sproket

Why do people point out obvious spelling mistakes on online discussions instead of discussing the actual substance of the argument?

I have seen several examples of this as time goes by.

For example, there was a discussion on Stockholm on a forum before (where my dad is from and I spent a good chunk of my life). I mentioned in a post cricisising Stockholm that it's not too bad a city and mentioned some good points about it. One of my points said that Stockholm was a good country (sic) and made several other points about the city.
In my opening sentence, I mistyped country instead of city and in the rest of my paragraph I used city. The person who quoted me redacted all of the rest of my post and hilighted the word country and said "I'm not taking travel advice from someone who thinks Stockholm is a country". He got several thumbs up and made me look like a fool and essentially "won" by default as I refused to engage further with a clown like that.

Another example was a thread on abortion. The topic was abortion on the grounds of disability. A very contentious topic. One poster said "I disagree with abortion on the grounds of abortion". It was clear that they meant on grounds of disability, but that person was quoted and ridiculed and their obvious typo was again used to undermine their point.

Am I the only one who notices this online?

Guy:Incognito

It depends what you think is obvious and not people just not knowing. Your country one yes, but people using "been" instead of "being" drag down those around them that if you look at a chart from its first (mis)use shows an unmistakable cone of ignorance .



Dont let your friends post stupid, kids.

fergiesfolly

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

Why do people point out obvious spelling mistakes on online discussions instead of discussing the actual substance of the argument?

I have seen several examples of this as time goes by.

For example, there was a discussion on Stockholm on a forum before (where my dad is from and I spent a good chunk of my life). I mentioned in a post cricisising Stockholm that it's not too bad a city and mentioned some good points about it. One of my points said that Stockholm was a good country (sic) and made several other points about the city.
In my opening sentence, I mistyped country instead of city and in the rest of my paragraph I used city. The person who quoted me redacted all of the rest of my post and hilighted the word country and said "I'm not taking travel advice from someone who thinks Stockholm is a country". He got several thumbs up and made me look like a fool and essentially "won" by default as I refused to engage further with a clown like that.

Another example was a thread on abortion. The topic was abortion on the grounds of disability. A very contentious topic. One poster said "I disagree with abortion on the grounds of abortion". It was clear that they meant on grounds of disability, but that person was quoted and ridiculed and their obvious typo was again used to undermine their point.

Am I the only one who notices this online?

In fairness, you didn't misspell city, you typed country.
It was as easy one for some bored internet comedian to latch on to and get a cheap laugh.
Which is what forums are becoming these days.
Forget about it and move on. There's way more serious sh!t to be worrying about.


I may have misspelled quite a lot of this as I don't normally post this early on a sunday.
Enjoy the rest of ye're weekend

Pinch Flat

Their just being pedantic

CountingCrows

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Their just being pedantic

They’re

Pinch Flat

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Their just being pedantic

You spelt pathetic wrong!!

Signore Fancy Pants

OP is missing a "C" from his username.

Duckworth_Luas

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Their just being pedantic

Their just been pathetic

Pinch Flat

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Their just being pedantic

When people loose their ability to use the correct spelling of a worm, it runes the post!

Purgative

CountingCrows wrote: »

They’re

LMFAO

CountingCrows

CountingCrows wrote: »

They’re

That’s the joke.

Minier81

They do it to undermine the argument of the person who makes the spelling/grammar mistake. I doubt too many people point out typos when they agree with the poster.

I do always find the their/they're exchanges most amusing though.

JPup

I read an interesting article on this by a psychologist a few years ago. I think it was on 538. It’s very common. Some people love to point out minor typos. I can’t remember the punchline of why people do it though.

Jeremy Sproket

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

For example, there was a discussion on Stockholm on a forum before (where my dad is from and I spent a good chunk of my life). I mentioned in a post cricisising Stockholm that it's not too bad a city and mentioned some good points about it. One of my points said that Stockholm was a good country (sic) and made several other points about the city. [...]He got several thumbs up and made me look like a fool and essentially "won" by default as I refused to engage further with a clown like that.

Am I the only one who notices this online?

It's a cruel world, Jeremy. Getting crueller every day. But by the same token, perhaps the Swedes didn't take kindly to your cricisisism.

In regard to your question, I'm no expert, but I certainly haven't heard of anyone noticing this behavior online prior to your post. But now that you mention it, it's like 'Wow' and I am seeing this kind of activity everywhere I look. It's like a veil has been lifted from my eyes, to reveal another veil, and for that I thank you.

banie01

Signore Fancy Pants wrote: »

OP is missing a "C" from his username.

Wait until you spot how they spelled criticising! :eek:

Hamsterchops

While I agree that it can be tiresome and annoying to correct spelling mistakes, sometimes it does the poster a favour. Many examples where people get hold of a wrong pronunciation as a child, and then carry it with them for life!

Take thought & taught as an example, some people will go through their lives mixing & swapping the two, tread & thread another, until somebody corrects them in print & the penny drops. Height & heigth is another example, not that heigth exists, but some people say it and spell it that way until corrected.

I was corrected just the other day (in another thread) after spelling somebody's name wrong, I always thought his name was Nick West but another poster did me a favour & pointed out that his name was Mick West, I then went back into my posts and corrected the spellings ......

Getting to tread & thread, I was amazed to hear a recent road safety awareness campaign on the radio, whereby they explained about minimum thread depth. Don't know if it went into print though.

Duckworth_Luas

Hamsterchops wrote: »

I was corrected just the other day (in another thread) after spelling somebody's name wrong, I always thought his name was Nick West but another poster did me a favour & pointed out that his name was Nick West, I then went back into my posts and corrected the spellings ......

Please correct again. Thanks!

sebdavis

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

Why do people point out obvious spelling mistakes on online discussions instead of discussing the actual substance of the argument?

I have seen several examples of this as time goes by.

For example, there was a discussion on Stockholm on a forum before (where my dad is from and I spent a good chunk of my life). I mentioned in a post cricisising Stockholm that it's not too bad a city and mentioned some good points about it. One of my points said that Stockholm was a good country (sic) and made several other points about the city.
In my opening sentence, I mistyped country instead of city and in the rest of my paragraph I used city. The person who quoted me redacted all of the rest of my post and hilighted the word country and said "I'm not taking travel advice from someone who thinks Stockholm is a country". He got several thumbs up and made me look like a fool and essentially "won" by default as I refused to engage further with a clown like that.

Another example was a thread on abortion. The topic was abortion on the grounds of disability. A very contentious topic. One poster said "I disagree with abortion on the grounds of abortion". It was clear that they meant on grounds of disability, but that person was quoted and ridiculed and their obvious typo was again used to undermine their point.

Am I the only one who notices this online?

No you are not the only one.
Normally you will find the person who is trying to ridicule is a d**khead and in real life wouldn't say boo to anyone.

Of course the percentage of these people is higher on some forums that others, best advice is stay away from those forums. Plenty of others to have a discussion and not get overwhelmed with that type of person

You should always remember
"It deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe."

ulster

Yeah and whenever referring to the country as the Republic of Ireland....tHe NaMe oF tHe CoUnTrY iS iReLaNd!!!!!!!!!

People like that i want to hit them with a hurley.

Hamsterchops

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

Please correct again. Thanks!

Currected tanks

Pinch Flat

CountingCrows wrote: »

They’re

Ah your an angle

.anon.

Deleted User wrote: »

That’s the joke.

*Thats

The J Stands for Jay

What was the post doing to Stockholm?

Jeremy Sproket

Signore Fancy Pants wrote: »

OP is missing a "C" from his username.

I'm a she :P

fergiesfolly wrote: »

In fairness, you didn't misspell city, you typed country.

Read my OP. I never said misspelt.

.anon.

.anon. wrote: »

*Thats

I suppose you are just joking.

I don’t correct grammar myself but I do tend to take less seriously people who make some mistakes.

The J Stands for Jay

Hamsterchops wrote: »

While I agree that it can be tiresome and annoying to correct spelling mistakes, sometimes it does the poster a favour. Many examples where people get hold of a wrong pronunciation as a child, and then carry it with them for life!

Take thought & taught as an example, some people will go through their lives mixing & swapping the two, tread & thread another, until somebody corrects them in print & the penny drops. Height & heigth is another example, not that heigth exists, but some people say it and spell it that way until corrected.

I was corrected just the other day (in another thread) after spelling somebody's name wrong, I always thought his name was Nick West but another poster did me a favour & pointed out that his name was Mick West, I then went back into my posts and corrected the spellings ......

Getting to tread & thread, I was amazed to hear a recent road safety awareness campaign on the radio, whereby they explained about minimum thread depth. Don't know if it went into print though.

I remember looking at a thread in motors, and being very confused about someone going on about their tyres' "thread". I thought they were on about the steel cord inside the rubber...

JayRoc

Spelling and grammar matters to grown-ups. If you want to be taken seriously, know the difference between "your" and "you're". Simple.

Thomasirl123

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

It depends what you think is obvious and not people just not knowing. Your country one yes, but people using "been" instead of "being" drag down those around them that if you look at a chart from its first (mis)use shows an unmistakable cone of ignorance .



Dont let your friends post stupid, kids.

People that use been instead of being are at a higher level of intelligence that people that put a space before a full stop and don't use '

McGinniesta

I find it annoying.

I've learned not to say anything about it.

Thomasirl123

Thomasirl123 wrote: »

People that use been instead of being are at a higher level of intelligence that people that put a space before a full stop and don't use '

Don’t agree.

alchemist33

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

I'm a she :P



Read my OP. I never said misspelt.

You said spelling mistake in the title and opening sentence. Typing country instead of city isn't a spelling mistake, it's using the wrong word. When I do this I call it a "brainfart"

micah537

I have noticed at work, people who constantly correct other's grammar are quite poor at maths and logical thinking. Maybe it's a way for them to feel smart.

Panrich

Thomasirl123 wrote: »

People that use been instead of being are at a higher level of intelligence that people that put a space before a full stop and don't use '

You should of use than people their if youd payed more atension then we wont loose your pint and it make more since

frag420

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

Why do people point out obvious spelling mistakes on online discussions instead of discussing the actual substance of the argument?

I have seen several examples of this as time goes by.

For example, there was a discussion on Stockholm on a forum before (where my dad is from and I spent a good chunk of my life). I mentioned in a post cricisising Stockholm that it's not too bad a city and mentioned some good points about it. One of my points said that Stockholm was a good country (sic) and made several other points about the city.
In my opening sentence, I mistyped country instead of city and in the rest of my paragraph I used city. The person who quoted me redacted all of the rest of my post and hilighted the word country and said "I'm not taking travel advice from someone who thinks Stockholm is a country". He got several thumbs up and made me look like a fool and essentially "won" by default as I refused to engage further with a clown like that.

Another example was a thread on abortion. The topic was abortion on the grounds of disability. A very contentious topic. One poster said "I disagree with abortion on the grounds of abortion". It was clear that they meant on grounds of disability, but that person was quoted and ridiculed and their obvious typo was again used to undermine their point.

Am I the only one who notices this online?

I’m not sure I get what you’re on about op, can you be a bit more pacific please?

iffandonlyif

Sometimes you'll see the odd spelling mistake / typo in the middle of sophisticated post. It would be stupid to point it out and I rarely see it done. But if the post is incoherent, replete with errors or just patently unsophisticated, I can imagine picking out a spelling mistake in order to undermine the whole post.

Thomasirl123

Panrich wrote: »

You should of use than people their if youd payed more atension then we wont loose your pint and it make more since

Exactly, once the communication is understood who gives a fk

indioblack

"Winders. W-I-N-D-E-R-S.....go an' clean 'em"
Charles Dickens.

dark crystal

micah537 wrote: »

I have noticed at work, people who constantly correct other's grammar are quiet poor at maths and logical thinking. Maybe it's a way for them to feel smart.

Quite.

.anon.

Deleted User wrote: »

I suppose you are just joking.

I don’t correct grammar myself but I do tend to take less seriously people who make some mistakes.

Not joking, just giving you some friendly advise, thats all.

Capt'n Midnight

CountingCrows wrote: »

They’re

Now there, don't you dare.


Once we accept typos the errorists have won.

KathleenGrant

Thomasirl123 wrote: »

People that use been instead of being are at a higher level of intelligence that people that put a space before a full stop and don't use '

People who use

Unless you are joking and then I look like a bitch.:D

biko

Should not the topic be; why do people take offence when someone helps them correct a mistake?

pgj2015

There are some awful sad fcukers on boards. people who think they know everything and pull people up on crap like a misspelled word. I remember once I asked a question in the legal section, it was a question that came up in law exams, I was studying law at the time.

Some smart-arse replied "you better learn to spell properly if you ever want a job in Law", he/she didn't say anything else. I thought it was the saddest and most pathetic thing I had ever read on boards, I dint want a legal job btw, I was just studying law because I found it interesting.

Oranage2

It makes dumb people feel smart.

.anon.

.anon. wrote: »

Not joking, just giving you some friendly advise, thats all.

That’s is short for That is, or That has. Thats is always wrong.

Also. Advice is what you give someone, advise is what you are doing when you give it.

I’m honestly still not sure if you were joking.

KathleenGrant

KathleenGrant wrote: »

People who use

Unless you are joking and then I look like a bitch.:D

That can be used for a type of person. Did you ever hear of the movie - the people who time forgot? Nor me.

Greyfox

biko wrote: »

Should not the topic be; why do people take offence when someone helps them correct a mistake?

They do because grammer natzis are the most annoying people on boards

KathleenGrant

Thomasirl123 wrote: »

People that use been instead of being are at a higher level of intelligence that people that put a space before a full stop and don't use '

Thomasirl123 wrote: »

Exactly, once the communication is understood who gives a fk

KathleenGrant wrote: »

People who use

Unless you are joking and then I look like a bitch.:D

Deleted User wrote: »

That can be used for a type of person. Did you ever hear of the movie - the people who time forgot? Nor me.

See I agree with the second post above. Once people understand what is meant what difference does it make? Unless it's an English exam or some discussion about language.
In my post I was answering Thomas. I thought he was making fun of the poster but i see now that he makes the same point that I believe. If you know what is meant answer the post, not the spelling/grammar. People could have dyslexia after all.

The Princess Bride

Well you might do someone a favour by nicely pointing out that they have made a mistake, in the hope that they learn from it.

I recently saw condolences left on RIP.ie, Rest in piece!
(With the exclamation mark too!)

Yes, it would have been worse had it been "Rest in pieces!"
And don't get me started on the angles in heaven, not (a)cute in the slightest.

KathleenGrant

The Princess Bride wrote: »

Well you might do someone a favour by nicely pointing out that they have made a mistake, in the hope that they learn from it.

I recently saw condolences left on RIP.ie, Rest in piece!
(With the exclamation mark too!)

Yes, it would have been worse had it been "Rest in pieces!"
And don't get me started on the angles in heaven, not (a)cute in the slightest.

True but could do that in a PM or a nice post.

Government buildings

There is no excuse for bad spelling or grammar.