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My rules are:
A. Spell-check. Use a browser that has spell-check and do it.
B. Paragraphs. Do it often.
C. Spaces between paragraphs. Always leave one line.
D. No partial sentences. (except in a list)
Try it; you’ll like the result.
I would like to add:
E. Grammar: check and DOUBLE check. Using Yiddish grammar in English is unacceptable.
F. Proper punctuation. Excessive capitalization and punctuation only SPARINGLY AND WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!!!!!!!!!!
G. No run-on sentences.
It helps if the post is in English.
Popa,
Do you
mean
something,
like?
this;
I. Do not repeat yourself
J. Do not repeat yourself
For examples of this refer to E and F or E and G.
Good points, and some good laughs too. Personally, I am willing to cut people some slack; not everyone types as well, and considering people are posting from work, at the traffic stops, or otherwise in a rush there isn’t always time (or the motivation) to properly proofread.
You’re not writing your doctoral thesis when you post in a forum. Don’t expect others to post as such.
My personal pet peeve:
Don’t “drown out” your fellow posters by cutting-and-pasting huge blocks of text from outside sources, knowing the other party is not going to want to read through twenty paragraphs or more.
Instead, summarize the points made in the text and provide a link back to the original source.
The Wolf
Pls x write in abbrev. 4m its hard 2 read! U hav 2 b consider8 of CR readers. thnx!
TMB: What’s the problem? Is literacy also a bad hashkafa?
Itchy: If you wish to spend as much time writing what ought to be a quick paragraph for a forum as you would for a paragraph in your doctoral thesis, be my guest.
All I’m saying is that people should have the consideration to write something that everyone else can read without too much difficulty, such as your last post.
“rules” have a connotation of the implication of “required”
you should have said “guidelines”
Mod-80,
That’s a superb point. On the subject of rules, from the Yeshiva World RULES OF THE YWN COFFEE ROOM – PLEASE READ, http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/rules-of-the-ywn-coffee-room-please-read:
Topic and Tone
. . .
5 – Please try to post in a language somewhat resembling English. . .If your comment is not written in normal English, it will not be approved.
I request that you step up your enforcement of this rule.
that rule actually is ambiguous, even self-contradictory:
“resembling english”
“normal english”
i prefer to interpret it more towards the first definition
popa i see your point
Mod-80, then perhaps the rule can be clarified.
Some of the stuff posted on CR would be embarrassing for an ESL class.
Itchy: If you wish to spend as much time writing what ought to be a quick paragraph for a forum as you would for a paragraph in your doctoral thesis, be my guest.
If it takes that much extra time to get proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar in a short paragraph, you need to go back to school, because your English skills are hurting you in other areas of your life.
As a commercial for an English course once said, “People judge you by how you speak.” The same can be said about how you write.
haifa: One needn’t proofread a forum post. If it is readable despite any typos, it suffices. Period.
Just so I don’t make a comment on another thread…apostrophes!
Or is it apostrophe’s? I’m beginning to wonder….
i dont use apostrophes, or capitals except in certain instances of respect. i do feel periods and commas are very important though.
as for your post haifa, you are right. i write differently when it is for business or the like.
Considering haifagirl is the self-appointed language police here,…
EDITED
haifa girl is not a self-appointed anything here. your post is offensive.
she has obviously studied grammar and it is something she considers important. i havent seen any basis for your harsh personal criticism of her
Okay, it was too harsh, I apologize. Perhaps you can allow me to restate my point respectfully. Haifagirl, why do you criticize the modern usage of the word gender, but refer to yourself as a girl rather than woman?
An apostrophe means that the word is in the possessive. It does not confer plain plural status. The placement can. For example, pencil’s, pencils, pencils’.
Sorry to be hocking. But when it comes to typing, not everyone types easily; it takes time and intent to find that apostrophe and include it. So I don’t get how it insinuates itself into so many words.
tzippi: Apostrophes are widely misused. You are correct that the apostrophe should be used for the possessive case. And, by the way, inanimate objects, such as pencils, should rarely be used in the possessive case. “The point of my the pencil is dull”; not “My pencil’s point is dull.”
The apostrophe should also be used in contractions, e.g., don’t vs. dont. The apostrophe signifies that some letters have been omitted, as in “don’t”, which is a contraction of “do not.” I believe the possessive case was indicated in English prior to the 18th century – excuse me, the 55th – only by the possessive pronoun, e.g., “the Rabbi his hat …” which later was contracted to “the Rabbi’s hat ….”
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