Grammar and punctuation, general effort put into posting

[Ankeli]

If I make typos in this thread, shoot me.

hai i looking for a l33t hamardin guidi. any one pleas giev link to one i like it be cheap.

So, the point being, I'd like (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) the mods to enforce proper grammar, punctuation and chapter divisioning in the forums. We're already under a pretty strict rule here, and that is what's making these forums work so well.

Now, I can understand if someone who isn't a native English speaker, nor has had the chance to study the language in school makes errors in his posts, and don't hold that against them. It's great that they're still putting in the effort of trying to make it readable for us, and for that I applaud them! But the people who aren't even willing to put in the effort it takes to complete 2 understandable sentences, and want help, get on my nerves.

I'm not sure how they should be treated though. It doesn't seem fair to ban someone for bad grammar, right? Closing the threads and asking them to put their business in a fashion the forum goers will understand might help weeding them out.

Or am I just nitpicking about a useless topic?

[BobTheWarrior]

"...to put in the effort it takes to complete 2 understandable sentences..."

Numbers less than 10 should be spelled. One, two, three, ..., nine, 10, 11, ...
:tongue:


Or am I just nitpicking about a useless topic?

No, but I think the approach is wrong. Banning someone (even temporarily) for using bad grammar on an internet forum is not an effective use of moderator time. This is something that needs to be addressed by the community, raising the community standards. Right now we, as a community of D2 players, accept that some people choose not to spell correctly, don't use punctuation, make giant wall 'o texts, etc. If we choose to ignore those individuals until they "get with the program" and create posts that are up to our standards, we will raise the quality of posts in these forums.

Ignoring doesn't mean being completely unresponsive. Ignoring means pointing out the problem, informing the user of the standard, and not providing further response to the question / feedback on the issue until the standard is met. We don't have to be rude or pretentious, we need to educate.

Now, if users had to pass a spelling and grammar test prior to registering, that would be an issue the moderators could be utilized to enforce, but there isn't.

[Crowd Control]

I think you have a point to some degree. But normally it's the bad-grammar cases and (even more) the replies to these that amuse me here. Still, it amazes me that non-native-English speakers generally post a lot better than the the native ones.

[Ankeli]

Numbers less than 10 should be spelled. One, two, three, ..., nine, 10, 11, ...
:tongue:

See, and I knew that. I just couldn't bring the effort. :jig:

Anyway, like I said, just closing the topics and letting the OP know why it was closed might help weed it out some.

Also, tell me you didn't focus on your spelling more than usually in this topic and I'll show you a pink flying elephant. :whistling:

[BobTheWarrior]

Also, tell me you didn't focus on your spelling more than usually in this topic and I'll show you a pink flying elephant. :whistling:

Nope, I focused on yours though. It helps when you have friends on IM who throw every mistake you make back at you.

:spam:

[BRKO]

Bad grammar?
Then what?
Bad location? Bad avatar? Bad religion?

:nono:

These forums have rather strict rules and capable moderators and users from all over the world. Theres imho no need to enforce "proper language."

[Gorny]

I know bad grammar makes reading posts a pain, but we can't really ban for it.


I see your point and there have been times where I've pointed it out to an OP when it really was bad and the OP got really snide with me via PM (and in perfect grammar too) and endedup getting banned on the basis of sheer attitude.

I've locked a thread here and there with a post asking that the wall of AoHell type text be broken down into something more readable. But what can you do about it really? Not much I guess.

It hurts the OP too, if people can't understand a thread the help being looked for is less likely to be forthcomming.

[Ankeli]

Nope, I focused on yours though. It helps when you have friends on IM who throw every mistake you make back at you.

:spam:

What's wrong with "usually"? :ponder:

Bad grammar?
Then what?
Bad location? Bad avatar? Bad religion?

:nono:

These forums have rather strict rules and capable moderators and users from all over the world. Theres imho no need to enforce "proper language."

I don't mean that the topics with bad grammar should be closed, as long as the posters make an effort. The ones I'm talking about are the ones that go along the lines of my first post in this thread.

I know bad grammar makes reading posts a pain, but we can't really ban for it.


I see your point and there have been times where I've pointed it out to an OP when it really was bad and the OP got really snide with me via PM (and in perfect grammar too) and endedup getting banned on the basis of sheer attitude.

I've locked a thread here and there with a post asking that the wall of AoHell type text be broken down into something more readable. But what can you do about it really? Not much I guess.

It hurts the OP too, if people can't understand a thread the help being looked for is less likely to be forthcomming.

I know you tend to close ape**** topics, and the Community Forum is a bit cleaner place because of it. It's a forum that gets most of the howgodlyismyarmorHURRR posts too, so you deserve a :highfive: for that.