Lots of good stories here but few writers use paragraphs, just one continuous text, this makes for a tedious read, especially if it is a long story.
Yes sir, we have become a texting, auto correcting society
The phenomenon is nicknamed "wall of text". I've seen it in other forums/online communities and it is indeed frustrating to read them (especially the ones that don't use punctuation!). I know we don't want to be grammar police, but if people can take the extra time to divide their posts into paragraphs, it would be much appreciated!
For me if it is one continuous text I might read a couple lines or not and move on.
QuoteOriginally posted by The Whittler:
For me if it is one continuous text I might read a couple lines or not and move on.
Same here Whittler. As soon as I see a loooong post I just skip it.
boyyoutakeallthefunoutofwritingnextyoullbewantingproperpunctuation
Stumper, LMAO.. :)
Ok I think this is the appropriate context to make this comment. I am by no means without error in my writing, and my spelling is abysmal. In fact, I just spelled abysmal wrong but it autocorrected. So, this does NOT come from judgment, but rather, a desire to help. Since I've been on Tradgang, I've noticed that the participants here seem to care more about the written word than the general cross section of our texting, twittering, instagramming, emojiing culture. It is refreshing, and I attribute it to a thoughtfulness and appreciation for old ways that seems to lead many of us to trad hunting.
So, because I believe there are some on this forum who would rather use correct grammar than not, I'll make this post. There are two grammatical errors that are more pervasive than any other on this forum; "quite" instead of "quiet", and "seen" instead of "saw".
I'll briefly explain. "Quite" is just the wrong word. It means "entirely, thoroughly, totally".
"Seen" is the past participle of the verb "see". It is used correctly in a sentence like "I have seen many deer in this field." "Saw" is the past tense of "see", and should be used most often in our deer hunting stories. For example, "I saw the deer come out on the edge of the field" vs. the incorrect "I seen the deer come out on the edge of the field."
Take it or leave it. I love reading stories on TG correct grammar or not!
There seems to be a lot of people that think then and than are one and the same.
It does make for some hard reading sometimes,but I never comment on someones kill thread. I see some people that do,and I think that just takes away from someone's happy moment.
Thanks, I corrected my last post a bit.
I will agree with the original poster. Long stories without breaks are hard to read especially when my eyes are fatigued.
Putting a break makes it easier.
I don't mind grammatical errors as long as I can follow the story. My brain can correct those lol.
But often when someone has a great story to tell and it is one long continued paragraph it's hard to read, especially with continuous distraction within my household.
Actually this started here BEFORE texting really existed....
Some folks style is just one huge paragraph...
I can't tell you how many times I've read posts and edited them into paragraphs for a more pleasant read...
And...I won't tell you who some of those writers were...you might be surprised :nono:
Then there's loose instead of lose and vice versa.
How about to, too, and two,
or their and there,
or maybe it's and its,
or then and than just to name a few. I guess I'm not the only one who is sometimes put off by common grammar errors. Nonetheless, it doesn't usually detract from the readability of a story. Not using punctuation and paragraphs does bother me a lot.
For me it's I have a bow for sell, and if you want it I will sale it to you. :-)
When I use my voice typer, I get all kinds of happy accidents, as Bob Ross would put it. But,ontheotherhandthechechallengetofigurestuffoutcanbefunaswell. Sometimes. I do need to remember to proof read.
I have to agree with all the above. One I've seen frequently especially lately is "I shoot a #50 bow."
I keep wondering what a "number" 50 bow is. The "#" used BEFORE a numeral is short for the word "NUMBER." When the "#" is used AFTER a numeral, it is short for the word "pounds."
This is the first and only time I will "rant" on this one. :knothead:
Arne
I would hate to discourage anyone from trying to communicate on this forum because of their compositional skills. Really, it's not our problem if someone communicates poorly, it's their's. The worst that can happen to us is that we can't understand what the person is trying to say, so we move on. The person who made the post doesn't get his question answered or his point made, and probably feels frustrated.
Frankly, it's not the worst thing that happens on this forum. Very rarely, people are not respectful to other members or make absurd claims that other people have to refute. The moderators are pretty good about weeding these things out, but still, when they happen they are worse than grammatical errors or poor composition.
I would imagine that people who post on this forum are doing the best they can.
I understand where you are coming from Eric.
Best regards, Skychief
There will always be those who have to write in their own, unique regional accent.
But, personally, I'll always prefer "arrow" to "arra."
Guy
One thing that is common on forums and in real life--"I could care less" when what they really mean is "I COULDN'T care less." If you could care less then it means that to some degree you DO care.
Thanks for the post, Eric.
I live with MS had have double vision as a constant companion. The big blocks of text without any paragraph breaks leave me dizzy and unable to follow the correct line as my eye pans downward. It is pretty frustrating for someone who lived their (there, they're :rolleyes: ) life as a voracious reader.
If you can hit "Enter" from time to time as you share a story (which I really AM interested in hearing!), I am yet another Trad Ganger who would R-E-A-L-L-Y appreciate it.
For me, it's not a matter of being picky, it's a matter of being sick, and doing everything I can to hold onto a sport... and a site... that was very important to me in my "former life"!
Thanks,
Daryl
I would hate to miss out on something important or a good story because I made fun of someones writing. Maybe we can all do better but no need to ridicule some one because English is not their first language,education,or typos. They might not write again if made to feel self conscious. Just a thought.>>>----> Ken
Dave,
You nailed one of the ones that bugs me ('couldn't care less').
It also bugs me when I see 'ideal' being used instead of 'idea' when someone is describing their worthy brainstorm.
As most here have stated, I also agree with K Butler that no one should be hesitant about posting for fear they would use a poor word choice or make a grammatical error. It is your thoughts that interest us more than the language you use.
I remember several years ago, before I had posted much here, I didn't realize one could edit their post. Some kind person here (I can't remember who but maybe KY TJ?) sent me a PM to let me know I could make edits.
I've used that function a bunch!! Seems like when I'm typing the thoughts I don't catch the errors, but when I read over the post, they are obvious.
If I might make another suggestion. Please take the time to learn to embed pictures into your post instead of links to them. There are plenty of videos and tutorials online. It only takes a second and also makes a much more pleasant read.
Over the years I've learned to bite my tongue on various fora (that's correct; the plural of forum is fora) regarding proper terminology and grammar. While it bugs me to no end, I realize it's not everyone's bag. So I post this tongue in cheek somewhat...some of the ones that really get me are:
Knock (for nock)
Too (for to)
Hay (for Hey)
Breaks (for brakes)
Loose or loosing (for lose or losing)
There (for they're or their)
And of course, the improper use of the apostrophe...
But again, It doesn't stop me from reading or enjoying posts. I know what the OP is trying to relay whether or not it's spelled or punctuated correctly. But I do find myself reading my own posts and correcting errors and hoping nobody reads them before me!
I am not a smart man, but I do know about love.
Captain, that's one long paragraph there!
:biglaugh:
J/K
QuoteOriginally posted by fnshtr:
Captain, that's one long paragraph there!
:biglaugh:
J/K
Should I go back and edit? Inquiring minds want to know! :biglaugh:
Step 1. Bookmark this thread.
Step 2. Link this thread to any thread where the listed violations occur.
Step 3. Watch it continue to occur daily in spite of your best efforts.
You should try to read through the Georgia hunting forum once in a while. I've never seen another place like it. It's very sad the lack of education available in some parts of the country OR the complete lack of interest in the education that is provided.
Another one for me is someone starts a story and stops part way though and says more later. Oh I have a great story about stick bow hunting I'll tell you later.
Either tell it or don't kind of childish by this time I don't care.
I wonder if it's because a great number of us talk the same way.... non stop
just sayin... :saywhat:
I need to "sell" my bow.
not
I need to "sale" my bow.
QuoteOriginally posted by The Whittler:
For me it's I have a bow for sell, and if you want it I will sale it to you. :-)
LOL...ain't it the truth! :p
You gotta admit tho... the grammar here is unique to the crowd.
its how we be talkin' 'bout thangs, eh? But we be gettin er dun! :thumbsup:
Not all of us paid attention in English class you know.
It really only takes a minute to proofread what your posting, before hitting the Add Reply button.
As far as typos go, QUITE in place of QUIET drives me nuts.
Ha, as I misspelled "your". I meant "you're".
You guys forgot you're, as in you are and your. That too is easily fixed but very often screwed up
Answer to it all...the EDIT function.
There was a long continuing thread recently that opened with a huge post with no paragraph breaks. Extremely difficult to wade through.
I politely suggested to the OP to continue the story using paragraphs for easier reading. I was quickly scolded for the tip. Soon my post was pulled.
Most of my pet peeves have been addressed already. One that really irks me is right after an accidental double post the author comes right back with "Sorry for the double post". Just let it go!
Oh yeah, almost forgot "deer horns". They're ANTLERS!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
God bless,Mudd :archer2:
How 'bout "would of" instead of "would've" grrrrr...
QuoteOriginally posted by Red Beastmaster:
Oh yeah, almost forgot "deer horns". They're ANTLERS!
I wonder about this one. Some words take on a life of their own. We even have a place called "Elk Horn Slough" near Sacramento. I've heard taxidermists and other people who know that deer and elk have antlers call them horns. I think it's kind of like the word "animals" which is commonly used to mean wild and domestic mammals other than humans, even though the person saying or writing that probably knows that we are animals too (as are fish and bugs). Or Marines calling naval vessels "boats" rather than "ships" just to get under Sailors' skins. Or Sailors calling rifles "guns" just to get under Marines' skins. In other words, a lot of these things, like "horns," are probably said somewhat tongue in cheek or just to add a little spice to the language
Eric, see what ya started? LOL :)
I am really only concerned with the lack of paragraphs, as a phonetic speller I can relate to grammar inconsistencies.
To keep my credibility, I type, rewrite, spell check and preview to have a fairly legible story to tell.
OK, I do have one word that grates me every time I see it; people who use spline instead of spine while discussing arrows.
I was once a helicopter crewchief in the Army and have pulled many a splined drive shaft, the word has a more intricate meaning to me.
A footnote; this little post had three rewrites for wording changes.
Those Army guys never could spell.. LOL
Punctuation is important. Take these two sentences for example:
"Let's eat, kids!"
"Let's eat kids!"
See how big of a difference a simple comma can make? :p