A Plea for a New Rule

Could we make a new rule that people should refrain from posting follow ups that only correct for a typo or misspelled word? I think we all know that people don’t polish every post as if it were their PhD dissertation, so if you type “so” instead of “do” I think we will be able to figure out what you meant. Similarly, if you type “to” instead of “too” we can all assume you made a mistake, and not think you are some sort of inbred moron who doesn’t know better. It just seems like the correction posting is getting out of hand, eats up bandwidth etc.

Perhaps we could make it a rule that you should only post a follow up if your typo causes some material change in your post. For example, if you left out a “not” in a statement, then you could post a correction to add it since the meaning of the sentence is reversed, but don’t post simply to correct for a missing letter. I’m not saying this needs to be a banning offense, but maybe a sticky in the forums to encourage people not to do this? What say you?

Etc.? What else is there? It doesn’t really seem like that big of a deal to me. But I do think people should be encouraged to proofread their posts better.

I think this new rule should be adpoted.

Zev Steinhardt

Whoops. Sorry, I left out the “not.”

Typo.

Zev Steinhardt

If 10% of the posts on the board (I don’t know if that is the right number or not, but it does seem to be increasing) are simple corrections for typos, then if we eliminate those posts it would relieve some of the burden on the servers. Fewer posts, fewer emails notifications, fewer people checking threads to see what the new post says only to find that it is a simple switch of words all adds up to faster boards.

Huh? I am saying the rule should be don’t correct your mistakes with another post is it doesn’t change the content of the post. How is that wanting everything to be perfect? This isn’t a cocktail party. I’m just saying it wastes space and computer power.

Yeah… I don’t think it’s 10%.

Even if it isn’t 10%, maybe it’s only 2% or 1%, I still think it is annoying. I don’t think a sticky, like the one that is/was up about using descriptive thread titles, being posted for a few weeks would be a bad idea.

Okay, this is weird. I could have sworn that the paragraph Rhum Runner quoted came before Rhum Runner quoted it.

Yeah, I saw that too. The post I quoted was posted before my response, although it doesn’t look like it now. Either time is running backwards, or somehting funky is going on in this thread. I know I’m good, but seeing into the future is beyond even my vast powers.

Nope, it’s just me deleting posts from this guy:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=32835

And I’m gonna get rid of the posts from a couple other names of this fuckhead, too.

Oh god, why is my thread a sock attractant? This is about as boring a thread as you are going to find. All I wanted to do was make a little suggestion that might make the board a little more workable.

Is Wolf Shield next?

Whaddya you think? :slight_smile:

Because this guy is a grade A, classic #1 fucking jackass. And when I finally find out who it is . . . never mind.

Sooooo, UncleBeer since you are around, how you feel about a rule about posting typo corrections?

:wink:

<D&R>

I think this rule (of thumb) would be okay, on the understanding that people who like to make fun of other peoples’ typos have to keep quiet, too; i.e., if I can’t jump back in and say “whoops, I misspelled “xanthophyll” there”, nobody else gets to pop in and say, “Hey, Ethilrist, you born in a barn or what?”

That would also cut out a fair number of posts.

must… resist… urge… to… comment…

Exactly. Along the same lines, we don’t need the “oops, sorry for the double post” comments either. I don’t think anyone minds the one liners and what not if they are directed to a funny comment or the like, my problem is with the posts that are simply correcting a typo and add nothing else at all to the discusison/conversation. No more “oops” posts, and like you say, no more “you idiot, its not it’s” posts is how I see it. Again, not that we need the mods jumping on people if they do it, just maybe a general request that people try to refrain…

Really, you should stop this. Before the lawyers call. I’m about 80% certain that I know who you are, your real name, your place of habitation and your place of business. Each time you post and each name you register only makes it more likely the folks that own your ISP will cough up the verification I need without resorting to subpoena (and a subpoena is a very real possiblity anyway). Don’t fool yourself that you are forever untraceable. You’re not.

You have many innocent comments; by your own admission you have a “regular” screenname here with “thousands” of posts. The game is of your own making.

Fun eh?

I’m sorry you have to put up with this. If you want to lock this thread I understand, though I am guessing that the fuckwits problem is not with the topic here. Not sure what his point is, and not sure why he wants to flog my thread, he can go bitch it out with you in the pit under his real name, wouldn’t be the first time. Now, about those double posts…