# Correcting grammar and spelling - Good or Evil?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-grammar-and-spelling-good-or-evil/244058>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 7, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-grammar-and-spelling-good-or-evil/244058 "2004-05-07T19:14:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-grammar-and-spelling-good-or-evil/244058/21 "2004-05-08T03:14:06Z")

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What **Scarlett** said. Brava!  
It’s one thing to notice errors but it’s quite another to make a big whoopla about it. And I reflexively notice menus, billboards, etc. errors, so it ain’t like I don’t sympathize, okay? But for routine communications, it’s rude and more than a bit show-offy.  
In fact the practice rather irritates me on message boards, even this one, especially when it’s used as a diversionary tactic. It’s pretty aggravating when a fast, juicy discussion gets derailed by nitpicking. [sniffily] And by the way, it’s _(correction)_.[/sniffily] I hang around this place because it’s fun and interesting. I _know_ I make mistakes in spelling, usage, grammar etc. that could be prevented with enough careful review but I just plain don’t give a whoop. I post and read for fun, not as a chore.  
I do support a few stylistic suggestions, if tactfully made: not posting all in caps, using caps where needed, breaking large blocks up texts with spaces, etc. You know, ease-of-reading conventions newbies might not have noticed. But anything that doesn’t interfere with actual comprehension to a casual reader is nitpicking.

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