# Correcting spelling and grammar on the SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 21, 2011, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279 "2011-06-21T11:15:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/41 "2011-06-21T23:07:52Z")
The culture on the SDMB tends to be more pseudo-academic, for lack of a better word, than your typical message board. Many SDMB members think of this place not as a general interest message board with more mature users than the norm, but a [mid-Atlantic accent] _cough_ _panoptic symposium_ [/mid-Atlantic accent] [stroke beard] _stroke_ _stroke_ [/stroke beard]. Likewise, many Dopers seem to liken themselves as eccentric academic-types. The nerdfights over trivial changes at the board, grammar, and the like remind me of [Sayre’s Law](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayre%27s_Law): “Academic politics is the most vicious and bitter form of politics, because the stakes are so low.” I live in a small town packed with academic-types, and encounter it in my day-to-day life. There’s no shortage of Sharpie-corrected signage, posters, and even bathroom graffiti. I’ve been to public meetings where people debated for 10 minutes over whether to use a comma, semicolon or colon in a part of a resolution. And God forbid you should say “decimated” in anything but its ancient Roman context. In short, “It’s just part of the culture.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/42 "2011-06-21T23:42:30Z")
What really sucks is when you go to a board where it is against the rules to correct someone. Sure, sometimes it’s immaterial, but sometimes it shows an obvious lack of knowledge on the topic at hand. I’m sure there’s also a worse board where people do this to even obvious typos–and not just to be funny. Also, singular they has been used since before “he or she,” so I’m sticking with it except where it would be confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/43 "2011-06-22T00:02:58Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I consider it a kindness when I’m corrected for making a spelling or grammar error that I should know better about. Not a one-time type of error due to a slip of the fingers, but the persistent mistake of misspelling a common word, as I used to do with “calendar”, constantly misspelling it “calender”. Maybe you weren’t so much misspelling it as changing the subject to [paper making.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calender) ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/44 "2011-06-22T00:15:03Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’m sure there’s also a worse board where people do this to even obvious typos–and not just to be funny. [MATY.com](http://MATY.com) (not the true url) ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/45 "2011-06-22T01:20:34Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > And NOW, I think I shall Google, “Guadere”… 😉 > [@JBDivmstr](#): > > And of course… NOW, I find out that I’ve exemplified, “Gaudere’s Law”! I thought it was a fairly witty wee joke, until you came back and admitted that! ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/46 "2011-06-22T05:06:02Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > If you’re bothered by the peer pressure here, just be glad it’s not official policy. I recently joined another message board where using text-speak gets you a warning, and three offenses get you banned. Fantastic! Please tell us what board this is. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/47 "2011-06-22T16:29:34Z")
Generally speaking, I won’t jump in and actually correct someone’s spelling or grammar unless:[ul] [li]It’s germane to the discussion[/li][li]It’s being done intentionally to belittle or insult (in which case I don my moderator hat)[/li][li]The error(s) make the post ambiguous or flat-out unintelligible[/li][/ul] There have been a few times I’ve tried to parse something a couple of times and just told people, “Sorry, but I’m not going to put any more work into understanding this. If you explain it properly, I’ll be happy to answer the question.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/48 "2011-06-22T18:31:06Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I consider it a kindness when I’m corrected for making a spelling or grammar error that I should know better about. Not a one-time type of error due to a slip of the fingers, but the persistent mistake of misspelling a common word, as I used to do with “calendar”, constantly misspelling it “calender”. Ditto. When it comes to correcting other posters’ spelling or grammar, I try to take a Golden Rule approach of only doing so in situations where I would want my own grammar or spelling corrected if I had been the one to make the mistake, though admittedly not everyone has the same standards of scrupulosity. Thus, I’m more likely to correct the error if it makes the poster’s meaning unclear, or if the same error is made repeatedly, or if I can point out the error in what I judge to be a sufficiently clever or amusing way. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/49 "2011-06-22T22:54:33Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > :eek: SERIOUSLY?! > Now THAT’S, just being “ANAL”, IMHO!:dubious: Seriously. > [@Absolute](#): > > Fantastic! Please tell us what board this is. Garden of Shadows. The site seems to be down at the moment, but it’s the first hit if you google the phrase. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/50 "2011-06-22T23:03:52Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Garden of Shadows. The site seems to be down at the moment, but it’s the first hit if you google the phrase. It’s down for me as well, but 744 posts in 29 topics makes it sound like the problem isn’t very large. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/51 "2011-06-22T23:33:34Z")
> [@srzss05](#): > > It’s down for me as well, but 744 posts in 29 topics makes it sound like the problem isn’t very large. I looked up your username in [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) and I think you misspelled it, just wanted to let you know. Just for your information. I know you meant “sizzler steaks” but thought I should point out this typo. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/52 "2011-06-22T23:41:16Z")
> [@the lone cashew](#): > > I looked up your username in [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) and I think you misspelled it, just wanted to let you know. Just for your information. I know you meant “sizzler steaks” but thought I should point out this typo. Thank you. I was drunk at the time, so all the keys kinda looked the same. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279/53 "2011-06-23T15:42:18Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > I think I shall join the ranks of the “nitpickers”.😃 > > Am I the only one to notice, “SMDB”? I could have sworn it was, **SDMB**. :smack: Must a been cross-eyed when I posted that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correcting-spelling-and-grammar-on-the-sdmb/586279.md?page=2)