In the interest of fighting ignorance, would it be possible to grant a special title to those dopers who are qualified to correct grammatical errors in posts? It doesn’t come with any new priviliges; it just gives these posters the ability to correct grammar without looking snarky or needlessly hijacking a thread. There could be a controlled release in Great Debates or General Questions.
If anonymity is preferred, we could create a username specifically to correct grammar. A password would be given out to those who qualify.
I don’t have the grammar chops to do this, but I’m sure there are plenty dopers that do. Have fun ripping my post to shreds.
I don’t understand the need for mod-sanctioned corrections of grammar and spelling - this is at least the second post in the past few weeks to make a suggestion on the topic. Has there been a call for this that I missed?
If this place implements a Grammar N Spelling Nazi, I for one am going home. Life is ugly enough without having total strangers correct one’s grammar and spelling; why add to it?
Besides, who’d actually want such a task? I can’t imagine a quicker way of getting people seriously annoyed with you.
Feel free to correct my spelling and grammar if you must, just do it to yourself and make a mental note that I’m a spelling/grammar loser and should be shunned. Just keep it to yourself and pity me from afar…
I have asked for help, and I will continue to make mistakes. But I have seen people with more knowledge then many people in here, have horrible grammar/spelling skills.
In Great Debates does your opinion not count because your not a perfect speller?
In GQ if you answer the question, while not making a perfect sentence, does it make that answer wrong?
If something such as this was implemented I could see an exodus of people not in the grammar clique, narrowing the fight against ignorance to just grammar and spelling.
You could know how to spell supercalifragilisticexpaladoscious* but not know the correct air pressure setting for my air nailer, and if thats the question I need an answer for, your knowledge would do nothing too help me.
Point is, when I have a question about my grammar I have asked, and “tried” to improve. And will continue to do so, but if you point it out to people, some people will take offense no matter how lightly you put it.
We can’t have a Grammar Nazi here. Gaudere’s Law proves that the Grammar Nazi would make a grammar mistake in every post, thereby making whichever poster has the title the least qualified person to hold it.
As I said in the recent previous thread; I’ll go along with this, just as long as we also appoint people who are allowed to correct factual errors. This will give these people the ability to tell a poster they are talking empty-headed pig-swill… without sounding snarky about it.
Good point! I want the job. If for no other reason than Gaudere’s Law would kick in and reduce the number of grammar and spelling mistakes in a FordPrefect post to one. The logical and just plain mistakes would still be there, but at least without the jarring grammatical issues… I like it.
Just to weigh my two cents in, I do not want a Grammar Nazi (or Grammar Czar or whatever), nor do I think one is necessary. Further, even if it was a good idea, the work load involved would be horrendous, even if the Chief Grammarian could be counted on to be perfect (which, of course, you couldn’t).
