There’s an article about how only jerks bother pointing out typos. It used a harsher word, actually, to describe typo Nazis.
“Researchers concluded that ‘less agreeable people are more sensitive to grammatical errors, while more conscientious and less open people are sensitive to typos.’
“Overall, extroverts were more forgiving of both types of errors, and introverts were especially harsh about messages that contained typos. ” Not incidentally, the article is intentionally filled with typos.
Surely, science has proven I must be both disagreeable AND introverted. The very day I read the article, someone wrote on Facebook, in response to a politician he did not like, “Looser!” What he MEANT was “Loser” and I KNEW that, but I felt a bit dismissive of the comment, perhaps because a single invective isn’t very insightful.
I groan, rather than chuckle, when I see the protest signs demanding that immigrants know English, but spell moron “morans.” Go to Google images and type in misspelled tea party protest signs. Here’s an example.
“Previous studies have shown that we tend to judge people who make writing errors as ‘less conscientious, intelligent, and trustworthy.'” True enough; angry people need to get their sines write; I mean, their signs write.
Ah, The Guardian says correcting grammar is racist and is an expression of white privilege I will take that under advisement.
I’ve noticed more errors of fact in online newspapers. Speed gets in the way of accuracy. A story mentioned the “six minutes between 11:49 a.m. and noon.” I wrote to an editor I know personally to get it fixed, not as a taunt, but because it’s good to get it correct. Still, it DID hurt my head, but only slightly.
I’m much more patient with bloggers who produce regularly. Having my own problem with typos is a function of my brain operating faster than my fingers. I have learned to try to have the word NOT in any sentence, because I’m most likely to leave it out, totally changing the meaning.
If someone has written about the American Civil War and writes 1683 – this actually happened recently – I KNOW the guy KNOWS the actual date of 1863, and correct him, privately.
I am comforted by this: I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why.
What am I to make of the fact that someone emailed me this article?
See also: It’s not “homocide” or “genicide”…
Slightly off topic:
Why Does English Have So Many Words That Have Twins?
I see errors all the time, and mostly say nothing (apart from the ones I see on blogs and let the author know privately). But lately I’ve found myself seeing a misspelled word in a Facebook comment, then leaving a comment with the same word spelled correctly. Sure, I’m being an example, but I have no idea why I do that.
You mentioned the time mistake in the news story, but do you usually correct bloggers’ errors of fact? Or Facebook friends’ errors? Awhile back I saw someone blog about HRH The Queen and I sent them a private message to point out it’s correctly HM The Queen. Living in one of her realms, that bugged me. I’ve also sometimes pointed out when someone has shared something that’s a myth/urban legend. However, I actually DO try and restrain myself…
I will correct an error of fact, but only if it is SUCH an incontrovertible item, I don’t get into a debate about it. When it comes to, say, the Emancipation Proclamation, and who it actually freed, SO not worth it.
Errors in grammar or spelling bug me but I’m also too well-brought-up/non-confrontational to mention them, except if I’m grading a paper or something where my pointing them out is part of the deal. If I disagree with someone online enough to engage them over it, I’m going to do it on the basis of the content of what they say rather than how they say it. And it takes a lot for me to want to engage someone online over an error they made; I usually leave that to someone more aggressive than me (which is just about everyone else out there)
I’ve also had to come to accept that people e-mailing me from their iPhones or similar are not going to write e-mails that may contain errors because of the difficulty of typing on a “keyboard” that isn’t really a keyboard, and that autocorrect is a thing.
Oh, my FB comments are rife with errors!
I can be a bit of a typo nazi at times, particularly when the mistake or poor grammar changes the meaning from what was intended. I try to resist comment, but sometimes I can’t help myself, and if it all become too much I listen to Stephen Fry on YouTube.
And knowing that I can be as guilty of the typo as anyone else, I don’t don’t take offence when my own failings are corrected!
I’ve noticed that if I’m on my cellphone trying to comment anywhere, the cellphone just types in what it “thinks” I want to say. Therefore, before I hit send, I always check it over. Almost 100% of the time, I have to change something. My problem is similar to yours, Roger, in that my brain operates faster than my fingers!
For what it’s worth, “No More Dam Taxes” sprang up to oppose a tax hike to pay for a dam; it wasn’t a typo.
I have occasionally fixed quoted material from elsewhere, mostly out of force of habit.
I was grateful when you contacted me about one of mine. I think it’s really about the spirit in which the correction is given. I felt you did it because you cared about me and what I was trying to say. I take that as a sign of a friend.
Hope you have a terrific weekend Roger!
Melanie – and it was in that spirit I offered it!
Dr McNinja!!