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-   -   Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78869)

Karibou 06-01-2010 15:41

Re: indieFan's List (was Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post...)
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by indieFan (Post 893331)
Re: Two spaces after a period
This is what I was taught to do, and I will continue to do so. I guess I'm too set in my ways to stop.

That's also what I was taught to do. In elementary and middle school, it didn't matter so much, and was accepted as a standard. After that, English teachers, bosses, etc. may start getting picky about it. I had thought that I was too set in my ways too, but I had to change them when I joined the newspaper staff last year, and stories weren't accepted if there was more than one space after a period. That's due to issues with the page and column layouts, and is a common newswriting practice. It wasn't that hard for me to make the change.

indieFan 06-01-2010 22:13

Re: indieFan's List (was Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post...)
 
Sadly, this was not a joke. I honestly wish it were, but it was not.

21. The use of "me" vs. "I". Please say the sentence in your head with both words and then use the one that sounds correct. 9 times out of 10, it probably is. Don't trust what you hear on television shows. I don't even know how many times I've cringed when hearing them make this mistake.

indieFan

ATannahill 09-01-2010 08:45

Re: indieFan's List (was Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post...)
 
Since the thread title includes "what us annoying" I will add this.

Everyone on hear watched the Kickoff. It is pointless for 5 threads to be made saying "XXXXX IS THE PASSWORD!". Please do not post for the sake of posting. Take the time to read the manual and try to be gentle to the CD server.

JaneYoung 01-02-2011 23:01

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Baker (Post 881323)
I'll chime in here also.

Along with all of the wise advice above, be concise.

Keep in mind, every post you make on this site may be read by over 1,000 people within one day. These people include adults and students, executives and siblings, people who can hire you and people who can turn you down for a possible job. Each one of these readers create an instant opinion about you. Careful posting will drive positive opinions.

Andy B.

I love it when I can quote the wise ones like Andy Baker.

This is a thread resurrection but I think it is ok. It's a good read and has some wise advice such as the quote you are enjoying from Mr. Baker. I'd like to add a couple of thoughts about tone and usage of a smiley.

Smileys are awesome when used well. When misused, they are a distraction and can be annoying. They also emphasize the tone of the post. As Andy says, careful posting will drive positive opinions. If you are posting in a Chit-Chat thread, it is very possible that the discussion will be a little different than say, a rules thread or an awards thread. In threads where information is being exchanged, discussed, or clarified - clear communication is necessary. Humor is a great tool when used wisely. When humor or sarcasm is misused or applied with too heavy a hand, it can derail or interrupt the discussion, perhaps causing confusion instead of clarity. One should also try to keep in mind that people who read threads like the rules threads, may be reading them for more than discussion's sake and they appreciate the integrity and careful thinking reflected in the discussion.

Jane

BBray_T1296 02-11-2012 00:50

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Murphy's Law: If anything can go wrong it will.

Murphry's Law: When correcting someone's spelling, you will invariably have a spelling error in your correction.

Powerserg 02-03-2014 15:05

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber (Post 881302)
Using proper capitalization and spacing can help improve legibility.

In addition to helping with legibility proper punctuation will help get your point across. For example, if someone posts:

I will immediately stop reading. It shows a couple things about you, primarily that you don't care. It also reflects negatively on your school, your family, and yourself. Don't say anything you might regret 3 years from now when you are looking for a job. It will still be here, attached to your name and indexed by Google.

The above being true, I am not a grammar cop. I will never be a grammar cop. I may say something to you about repeated abuses of the English language but I assure you that it is just letting you know you should take a look at it. EDIT: If you ever think I am being a grammar cop call me on it.

One last comment, misspellings and punctuation mistakes are fine. Don't be afraid to post because you are worried about your spelling or grammar. If you are REALLY afraid either read it in your head (remember, a comma usually means pause) and if it feels awkward ask someone to help you.

Oh, and use the Preview and Edit post buttons!

I Agree! Nobody wants to read something with bad spelling. It's alright for someone who accidentally has small grammar mistakes, but someone who does it purposely is no exception. Like those cat quotes," I LIK SANDWITCHES!" is really bad. Its alright to do it as a joke, but not as an actual sentence.

Andrew Taylor 02-03-2014 15:38

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Hey guys my team and I (FRC 5125) are having some trouble fundraising and getting sponsors. Does anybody have helpful ideas or recommendations?

Andrew Taylor 02-03-2014 15:39

Fundraising and Sponsors
 
Hey guys my team and I (FRC 5125) are having some trouble fundraising and getting sponsors. Does anybody have helpful ideas or recommendations?

Jacob Bendicksen 02-03-2014 15:55

Re: Fundraising and Sponsors
 
First of all, this is probably the wrong thread to ask that question. However, since I'd imagine that this is a somewhat urgent matter (it is Week 1 and all), I'll give you a few tips:
  • Make, find, and use connections. If a team member's parent owns a business, try to have them sponsor you. Your mentors' places of work may also be willing to help out.
  • Have a standard(ish) paragraph that you send to potential sponsors. This will keep your message consistent, as well as lessening the chance that you'll misrepresent FIRST or your team in a hastily dashed off email.
  • Go to tech industry conferences (though other business conferences could also work). The people there are usually attached to decently sized corporations, and if they see your robot and/or program and think that it's cool they'll be more likely to sponsor you than if you just cold-called them.
  • Talk to other teams in your area. A quick look at the Midwest Regional (the one you're going to) shows that 54 teams are currently registered. All of them have sponsors and most of them have years of experience in FRC. Some of the better teams there include 71, 111, and 1675. Talk to them -- you never know what could come of it.***

*** Making friends with really good teams never hurts, either.

Andrew Taylor 02-03-2014 16:01

Fundraising and Sponsors
 
Hey guys it is my team (FRC 5125) first year in FRC. We need help fundraising and getting sponsors. Does anybody have any ideas?

AndrewPospeshil 03-05-2014 20:37

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Although I agree that proper grammar is very important in conveying your message in text form, remember that English is not everybody's first langauge. Also, many people have disabilities that hinder their ability to know when they are/aren't using conventions properly. Don't automatically judge a post as "worthless" if they don't type in a way that you deem fit. On the flipside, typing like how you would on social media sites/texting is not the best idea. If you ave any control over it, use your best English on a professional website such as this one, especially when representing not only your team but FIRST.

SamCyanide 09-05-2015 00:15

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Why Is The Title Of This Post Using Reddit Capitalization?

asid61 09-05-2015 02:05

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by SamCyanide (Post 1481162)
Why Is The Title Of This Post Using Reddit Capitalization?

Is that not how you capitalize a title?

Whippet 09-05-2015 02:08

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by asid61 (Post 1481166)
Is that not how you capitalize a title?

I believe the problem here is that it is unnecessary to capitalize filler words in titles, such as "of," "and," and "Is."

Ozuru 09-05-2015 11:38

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by SamCyanide (Post 1481162)
Why Is The Title Of This Post Using Reddit Capitalization?

The title of this post reminds me much of Jaden Smith's tweets.

http://genius.com/Jaden-smith-best-tweets-annotated

JaneYoung 09-05-2015 22:32

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
If this latest discussion is referencing the title of this thread, it might be helpful to know that I am known for:
- typos and continual edits to the point of exhaustion
- run-on sentences and, pehaps, titles
- layered and hidden jokes/meanings
- puns
- haiku

In this case - the title has a typo, in my opinion. Just a little humor on my part.

I have no idea what the Reddit comment is about but I like the Jaden Smith reference. Great discussion in this most recent thread revival.

Jane

gblake 10-05-2015 13:39

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
The title of this old thread is missing punctuation (a comma), in addition to any other mistakes.

SamCyanide 10-05-2015 14:45

This. Is. A. Title.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneYoung (Post 1481275)
If this latest discussion is referencing the title of this thread, it might be helpful to know that I am known for:
- typos and continual edits to the point of exhaustion
- run-on sentences and, pehaps, titles
- layered and hidden jokes/meanings
- puns
- haiku

In this case - the title has a typo, in my opinion. Just a little humor on my part.

I have no idea what the Reddit comment is about but I like the Jaden Smith reference. Great discussion in this most recent thread revival.

Jane

The way I read things that have caps on the first letter of every word is like so:
This. Is. A. Sentence. With. All. First. Letters. Of. Each. Word. Capitalized.

Also the Reddit comment is based on how many users on the site seem to type in such a way.

JaneYoung 10-05-2015 21:51

Re: This. Is. A. Title.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by SamCyanide (Post 1481336)
The way I read things that have caps on the first letter of every word is like so:
This. Is. A. Sentence. With. All. First. Letters. Of. Each. Word. Capitalized.

Also the Reddit comment is based on how many users on the site seem to type in such a way.

Understood.

What class teaches this in school?

How obsolete is the use of capitalization in a title?

Jane

PAR_WIG1350 10-05-2015 22:49

Re: This is a Title
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneYoung (Post 1481383)
How obsolete is the use of capitalization in a title?

It is not obsolete at all.

Rachel Lim 11-05-2015 00:02

Re: This. Is. A. Title.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneYoung (Post 1481383)
What class teaches this in school?

I don't remember if I learned this in class or if it was something I just researched because I was bored, but I did learn the various ways to capitalize titles at some point. Just digging up what I found is one of the most confusing school-related things I've had to do in a long time (and it reminded me why I prefer math...why does English need to make everything so confusing?)

1. Sentence case:
- Capitalize the first word of the title
- Capitalize all proper nouns

1.1. APA style:
(In addition to sentence case)
- Capitalize all words of 4+ letters
- Capitalize all verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns
- Capitalize both words in hyphenated compounds
- Capitalize words after colons or dashes
- Capitalize all major words, which do not include conjunctions (words that join clauses), articles (a, an, the), or short prepositions (explains the connection of a noun/pronoun to the rest of the sentence, e.g. like, toward, from, before)

1.2. Title case:
(In addition to sentence case)
- Capitalize the last word of the title
- Capitalize all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions (join a dependent clause to a main clause, e.g. if, because, as)

1.2.1. Associated Press Stylebook:
(In addition to title case)
- Capitalized if they have 4+ letters: all principal words (including prepositions and conjunctions)

1.2.2. Other:
(In addition to title case)
- I've read somewhere that says to only capitalize prepositions if they have 5+ letters

1.2.3. MLA:
(In addition to title case)
- Lowercase unless they are the first/last words: articles, coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor), and prepositions unless used as adjectives, and the word "to" if used before a verb

1.2.3.1. Chicago Manual of Style:
(In addition to MLA)
- Lowercase the second part of species names even if they are the last word in the sentence


Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneYoung (Post 1481383)
How obsolete is the use of capitalization in a title?

Not obsolete. But the rules don't make it easy to capitalize "correctly."

VioletElizabeth 11-05-2015 00:17

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Fun fact: In Spanish, all the capitalization rules are different--you don't capitalize anything except the first word of the title of a novel or poem plus any proper nouns. (And a few days before the AP Lit test is 100% the right time to learn this :p )

I learned capitalization long before any class taught it, with the basic rule of "little words don't get capital letters", by reading a lot, and possibly my mom telling me. (I have this dim memory of being very small, at Costco in the parking lot, reading something and thinking or maybe asking about it.) Grammar tends to be taught in elementary school and then forgotten until higher-level English in high school, which is sometimes too late, in my experience. (U.S. public schools, California Bay Area)

gblake 11-05-2015 12:29

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Some people day lite beer tastes great, others say it is less filling.

Some style guides say titles with more capital letters look great, others say titles with fewer capital letters look better.

YMMV.

Mykey 11-05-2015 17:53

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
This is more of a verbal issue than a written one. However, it is one that is specific to the FIRST community and came from the wonderful message of gracious professionalism.

Where it seems to have misfired:
During alliance selections the representative of the chosen team often states "Team <insert team number> graciously accepts."

Is it not more appropriate to say "Gratefully accepts"?

Saying "graciously accepts" makes it sound (to me) like saying "we condescend to allow you to pick our team and being polite will accept."

Being grateful to be picked is a better sentiment.

GaryVoshol 11-05-2015 18:26

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mykey (Post 1481547)
This is more of a verbal issue than a written one. However, it is one that is specific to the FIRST community and came from the wonderful message of gracious professionalism.

Where it seems to have misfired:
During alliance selections the representative of the chosen team often states "Team <insert team number> graciously accepts."

Is it not more appropriate to say "Gratefully accepts"?

Saying "graciously accepts" makes it sound (to me) like saying "we condescend to allow you to pick our team and being polite will accept."

Being grateful to be picked is a better sentiment.

If you search, you will find other threads about this. Please confine any further discussion on "Gracious/Grateful" to them.

SamCyanide 12-05-2015 10:27

Re: Use Of Punctuation In A Post And What Is Annoying or Confusing
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mykey (Post 1481547)
This is more of a verbal issue than a written one. However, it is one that is specific to the FIRST community and came from the wonderful message of gracious professionalism.

Where it seems to have misfired:
During alliance selections the representative of the chosen team often states "Team <insert team number> graciously accepts."

Is it not more appropriate to say "Gratefully accepts"?

Saying "graciously accepts" makes it sound (to me) like saying "we condescend to allow you to pick our team and being polite will accept."

Being grateful to be picked is a better sentiment.

I think that this is more a "coopertition"-esque mannerism.


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