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

I absolutely love this thread! Lack of proper grammar on the Internet is one of my biggest pet peeves.

As someone posted before me, I highly suggest investing in a copy of The Elements of Style. An incredibly useful little book, it contains information on some basic, but often confusing rules of grammar, as well as a list of misused words and expressions, such as "couldn't care less," further/farther, affect/effect, and tons of other useful tips. As my AP English Language and Composition teacher would always say, "The main point of Elements of Style can be summarized as four words: Make every word count!"

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

And those words can be summarized into "Make words count!" ;)

PS: I learned this point reading a web page design book. Designers were advised to "Remove unnecessary words." The author then reinforced this point by advising designers to "Remove words."

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

I understand your point but I also like Alexa's 'four words' advice. Here's one example of why - the Chairman's Award. There is a word limit involved so teams have to figure out how to make the greatest impression with a finite number of words. Every word counts.

How one communicates when giving directions may be a little different that telling a story. How one gives instructions for solving a math problem may be a little different from describing a current event. Language and how it is used - matters.

I like Andy Baker's advice to be concise when posting in Chief Delphi. I also like to read posts that are well written and thoughtful. If that includes a couple of adjectives then that's ok by me.

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

I think you meant, "eschew surplusage."

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

What is this, 1984 now? :p

Another thread to be noted is Andrew Schreiber's.

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Rick TYler again." lol @ Rick's comment.

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

Are you suggesting that "surplusage" is not a real world? It is, although I confess it is not in common use, especially, as Steve Martin once said, by those who were educated by use of an inner tube and a banana.

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

The more concise you are the fewer words you have to eat later, should that become necessary.

ChrisH

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

Necessarly?

Is this a Dodgsonian contraction, akin to brillig and slithy?

Maybe it came out when Chris was thinking necessary and gnarly, at precisely the same time. :)

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

That's exactly what I thought when I read it.

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

As a clarification to the eschew surplusage I would like to submit that we include posts in as well as words. Frivolous posts are just a general pain and there is no longer any reason to run up post counts. If something adds no value (in your opinion) to a conversation consider sending it as a PM to the person or group. By no means am I saying don't post, just my usual request of think before you post. Too often I see posts that read like, "Yes, they are right." I always question whether those posts are needed.

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

I would point out the irony here, but it might create a useless post.

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

I think I worded that very badly... I am going to attempt to clarify this, I meant, something that is irritating is when a post is made seemingly to just say hi or otherwise not add anything to the discussion. Not that this thread is irritating or annoying, actually I think this thread is quite valuable.

I will be editing out portions of that post in an attempt to have it more effectively say what I meant. Sorry for the miscommunication.

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

I agree ;)

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

I would like to expand upon what Andrew said to include CD media. Do not "grave dig" and post pictures from the past that do not have a reason to be posted. I don't care if you have a picture of people bowing down to me at the Florida Regional, that was eight months ago, there are few reasons to post a picture from that competition.
I am glad that your team created a new drive system/held a camp for little kids/helped out in the neighborhood, that is what makes FIRST teams so great. But please do not post 10 pictures on the portal page about it. If you want to share a multitude of pictures, than post one to CD media and attach the rest to a post in the discussion thread.

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

I have never been able to understand why we [students] learn about general literature in English classes, yet we have yet to be taught basic grammar. It's disappointing, but I honestly learned more about English grammar in my Latin I (roman numeral) class than I had learned in my nine years of standard english up until that point (at least in terms of structural understanding). I've come to the conclusion that one doesn't truly understand one's own language until they have learned a foreign one.

Random tangent: I was talking with some friends of mine about foreign languages, and how it was wierd (and moderately annoying) that kids that moved to the district from another country would take a language class to learn the language of the country they had just left. My friend commented that it would be like us moving to France and taking English I. After a few seconds though I pointed out that we'd probably fail the class :)

Too true, I took a year of Latin last year and the most useful phrase that I can remember is "ubi est latrina?" Hopefully German sticks better. :rolleyes:

You'll have to introduce me sometime, I've never understood those little dohickies. My favorites are the parenthesis (you can make the most random points in them and technically not go off topic ^_^).