I totally disagree. This is a forum, not a piece of journalism or an academic website. What should be important here is not whether or not grammar is being used correctly, but whether or not reading it makes for an annoying experience.

What annoys me the most is the people who insist on thir own ideosyncratic way of using only bold, only capitals, only purple letters. Arrgh!

I can't believe how many people I see typing 'defiantly' when they mean 'definitely'.

Seriously, I see it almost every day!

Language is forever evolving.

JimmyPinkerton said:

I know people use "Prince-style" spelling on this board and can get a little creative when typing, but I can't get my head around the appalling spelling and generally poor use of the English language on Prince.org...

Some posts are so poorly written that the meaning is almost indiscernable. I'm not addressing people who don't use English as a first language here, just those of us who should at least pretend we went to school...

Come on guys - let's write like we have a brain!

[Edited 3/27/11 6:43am]

I get your point, but who are you anyway? why are you so upset about grammar/spelling? I mean, you joined in 2004 but you only have 54 messages??? wtf

vitriol said:

^True!

Except for some notable cases, we non-English natives have a much better English than many Americans (and some UKers).

I can't stand those 'I want to here it', 'it's there last album', 'Their having a good time' and -the worst of it all- 'I should of done...'.

I can't understand people can't handle their native language.

The use of Princebonics is a different chapter, though. People who use then just show they're childish, immature, and most of all think that makes them appear as 'bigger' fans than the rest.

Properly using one's mother tongue should be a priority. They should master that before starting their computers.

i agree with you for once. on all of this. except, english is my first language, so... but i still agree, some people have such horrible spelling and grammar, and its kinda pathetic.

[Edited 3/27/11 14:42pm]

JoeTyler said:

JimmyPinkerton said:

I know people use "Prince-style" spelling on this board and can get a little creative when typing, but I can't get my head around the appalling spelling and generally poor use of the English language on Prince.org...

Some posts are so poorly written that the meaning is almost indiscernable. I'm not addressing people who don't use English as a first language here, just those of us who should at least pretend we went to school...

Come on guys - let's write like we have a brain!

[Edited 3/27/11 6:43am]

I get your point, but who are you anyway? why are you so upset about grammar/spelling? I mean, you joined in 2004 but you only have 54 messages??? wtf

What does that have to do with anything?

So he is not a serial poster, so what?

langebleu said:

Levi said:

Don't get me started on split infinitives. Though I will offer a prize to the first person who can give an example of a Prince lyric containing a split infinitive.

L

D.M.S.R.

"And try my best to never get bored"

To avoid splitting the infinitive, the lyric could have read:

"And try my best never to get bored"

Well done sir. Your prize is that I'll give you another one.

(TMBGITW): this kind of beauty has got no reason to ever be shy.

L

TheDigitalGardener said:

JoeTyler said:

I get your point, but who are you anyway? why are you so upset about grammar/spelling? I mean, you joined in 2004 but you only have 54 messages??? wtf

What does that have to do with anything?

So he is not a serial poster, so what?

so why does he care that much if he's barely here??

JimmyPinkerton said:

I know people use "Prince-style" spelling on this board and can get a little creative when typing, but I can't get my head around the appalling spelling and generally poor use of the English language on Prince.org...

Some posts are so poorly written that the meaning is almost indiscernable. I'm not addressing people who don't use English as a first language here, just those of us who should at least pretend we went to school...

Come on guys - let's write like we have a brain!

[Edited 3/27/11 6:43am]

At first I saw the title 'Spelling and Grammar', I thought - oh no..this thread is for me But ugh thanks for being understanding to people who don't speak English as their first language...It's already frustrating not to be able to undertand some of the lyrics...I always look it up and try to translate the best way I can, but when I see phrase such as "Put down the needle, put down the spoon"(The Love We Make), I just wish English was my first language....ugh ='( Why is he talking about needle and spoon all of a sudden? This phrase must have some kind of deep meaning that I just don't understand...... ....

Anyways, Even though I personally do appreciate people who use correct English on internet, whether it's facebook or prince.org, I know it's not something I can expect from everyone. They just write however they want and it's their personal choice I guess...And I do like the creativity people bring to English like Prince did...For bad grammars and spellings, I'm like, ugh whatever it's their knowledge and their life...why do I care.....

[Edited 3/27/11 16:17pm]

[Edited 3/27/11 16:25pm]

JoeTyler said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

What does that have to do with anything?

So he is not a serial poster, so what?

so why does he care that much if he's barely here??

Quite a lot of people choose to read the threads in forums instead of participating.

I know of a few people who have only ever posted 10-20 times, but are here almost every day.

Levi said:

langebleu said:

D.M.S.R.

"And try my best to never get bored"

To avoid splitting the infinitive, the lyric could have read:

"And try my best never to get bored"

Well done sir. Your prize is that I'll give you another one.

(TMBGITW): this kind of beauty has got no reason to ever be shy.

L

There's nothing wrong with splitting infinitives.

prescriptive grammar rules have their place in academic work, but i don't care much for painfully adhering to them in casual conversation.

Efan said:

There's nothing wrong with splitting infinitives.

Well, I was taught to never split infinitives.

tacomma said:

Efan said:

There's nothing wrong with splitting infinitives.

Well, I was taught to never split infinitives.

It has been taught in the past, but it is a very questionable rule. It appears to have originated from rules based on latin grammar, where it is not possible to split a latin infinitive because it is one word rather than two.

langebleu said:

tacomma said:

Well, I was taught to never split infinitives.

It has been taught in the past, but it is a very questionable rule. It appears to have originated from rules based on latin grammar, where it is not possible to split a latin infinitive because it is one word rather than two.

Indeed so. It's now become a preference rather than a rule. It is my preference not to split the infinitive, except in some very rare situations when deliberately avoiding the split makes the meaning of the sentence ambiguous (usually where there are two verbs, and avoiding the split would mean it was not possible to determine which verb is being modified by the adverb).

Another of my pet-hates is when people qualify 'unique' with an adjective ('quite unique', 'very unique', 'fairly unique'). This isn't a preference though, it's just wrong.

L

Oh. And misuse of the word 'literally'. That's another one that sends me into a rage. In fact, my head literally explodes when I hear it

L

tacomma said:

Efan said:

There's nothing wrong with splitting infinitives.

Well, I was taught to never split infinitives.

Heh, I just posted in another thread about how a post was just gibberish because of the horrible writing. It makes me nuts that people can't take a couple of minutes to proofread and at least make an attempt at writing clearly. I get lazy about capitalizing sometimes, but I still remember to use punctuation so others know when I'm starting a new sentence.

Too many people have the attitude of "Well, if you can understand what I'm saying, then it doesn't matter if I misspell every word or use run-on sentences." But, it does matter, because others shouldn't have to work to decipher the Princebonics or horrible English, when it's the poster's first language.

Be 'creative' or 'rebellious' when writing in your diary, don't hurt our brains with that silly crap.

I don't know what you should expect on a website where adults act like children. Makes perfect sense to me, that they would write like them.

Vendetta1 said:

I don't know what you should expect on a website where adults act like children. Makes perfect sense to me, that they would write like them.

Oh, you mean: Generalising massively and such?

irreverence said:

Vendetta1 said:

irreverence said:

Oh, you mean: Generalising massively and such?

I've been on this site for twelve years. I stand by my generalization.

Good for you.

I personally find that people on the org ususlly act their age. Like geeky fans, but their age (a lot of them are children though, so that might be why).

And while we're at it, someone please email Prince and tell him it should be If I Were Your Girlfriend. Perhaps he'll correct it in time for the remasters coming out.

deebee said:

And while we're at it, someone please email Prince and tell him it should be If I Were Your Girlfriend. Perhaps he'll correct it in time for the remasters coming out.

That is the least of Prince's mangling of the English language.

deebee said:

And while we're at it, someone please email Prince and tell him it should be If I Were Your Girlfriend. Perhaps he'll correct it in time for the remasters coming out.

Yip. And let's add:

- 'Dig if you will the picture of you and me engaged in a kiss'
- 'Every time she said the words another one of his doubts was gone'

L

[Edited 3/31/11 13:57pm]

Efan said:

deebee said:

And while we're at it, someone please email Prince and tell him it should be If I Were Your Girlfriend. Perhaps he'll correct it in time for the remasters coming out.

That is the least of Prince's mangling of the English language.

no what u mean.

deebee said:

no what u mean.

Levi said:

deebee said:

And while we're at it, someone please email Prince and tell him it should be If I Were Your Girlfriend. Perhaps he'll correct it in time for the remasters coming out.

Yip. And let's add:

- 'Dig if you will the picture of you and me engaged in a kiss'
- 'Every time she said the words another one of his doubts was gone'

L

[Edited 3/31/11 13:57pm]

"Gotta Broken Heart Again" is the one that really drives me nuts. I'd rather see that fixed than anything else.

"Eye No" would be a close second.

If I can understand what is being said, then it doesn't bother me. But I can see how annoying it can be.