then/than

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Re: then/than

Originally posted by jbwhite:
you just violated political correctness 101.
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Who? Me? Never! :D

It's much more important that children feeeeeeeeel good than learn about the mean world with its enemies that want to kill us. Or how to add 2+2. Oh no, they can't know about that.

[ December 26, 2005, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: peter d ]
 
Re: then/than

This has been fun, I live in Hawaii. Here the way to properly say either "than" or "then" is" Den". So den brah, how come so importance to pronunicate dem words so good?
 
Re: then/than

Originally posted by speedypetey:
Like the man said, sometimes the world is too fast for spellcheck. :p

Actually it was a typo.
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While we're on the subject, is anyone else bothered by the spell check (two words) on this forum? I find it very annoying when I copy and paste something directly from the NEC and have a bunch of words come up as misspelled in the spell check. Panelboard is one word of many that comes to mind.
 
Re: then/than

Fer whut it's wurth. The purpose of language is communication. In some cases, it is difficult to decipher what someone is talking about because of the way the question or comment is written. In most cases, the communication is clear and comments about the writers's spelling or grammar is pointless. Why not just address the issue and let the misspelling or poor grammar alone?

Additionally, the Code has its own accepted technical words that are not accepted by academia. There are several words that are common to the Code that will not be in a common dictionary. Is that any different from any other profession? :D
 
Re: then/than

Originally posted by infinity: While we're on the subject, is anyone else bothered by the spell check (two words) on this forum? I find it very annoying when I copy and paste something directly from the NEC and have a bunch of words come up as misspelled in the spell check.
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Have you noticed that the spell checker used by the NEC Forum does not recognize the term "NEC"? :eek: :confused:
 
Re: then/than

My solution to the spelling issue is that I type almost all of my posts in Word. Then I cut and paste it into the Forum. That does not prevent the misuse of words, but it does cut down on the speling erors. :D
 
Re: then/than

generally i'm too arrogant to use spell check, so i still make errors. what I have noticed is that this forum has become better in it's use of language in the last year. maybe the less articulate don't participate as much, or everyone has started paying attention.

I see mistakes in almost everyone's usage, and i make mistakes as well. i haven't lost a minute of sleep over a poorly written post. I have given up trying to understand some posts, and some are so jargonistic (my word) that they are also near unreadable.

my favorites are the two too affected effects to be readable, acronyms and incomplete sentences.

paul, lets keep the season's spirit light :)
 
Re: then/than

I remember a post from teacher in Scandinavia asking how electrical power is distributed in this country vs. his country. The thing that really struck me about his post is that it was better written than 90% of the posts I've seen here. I PMed him and told him so, and he was elated. The irony is that English is not his native tongue.

This kind of thing is all too common throughout society these days. I really don't think it's unreasonable to expect a high school graduate to be able to write clear, grammatically correct sentences in his native language.

It makes me wonder what students are learning these days.
 
Re: then/than

Then/than, a/an, where/were or maybe even wear.

I have misused all of them, the first sentence of this post is a train wreak. :roll:

I am not proud of it and as Charlie B points out spell check is not going to help me out.

That said I am not going to let that mild embarrassment prevent me from learning more about my trade here with you all.
 
Re: then/than

I have young kids in school. My daughter has trouble with some English reading.

For example the following words all have an "F" sound:
Foot, phonic, laugh.

That's confusing to a first grader.
 
Re: then/than

I always wonder why some of the users of this forum feel the need to correct others spelling mistakes.
So, for those of you who do, why do you do it?
 
Re: then/than

American English is one of the most confusing languages for spelling. Spelling was basically started by caveat in the early 19th century. some words were kept close to their origins and others were Americanized. It was worse than if we just had the "I" building codes that were localized for one area and the whole country was supposed to follow them. Just keep adding exceptions and more exceptions.

It is an extremely adaptable language, but as has been seen here often, precise definitions often have problems with correct exclusions and inclusions. Some words do such multitasking that their use almost insures problems.

Why I am not bothered by others' misuse is that many use language to seperate themselves from others. Yalies can tell other Yalies or at least an uppercrust education and business deals can depend on this familiarity. It is a way of excluding "lesser" people, and i find it ethically problematic.

As far as the kids are concerned, sure some of them are barely literate, but others have so much more to deal with then when I was a wee lad. We have handed them a hostile and insecure world, where a "b" or "c" can ruin college chances. I got in UCB on my own with a 3.0 or so in the 60's. now that is so not possible. Kids with expectations can't afford to get bad grades, which means that they can't take chances which means we have robbed them of their childhood, and we blame them for the f'd up educational system, for low expectations. I personally think many of them are just great. The college bound kids are taking math courses that were not taught when I was in high school ( calc. was not taught in high school).

When I was a kid, i scavenged building materials to build whatever, I could ride my bike almost everywhere and that was LA, I could take my bike apart and put it back together, from the bearings on up. So tell me me you wonders of parenthood where is the area that you provide to your kids to dismantle their bikes, with hands on training by you, where is this safe world, where is this room to play and experiment. Where is the acceptance and room for error.

This my pet peeve, but I will get off my soap box and accept that there is the other side.

paul :)
 
Re: then/than

If I am quoting another's post, and am arguing with whatever is quoted, I will correct a typo or two here and there to remove the distraction. I don't want the opponent in the discussion to think I chose that sentence because there was a typo. ("This guy's an idiot! He can't even spell! Ha ha ha...")

So long as the point is clear, and there's not a typo every third word (as in that earlier excerpt from another site), then the occasional mistake is easily forgiven.

I don't usually use the spell check on account of the whole "NEC" issue. But it's handy on occasion. Such as if I'm not 100% on excerpt - I guess I was right on the first try! :D

Now here's the test: Have you written an e-mail to someone you're not familiar with and had to forcibly restrain yourself from using a smiley? :eek:
 
Re: then/than

Besides, this is an internet yack session! It's conversational, we're not writing for the ages.

Conversational english resembles proper english, but they're not the same. :D

[ December 28, 2005, 08:11 AM: Message edited by: georgestolz ]
 
Re: then/than

Originally posted by geezer:
I always wonder why some of the users of this forum feel the need to correct others spelling mistakes.
So, for those of you who do, why do you do it?
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We're all human. We all make mistakes. Some point out others mistakes some don't. It is just different personalities approaching things differently.
I assume there is not one thing that you find annoying.

You could take your question "why do you do it" and apply it to anything.

[ December 28, 2005, 08:30 AM: Message edited by: electricmanscott ]
 
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