nickie on 19/2/2008 at 19:43
Perhaps it's a language thing. I'm also from the UK and I can understand Gillie a lot more easily than many posters, particularly the textspeakers. Probably something to do with the shorthand. I would again like to point out that, for example, I went to University with a much younger girl who went to school at a time when grammar was not considered important. The 'flow' was the buzzword. I spent a lot of time proofreading her essays. I don't know how many years this lack of attention to grammar went on for, but I know she wasn't alone. I, on the other hand, am ancient and went to school when you didn't write anything at all until you'd learnt grammar and spelliing. And I still make a lot of mistakes.
Be that as it may (love that phrase), once upon a time before Health and Safety got involved, and Brussels of course, we could buy meat from the local farmer in Wales. Now, however, he's only allowed to send it to an abbatoir where the animals get a bolt in the head and there's a helluva lot of gunge lying around. I know which I prefer.
LesserFollies on 19/2/2008 at 19:49
First of all, she wasn't that hard to understand. Secondly, you don't need to look any farther than her reaction to see if your comments were a bit too much or not. (I mean, come on, "Help me help you?" That's snotty no matter how you read it.) However, have it your way: you were trying to help. Well, you've helped her right off the forum. We've lost too many people as it is.
edit: maybe nickie has a point. In any case, I found her unique use of capitalization kind of... charming.
fett on 19/2/2008 at 20:09
Well, it wasn't my intention to run her off the forum and I apologize if I was snippy. But yeah, it's A LOT of work to decipher what she's trying to say and whether she realizes it or not, her posts are often ignored because most folks are at a loss for how to respond.
nickie on 19/2/2008 at 20:13
I didn't write very well if I implied that I found Gillie hard to understand at all. I don't. It seemed slightly bizarre really that the thread deviated to something about one person's grammar considering the grammar or shorthand of many posters. (No criticism intended) I'm continually bemused by the apologies from non-English-as-a-first-language speakers for their English, when it is very often very much more understandable than native English speakers. Learning a foreign language, you generally have to learn the grammar first though.
I know that I also struggle sometimes to understand US shorthand and also occasionally google for slang usage to get to the meaning of a post. And text and internet shorthand squiqqles are completely beyond me.
BrokenArts on 19/2/2008 at 20:27
I'm sorry what was this thread about again? Stop the picking on people for christ sake. I have wanted to say this for YEARS. Sometimes, people get picked on around here for the most stupid bullshit reasons.
There are communication gaps, ok, yeah, don't let the panties, manties get in a bind, so what? I've gotten picked on too for my errors, I don't give a damn, I don't. But, sometimes, things have to be said.
Its the high and mighty attitudes that grate the ever living shit right out of me. We have good people here, and sometimes, the tables turn so quickly, and who are we going to pick on today? Why? Whats the point. I don't get it.
Gillies posts were not THAT bad. No one is perfect, and I am not just talking about Gillies posts, I have seen it time and time again. Comm chat can be a ruthless place to post sometimes. Believe me when I say, I am not the only person in comm chat that thinks this way. I've heard many comments, they just don't have the balls to say it. Or just don't want to bother with it, because maybe for some, they want to fit in. Elitism at its finest. Maybe because things might never change if they say something.
Gillie, take it with a grain of salt, you don't have to post in comm chat, post elsewhere. Don't give up Thief. Stay because you want to, don't let others run you off.
Speaking of shit. AOL speak is where I draw the line, thank god its becoming a thing of the past.
Damnit, I'm hungry, I want a steak.
the_grip on 19/2/2008 at 20:29
i actually can understand Gillie just fine - wtf - and i find her style (as the other poster said) charming. It reads almost like E.E. Cummings (and that is a compliment, even if the style is not intended to resemble poetry).
In regards to criticism in general, studies show that negative criticism followed by a softening positive comment is the best way to communicate (sidebar: vs. the old-school "sandwich" approach of a positive, then a negative, then a positive, which actually is poor communication).
Also, regarding communication and technology, studies show that negative comments via electronic transmission (i.e. forums, text messages, etc.) have a much more negative impact because of the absence of body language. What this means is that the prudent use of emoticons plus proofing what you want to say very carefully often arrives closer to the intended results. Negative statements through such media often communicate a much harsher message than what is intended.
All that said, i'm not trying to lecture. Just passing along tidbits i've picked up myself (mostly from my own mistakes).
p.s. TTLG is a special circumstance... this forum is definitely not for the faint of heart nor is it the cradle of civil conversation. i think some folks are surprised by this when it rears its head.
the_grip on 19/2/2008 at 20:32
BrokenArts, cross-posted with you, but i completely agree. i think i don't care enough to really care, but this forum is awash with exactly the things you describe.
Or maybe because we both live in Dallas we are influenced to see it the same way, lol.
Either way, i completely agree sans steak :p
BrokenArts on 19/2/2008 at 20:33
How about learning constructive criticism around here, instead of just jumping on people, you suck man! Fuck you! You don't know squat. But, this is the internet, we can only do so much. This is also TTLG, I would expect more than this. We are smarter than that. Come on people.
june gloom on 19/2/2008 at 20:33
Gillie, I humbly apologize if it seemed like I was just piling on. I just don't see any point in getting upset by criticism, especially when fett was just trying to be helpful. I see even less point in getting upset by anything PigLick says.
nickie on 19/2/2008 at 20:42
@the_grip. Would be quite interested in those studies you quote. Negative/positive versus positive/negative/positive - Sounds completely bizarre to me.
But would agree that electronic communication is full of pitfalls but perhaps not too dissimilar from a letter. What you hoped you were writing is very often not how something is read.
