In the age of digital communication, how rude do you find it when someone has bad grammar?

[-]

Sirlacker@reddit

If it's an informal text, I don't care.

[-]

TrainHopz@reddit

Texting is annoying. Just ring me. Why would I want to sit there twiddling my thumbs when I just just press one button and get it all out.

[-]

Kapika96@reddit

Not at all. It's not rude, unless done on purpose. I'd just consider them to be a foreigner, or dumb.

[-]

MrBread0451@reddit

It's infinitely more respectful than when someone's obviously using AI

[-]

these_metal_hands@reddit

I don't find it rude.

In SMS / texting I don't give a crap.

If there is a real keyboard in play I sometimes see it as lazy, but never rude.

[-]

glytxh@reddit

i relish in the no caps no grammar style

im not here to impress anybody

[-]

Background_Ad5513@reddit

I don’t understand how one can have spelling mistakes due to typing quickly to be honest?

Missing punctuation or typos, sure, but some people act like they wrote “there” instead of “their” because they were in a rush and I just find that hard to believe

[-]

VarangianWRLD@reddit (OP)

I'll show a few exames of me from yesterday in various conversations:

"But ot is since ive been jn sixth form"

"But mych easier"

"Still not going to jump for joy. But if it is less than £200 I dint think its as crazy"

[-]

Background_Ad5513@reddit

that’s totally fine cause they’re clearly typos! I wouldn’t consider those rude unless it’s in a professional environment

[-]

Indigo-Waterfall@reddit

I wouldn’t say I think it’s rude at all. I think it’s a lack of skill therefore unintentional, so I wouldn’t find it rude.

[-]

TheFourTruthz@reddit

"I think it’s a lack of skill therefore unintentional"

A lot of people definitely leave out grammar to look less "formal" in casual texts rather than what you suggested

[-]

Gisschace@reddit

I intentionally leave some basic mistakes so people don’t think I am AI

[-]

I think that incentive is one of the more annoying but less high-stakes frustrations of the rise of chatbots. I’ve been accused of being AI (and then dismissed) on the basis of just being structured, polite, and verbose. Drives me mad.

At some point bots will just start to imitate common mistakes though and we’ll be on a weird grammatical error treadmill in the race to remain sentient-seeming.

[-]

gash_dits_wafu@reddit

Yeah I've always used a hyphen/dash in my sentences to break up clauses. I never knew there were different lengths of dash to denote different things, but I always knew I could use them to indicate an explanation or change of direction in the sentence.

Since LLMs love using an em dash, people have mistaken my writing for chatgpt text a lot, even though I just use the hyphen on my keyboard and have no idea how to turn it into the longer em dash.

[-]

Vequihellin@reddit

Word will often do it for you. If you type something, then a space, then - then type more stuff then space, word will often convert to an emdash. I use emdashes a lot in my writing too. Being accused of using AI because I used a centuries old punctuation form is enraging.

[-]

172116@reddit

I’ve been accused of being AI (and then dismissed) on the basis of just being structured, polite, and verbose.

I got accused of being an AI bot on the phone the other day! I answered a call at work and the woman asked if I was a person or a bot, and said she wanted to speak to a human. I got so flustered that she then immediately believed me.

[-]

Indigo-Waterfall@reddit

How RUDE! /s

[-]

icklepeach@reddit

I’m very aware that autocar-wrecked plays a part, and predictive text, and that many folks have some level of learning challenge which might mean that they are autocorrected to the wrong word. I saw one yesterday that said to get recipes from tradesfolks when they meant receipts! If I can understand what they mean, I am quite happy. I’m interested in what people have to say not how they say it.

[-]

MelindaTheBlue@reddit

And with the present state of the iOS keyboard, it gets worse for some

I've seen people type 29 instead of 19 for their age - which is a bit of s difference

[-]

sleepyxenomorph@reddit

Don't think you understand the word rude, its not rude to have/use bad grammer. Its annoying and can take some people alittle time to read, because you should be able to look and take in the info then and there.

Bad grammer your forcing the person to stop and actually have to think about what you mean. Its not rude just bad communication on your part.

It can also make someone seem like a child.

[-]

AnythingKey@reddit

Grammar

[-]

DotCottonsHandbag@reddit

That’s the one thing you spotted from that comment? There were dozens of perfectly-crafted errors in there!

It’s surprisingly hard to deliberately insert certain errors in your writing. I once saw a rather pointed comment on here where every single ‘of’ and ‘have’ had been deliberately substituted for one another, and it was a glorious work of art - must have taken ages to make sure the consistency was maintained throughout.

[-]

AnythingKey@reddit

I couldn't be bothered to go through the whole thing.

[-]

keithmk@reddit

Of course it's rude, if you are too lazy to check spellings and check grammar but want me to do it for you, you are being rude.
There are exceptions. If the person is writing in their second or third language, that is different
If the person is dyslexic then that too is different, but then spell checkers come in to play and can help with that.

[-]

UnremarkableCake@reddit

I don't claim that my grammar is perfect, but I like to think it's pretty good. I believe that much of the horrendous spelling, punctuation, and grammar these days comes from people not reading as much. Whilst I have no evidence to back this up, I'm sure that by reading stacks of fiction and non-fiction, you naturally pick up the rules of spelling, punctuation, and grammar as you go. Of course, I could be talking complete shit.

[-]

Watchkeys@reddit

I think people are reading just as much but different things. Repeatedly checking the news online for example, can be near-constant reading, as can doing a job sitting in front of a computer. People used to read for pleasure, but just because we're not curling up on a sofa with a novel any more, doesn't mean we're necessarily reading less.

[-]

vladimirepooptin@reddit

but there is a big difference between the way books are written and the way internet posts etc are written. Generally the former will have much better grammar etc than something more casual c

[-]

Watchkeys@reddit

Totally missing the point.

[-]

vladimirepooptin@reddit

I was saying that, yes we are reading the same amount, however the quality of that reading is much poorer than it was.

Your point was that people are reading the same amount as before, my point was that while that is true, it is less beneficial types of reading than previously. Therefore I was agreeing with the comment above yours that reading lots of books helps you pick up spelling and grammar better than the types of reading commonly done today.

Not sure what point I missed?

[-]

SongsAboutGhosts@reddit

I think when we're talking about how much people read, we're talking about good quality input. Not necessarily 'reading for pleasure' exclusively, but books and newspapers which have gone through an actual rigorous editorial process - social media posts can be less than useless when it comes to teaching standard spelling and grammar, and online 'news' articles are often churned out rather than properly reviewed.

[-]

Watchkeys@reddit

Do you? Why do you think that's what 'we' are talking about? Who are you? Some authority? Nobody was talking about the quality of the material being read, until you decided that's what 'we' were talking about!

[-]

Worldly_Wafer_6635@reddit

I read a lot.

I'm also terrible at grammar and spelling.

I think the initial writing is that my brain just goes too quickly, I'm too focused on 'fixing the problem' or 'getting it all out'.

And then part 2 is ADHD, it's really hard to see errors, or to remember to double check, my brain has already moved on.

[-]

vladimirepooptin@reddit

Rude? No but some people will definitely judge you for it. Personally I do not care but others might and it can impact the way they view you for sure.

[-]

RealWalkingbeard@reddit

A friend once berated me on Facebook for my long-winded grammar, asking: "Is that how you talk to people?"

Well, actually, I quite often do. But if other people don't, I don't care, and I since I moved abroad and began working with a lot of people whose first language is not English, I have cared less and less. If you are good enough to get the message across and to be able to put a bit of subtext and subtlety into it, then that is enough.

[-]

glytxh@reddit

If I can parse it, I don’t care.

If you’re my solicitor, I really fucking care.

[-]

Significant_Cut_8729@reddit

If u can understand the message grammar and punctuation dont matter, I've got bigger things in my life to worry about instead of concentrating if the little line next to letters is in the correct space

[-]

sheepandlambs@reddit

There's a big difference between having a few typos, and actively not giving a shit. The former is fine in casual conversation, but the latter will absolutely change how people treat you.

[-]

afungalmirror@reddit

Not rude as such, but still not acceptable. If what you're communicating is important, then express it clearly. That requires correct grammar. If it's casual, then that's different.

[-]

notanadultyadult@reddit

What annoys me is when a business posts online/on social media and there is bad spelling and grammar. I personally don’t think that’s professional or acceptable.

I wouldn’t say someone communicating outside a professional setting with poor grammar is rude. I would say it’s uneducated. If it’s an obvious typo, sure that’s understandable. But if someone uses the wrong form of “there” for example, I don’t see why I shouldn’t correct them (within reason). It only serves to educate a little more.

[-]

grepusman@reddit

Or a restaurant sign outside that says something like Open Everyday 9-5.

[-]

Silent_Doubt3672@reddit

I mean i do a lot of writing on MS word and it doesn't catch all my mistakes but then i am dyslexic so its hard for it to figure out what i' wanting ro say i guess

[-]

Acrobatic-Watch-8037@reddit

We've had electronic spelling checkers for decades at this point, they're enabled by default in every basic app, so failing to spell things correctly is just laziness. And I find laziness incredibly rude.

Grammar is a different matter because it is and always has been highly subjective; I prefer to type relatively long semicolon-separated sentences and grammar checkers irritate me to no end because they constantly tell me to break said sentences up. Over and above that, people who are not native English speakers generally struggle with grammar versus their native language. Thus I don't particularly care about grammar, as long as the meaning is conveyed effectively.

[-]

PleasureEmpire_@reddit

My typing has become abysmal, so I always have to check that I'm not sending gibberish.
In a casual setting, I think that as long as the message is conveyed clearly, a few typos here and there aren't a big deal.
In a professional setting, I don't think it's acceptable to be lazy with correspondence. The occasional genuine mistake is okay, but an ongoing lack of care is annoying.

[-]

YOF626@reddit

It's not rude in my opinion but poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar these days is horrendous.

[-]

Entire-Emotion-819@reddit

I wouldn't call bad grammar rude if it's a failure of education.

[-]

CriticalCentimeter@reddit

I'd probably just look at your message. Think wtf are they rattling on about. Delete it and not bother answering

[-]

Vequihellin@reddit

Rude? No. Lack of attention to detail and ignorant? Yes.

Punctuation I'm not that bothered about, but people who misuse their/they're/there, and your/you're (see also other homophones like hear/here, by/bye, sew/sow, where/were/we're/wear etc) absolutely bend my spoon. Immediate irrational rage. I get that dyslexia and English as a second language may be factors here, but where they clearly aren't, I immediately form a less than positive opinion of a person.

[-]

NaughtyDred@reddit

Not even slightly rude, not everyone has the same writing skills, or even English as a first language. People needlessly correcting others when you full well know what they meant is rude though

[-]

Expensive_Peace8153@reddit

I don't see why typing quickly is an excuse for typing less accurately.

[-]

VarangianWRLD@reddit (OP)

Because there is less time to check everything spelt correctly and more probe to mistakes with fingers slipping on phone keyboard

[-]

Expensive_Peace8153@reddit

Phone keyboards do suck. I meant proper touch typing, which will let you type way faster anyway.

[-]

grepusman@reddit

Why is there less time?

[-]

CoffeeIgnoramus@reddit

It used to bother me, but then I realised that language is about communication. I now work in training lecturers to teach through English and this is something we train them in. Realising perfection is not the aim, understanding is.

And honestly, no person has "perfect" language skills and even English is hard to define. What is "correct" English? The language already has many versions of it, it even differs across county lines, let alone countries. We now talk about "global English".

[-]

FelisCantabrigiensis@reddit

Once is an accident.

Continually is rude, especially if I know you can actually write as well as you are doing in this post.

[-]

Appropriate_Trader@reddit

It’s not rude but if you use their instead of there then I judge you a little bit.

[-]

DigitalStefan@reddit

The only thing I really find rude is when someone replies to me and uses the other common but incorrect spelling variation of my name.

It is patently disrespectful.

[-]

grepusman@reddit

DijitalStefan?

[-]

DigitalStefan@reddit

DigitalStephan

[-]

SnooDonuts6494@reddit

It's rude because it's more effort to read. If you can't be bothered to do a quick spell-check, why should I bother answering?

I feel disappointed at the sad state of education. I suspect the person is most likely young, stupid, immature, and/or lazy.

I'm far less likely to reply to them at all. I rarely correct them.

[-]

Expensive_Peace8153@reddit

Especially when modern web browsers and wordprocessors automatically spell check while you type.

[-]

grepusman@reddit

Exactly. And you just know that half of their posts have words with red underlines, and they simply ignore it.

[-]

ThePeake@reddit

I wouldn't say it's rude, per se; if in a more professional context then it can be disappointing or annoying if someone hasn't checked what they've written.

[-]

ThePeake@reddit

Just saw you mean in less-professional contexts; I'm not too fussed unless the error makes things unclear or hard to understand when arranging something.

[-]

GrimQuim@reddit

Like people that don't understand how "next Wednesday" works?

[-]

salamanderwolf@reddit

It annoys me more, when people point out mistakes. In a world where we can talk to people all over the world, and where digital keyboards are often smaller than the fingers using them, mistakes will happen.

So people who point mistakes out. Absolute wankers in my mind.

[-]

McLeod3577@reddit

I type quickly and often in a rush. If you're a native English speaker, you can make out what I mean with ease, but there are often a few words spelt incorrectly, and punctuation is all over the place.

I'm talking about contexts away from a professional setting.

How rude do you perceive this to be?

Fixed it for you! Not the worst errors to be fair. The ones that irk me more are unnecessary apostrophes or missing ones, and the usual "your/you're" and "there/their/they're".

[-]

rikademus@reddit

Lazy not rude. Not offensive at all but annoying when the intent of the messages is unclear.

[-]

Ok-Bad-7189@reddit

The purpose of communication is to be understood - if you understand the content then how it's delivered is irrelevent imo.

[-]

WitShortage@reddit

There is a rudeness element, because it is apparent that you didn't care enough to spend the time writing it properly, reviewing, and correcting any mistakes.

How rude it is depends on the importance of the communication, and how bad your errors are. I find that often when I'm clarifying something someone's said to me, they'll say "Oh well, you know what I meant," when very clearly the fact that I have had to clarify it means I did not know what they meant.

[-]

CreativeAdeptness477@reddit

Honestly if you can't be bothered to use correct spelling and grammar and suchlike then the chances are high that I'll not be bothered to care about whatever you're trying to say. It's not 100% and is context based. I don't consider it rude. I consider it lazy.

[-]

Mudeford_minis@reddit

Never have posts been so carefully proofread! 😂

[-]

grepusman@reddit

If it’s obvious that it’s not a typo, and that it’s what they believe is correct, the entire post loses credibility for me.

I wouldn’t call it rude. I would call it no class. Someone missed the bus to school.

In the modern world, if you’re still allowing a post to be incorrect, when a word probably has a red underline under it, or could’ve been auto-corrected, then you are a dinosaur. If you don’t know how to use apostrophes, then education did not work on you.

If you put two words together regularly to create a new word that doesn’t actually exist, you are badly educated. When it’s pointed out to you and you say “language evolves“, nothing further that you say means anything to me.

I don’t care if my opinion is unpopular. I’m being honest.

[-]

Worldly_Wafer_6635@reddit

You just lost credibility for me.

[-]

grepusman@reddit

Good. But you spelled everything correctly.

[-]

trippykitsy@reddit

I am more bothered by readability than the specifics of grammar or spelling. I would much prefer a poorly spelt but way spaced out post to a wall of text with no paragraph breaks.

[-]

NetworkHot8469@reddit

I’m fairly pedantic , literature obsessed, but when it comes to texts and online forums I really don’t care. An edited blog or manuscript yes. For non native speakers yes(except my husband). People mosts read the beginning and ends of words any-way.

[-]

Ecstatic-World1237@reddit

I think there are different contexts. Someone rattling off a 140 char tweet can make daft mistakes, but a teacher creating display materials or writing reports should be shown no mercy.

[-]

adamneigeroc@reddit

I’d rather have something with slightly bad grammar than something that’s very obviously been through AI

[-]

Flaky-Walrus7244@reddit

Rude is the wrong word, but it is off-putting for sure

[-]

Worldly_Wafer_6635@reddit

It depends on what the communication is, formal communication, always triple-check.

Fast communication between colleagues, whatsapp, teams etc, why would I waste my time double-checking when you are going to understand?

I found scrutiny over spelling and grammar to be elitist & pretentious.

Some people are book smart, some are creative, and some are extremely good problem solvers. Let's stop thinking intelligence is binary.

If you are a person that make fun of the traitor cast for struggling to spell names, I'm talking specifically to you, get over yourself.

[-]

Snout_Fever@reddit

I don't find it rude and I won't really judge anyone for it, but I do reserve the right to exhale through my nose while reading it.

[-]

Logically_Conflicted@reddit

Dyslexia and dysgraphia are real, under diagnosed and often unsupported
People have learning disabilities / communication difficultes I don't know about, especially when interacting online
Speech to text is very hit and miss if you have any kind of accent, stutter, or a slower processing speed.

I try not to judge people for their writing skills in general.

I would, however, expect official work to have been proof read by other people / software. Pro Writing Aid saved me from humiliation at work more than once.

[-]

grepusman@reddit

While I agree with you, poor education seems to be the bigger cause.

[-]

Jack1ngton@reddit

Not at all... Few of us can claim to have perfect grammar and spelling etc. It might be rude in some contexts if a person is speaking to you too familiarly or informally.

[-]

sleepyprojectionist@reddit

Learning to text in the early 2000s taught me a necessary degree of brevity, but I could never bring myself to use txtspeak.

All of my messages are properly punctuated, complete sentences.

I have been told that, on occasion, this makes me sound formal, standoffish, and perhaps a little aloof.

So if anything I would say that you probably come off as more colloquial and friendly in your method of communication. Certainly not rude.

As long as your messages convey the intended meaning then they are doing their job.

I’m pretty sure that my mum composes messages by throwing her phone in the washing machine with a bunch of styluses based on how long it takes me to decode them.

[-]

scottishsilversurfer@reddit

Very rude

[-]

IV-Manufacturer@reddit

Genuinely don't care in casual chat. The people who correct grammar in WhatsApp groups are more annoying than the typos.

[-]

CharmingSwing1366@reddit

i’ve never found it rude, there’s the sort of expectation with professional communication to be ‘proper’ - but personally i’d sort of expect it if i was a client talking to a business but if anyone from my work or who i was emailing at work don’t use correct grammar i wouldn’t care i try to use it when im at work, or communicating with someone i don’t know well - whether it’s if im talking to professionals, more distant family or friends like friends of my parents and things like that. i think i also do when talking to older family and friends but idk why😂 to my friends siblings and parents it’s all over the place, actual words are usually correct but the way i write it is chaotic (like this text lol)

[-]

fartmaxxer420@reddit

Never rude. It can be frustrating though, particularly when a sentence is so poorly formulated you genuinely struggle to understand what they mean.

Some people have dyslexia, some people are (in the least offensive way I can express this) not very bright when it comes to reading and writing, or they just don't think writing clearly is super important for their communication style, and that's totally fine, not rude at all.

[-]