Do you think technology should be used as a force of linquistic good?

[punchkin]

In this thread, oldsmoboat laments the degradation of language. Why don't online forums ever try to protect against this? One would think, for instance, that a profanity filter could be used to quietly change "definately" to "definitely", "irregardless" to "regardless"-- or even force a user to fix detected mistakes. Small measures like this could begin driving the language in a better direction. Thoughts?

 

[syzygy]

The onus is ultimately with a person to police their own behavior, to fix and follow their own rules of conduct. No piece of software can do the same as well. Furthermore, failure to do so should not be met with a quiet change enforced
by some artificial filter but with definite consequences enforced by a flesh and blood mod.

 

[punchkin]

Originally posted by: syzygy
The onus is ultimately with a person to police their own behavior, to fix and follow their own rules of conduct. No piece of software can do the same as well. Furthermore, failure to do so should not be met with a quiet change enforced
by some artificial filter but with definite consequences enforced by a flesh and blood mod.

I think part of the problem is that language abuse proliferates due to people seeing bad examples. It is obviously not true that we can rely on people to police their own misuse of language, especially when the abusers are often unaware of it.

 

[grrl]

Language has never been fixed, nor is there always a best way to say something. That's one reason grammar check in Office is such a waste of programming. The last thing I want is a computer telling me which words to use or how to phrase my thoughts.

However, I'm not opposed to spell check.

 

[BladeVenom]

People should use a spell checker on their own, and not have it forced on them by the website. Sometimes you don't want what a mindless computer program thinks is the correct spelling; they are often wrong.

I've been on another site that tried a language filter and it ended filtering out words like assembly because it has ass in it. Even when that was fixed, there were problems like names with shit in it, etc. You can also bypass them by using things f*ck or $hit. So really what's the point?

 

[punchkin]

Originally posted by: grrl
Language has never been fixed, nor is there always a best way to say something.

True. However, there are many indisputably incorrect ways of saying things.

Originally posted by: grrl
I'm not opposed to spell check.

That's a good start.

 

[punchkin]

Originally posted by: BladeVenom
People should use a spell checker on their own, and not have it forced on them by the website. Sometimes you don't want what a mindless computer program thinks is the correct spelling; they are often wrong.

I've been on another site that tried a language filter and it ended filtering out words like assembly because it has ass in it. Even when that was fixed, there were problems like names with shit in it, etc. You can also bypass them by using things f*ck or $hit. So really what's the point?

That's a profanity filter, not a spell checker. I am hard pressed to think of a legitimate use of "definately" outside of discussions such as this, the need for which would disappear with a spell-checking filter.

 

[grrl]

Originally posted by: punchkin

Originally posted by: grrl
Language has never been fixed, nor is there always a best way to say something.

True. However, there are many indisputably incorrect ways of saying things.

I still don't want a machine trying to interpret whether it's right or wrong. As syzygy said, it's the individual's responsibility. If someone is too stupid or lazy to use the language correctly, having a machine do the work for them isn't going to improve matters.

 

[Linflas]

Public ridicule and humiliation is probably far more effective than filters if for no other reason because it is so much fun.

 

[preslove]

Originally posted by: punchkin

Originally posted by: grrl
Language has never been fixed, nor is there always a best way to say something.

True. However, there are many indisputably incorrect ways of saying things.

You don't know shit about linguistics, nor does anyone who decries the "degradation of language" :roll:

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I want newspeak DAMNIT.

No more obscure wording or stupid nouns. Why is it called a butterfly when it isn't a fly or butter?

Also tenses. No more of this conjugation bullshit. I want a standard conjugation of every word without any weird random exceptions.

 

[Anubis]

No fuck that, this teh internets i haz bad grammer cause i don?t cares


Contrary to the belief held here I can spell and i do know proper grammar and punctuation I just actively choose not to care about them when posting. Why you ask? Simply because I don?t care if "alot" is really 2 words or if I?m using the correct form of "your" I type out what?s easiest, and 99.9% of the time 100% of the people out there understand it perfectly.

 

[grrl]

message deleted

 

[punchkin]

Originally posted by: preslove

Originally posted by: punchkin

Originally posted by: grrl
Language has never been fixed, nor is there always a best way to say something.

True. However, there are many indisputably incorrect ways of saying things.

You don't know shit about linguistics, nor does anyone who decries the "degradation of language" :roll:

Thanks for your super-knowledgeable input.

 

[zinfamous]

this is no different than auto spellcheck. We've had that for enough years now (at least 10), to realize that it does nothing for peoples' grammar and spelling. I'd argue that spelling has gotten much worse since spellcheck, as more people have become lazy about their writing.

eliminate texting and IM? ain't gonna happen, but that seems to be the major culprit.

 

[punchkin]

Originally posted by: zinfamous
this is no different than auto spellcheck. We've had that for enough years now (at least 10), to realize that it does nothing for peoples' grammar and spelling. I'd argue that spelling has gotten much worse since spellcheck, as more people have become lazy about their writing.

I doubt it. In any event, the main thing I'm worried about is the crappy quality of text actually produced, as it's an eyesore and almost certainly promotes the degradation of language (i.e. people learning how to spell and write will be given many bad examples). I have to believe that with good examples, abuse of language will decrease.

 

[punchkin]

Originally posted by: Anubis
No fuck that, this teh internets i haz bad grammer cause i don?t cares


Contrary to the belief held here I can spell and i do know proper grammar and punctuation I just actively choose not to care about them when posting. Why you ask? Simply because I don?t care if "alot" is really 2 words or if I?m using the correct form of "your" I type out what?s easiest, and 99.9% of the time 100% of the people out there understand it perfectly.

It's not any easier to type "a lot" than to type "alot". Come on, a single space? Okay, you don't care about the language. I do. You make yourself look stupid by misusing very simple words like "your".

Would you like it if everyone started talking in Ebonics?

 

[0roo0roo]

different language suits different situations.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: punchkin

Originally posted by: Anubis
No fuck that, this teh internets i haz bad grammer cause i don?t cares


Contrary to the belief held here I can spell and i do know proper grammar and punctuation I just actively choose not to care about them when posting. Why you ask? Simply because I don?t care if "alot" is really 2 words or if I?m using the correct form of "your" I type out what?s easiest, and 99.9% of the time 100% of the people out there understand it perfectly.

It's not any easier to type "a lot" than to type "alot". Come on, a single space? Okay, you don't care about the language. I do. You make yourself look stupid by misusing very simple words like "your".

Would you like it if everyone started talking in Ebonics?

not hitting the space bar is easier and faster, and honestly if you have an issue with it ill do it more just to piss you off, because it makes me lol on the inside, the human brain is pretty amazing it can pretty much just ignore spelling/grammar mistakes and fully comprehend what is written, yet some people have defects that make them bitch about misplaced letters apparently


if everyone started talking in black speek i would just deal with it and move on

grammar nazis are almost as annoying as OCD neat freaks, fun to passivily fuck with, otherwise worthless