4 ms·

I'm not asking why you work as a programmer, but wether [sic] you have a passion for the act of programming. Ugh. I really want to like this post, but a typo

by r00k 17y ago

I'm not asking why you work as a programmer, but wether [sic] you have a passion for the act of programming. Ugh. I really want to like this post, but a typo in the FIRST sentence is such a turn-off.

jacquesm 17y ago
If a single typo puts you off content then try this: Language and - by extension - writing are a means of transferring information from one person to another. It is the meaning of the information that matters, not the format in which it comes to you. So if the same piece had been spoken to you (which is just a switch of medium) you would have loved it. So, just like the first braindead compiler you refused to 'compile' (understand) a perfectly good piece of information because of a syntactical issue. Compilers are not programmed to deal with this sort of thing (it has been tried, see the fiasco of the error correcting pascal compiler) but humans are more flexible than that. There is no need for you to balk at the first error in grammar or spelling. Plenty of people have a very valid story to tell, even if their delivery may not be 100% on the mark. As a non-native English speaker/writer I'm often quite shocked at the level of spelling and grammar displayed by 'the natives'. But I try hard to not let that stand in the way of understanding the message.
- RiderOfGiraffes 17y ago
  I hear what you say, and I agree with much of, but I disagree with some of your points. > if the same piece had been spoken to you ... you would have loved it. Not if the person had a really, really annoying voice, or if it were littered with grammatical differences from my norm, or if it were so loud it were painful, etc. Delivery matters. If you force me to get past the delivery to find the message, you are saying that my reactions are less important than your thoughts. If you care about your audience, you will take the time and effort to remove obstacles and let the message be unhindered. How many times have you visited a web site, only to leave fairly promptly because you can't make instant sense of it? This is the web/visual equivalent. We are repeatedly exhorted to make the design simply, clean, clear, and attractive. Checking your spelling and grammar are the authorial equivalent. I frequently write in a non-native language, and I know that I need to check these things almost fanatically. Not to do so is to show a lack of respect for my audience, and to ignore the wisdom of ages ago: http://www.penzba.co.uk/SoothSayer.html http://www.penzba.co.uk/SoothSayer.html
  - jacquesm 17y ago
    Excellent point, I had not thought about it in that way. I assumed that the speaker would have been reasonably proficient but a horrible writer, of course there are other variations, and I'm acutely allergic to some voices so I really should have given it more thought. In the age of spell checkers there is hardly any reason to have simple typos in your writings anyway, but that is another matter.
edw519 17y ago
but a typo in the FIRST sentence is such a turn-off Get over it. For 3 reasons... 1. hn is international. There's a decent chance that English is not OP's primary language. 2. To meny strumbos I work with knitpick on grammer and speling becuz they aren't capabull of evalu8ting the kontent. I don't ever want too be like them. I bet u don't either. 3. Grow a thicker skin in order to learn more. To me, "hacking" and "turn-off" seem like they oughta be mutually exclusive.

by r00k 17y ago

I'm not asking why you work as a programmer, but wether [sic] you have a passion for the act of programming. Ugh. I really want to like this post, but a typo in the FIRST sentence is such a turn-off.

jacquesm 17y ago

If a single typo puts you off content then try this: Language and - by extension - writing are a means of transferring information from one person to another. It is the meaning of the information that matters, not the format in which it comes to you. So if the same piece had been spoken to you (which is just a switch of medium) you would have loved it. So, just like the first braindead compiler you refused to 'compile' (understand) a perfectly good piece of information because of a syntactical issue. Compilers are not programmed to deal with this sort of thing (it has been tried, see the fiasco of the error correcting pascal compiler) but humans are more flexible than that. There is no need for you to balk at the first error in grammar or spelling. Plenty of people have a very valid story to tell, even if their delivery may not be 100% on the mark. As a non-native English speaker/writer I'm often quite shocked at the level of spelling and grammar displayed by 'the natives'. But I try hard to not let that stand in the way of understanding the message.

RiderOfGiraffes 17y ago
I hear what you say, and I agree with much of, but I disagree with some of your points. > if the same piece had been spoken to you ... you would have loved it. Not if the person had a really, really annoying voice, or if it were littered with grammatical differences from my norm, or if it were so loud it were painful, etc. Delivery matters. If you force me to get past the delivery to find the message, you are saying that my reactions are less important than your thoughts. If you care about your audience, you will take the time and effort to remove obstacles and let the message be unhindered. How many times have you visited a web site, only to leave fairly promptly because you can't make instant sense of it? This is the web/visual equivalent. We are repeatedly exhorted to make the design simply, clean, clear, and attractive. Checking your spelling and grammar are the authorial equivalent. I frequently write in a non-native language, and I know that I need to check these things almost fanatically. Not to do so is to show a lack of respect for my audience, and to ignore the wisdom of ages ago: http://www.penzba.co.uk/SoothSayer.html http://www.penzba.co.uk/SoothSayer.html
- jacquesm 17y ago
  Excellent point, I had not thought about it in that way. I assumed that the speaker would have been reasonably proficient but a horrible writer, of course there are other variations, and I'm acutely allergic to some voices so I really should have given it more thought. In the age of spell checkers there is hardly any reason to have simple typos in your writings anyway, but that is another matter.

edw519 17y ago

but a typo in the FIRST sentence is such a turn-off Get over it. For 3 reasons... 1. hn is international. There's a decent chance that English is not OP's primary language. 2. To meny strumbos I work with knitpick on grammer and speling becuz they aren't capabull of evalu8ting the kontent. I don't ever want too be like them. I bet u don't either. 3. Grow a thicker skin in order to learn more. To me, "hacking" and "turn-off" seem like they oughta be mutually exclusive.