SouthArk's Suggestions For Effective Posting (Grammar/Spelling Counts)
 

These are just my suggestions and are not endorsed by this site or anybody else.

When writing anything, you need to "write to your audience." If your writings are meant for young children, you need to use simple concepts/vocabulary and thoroughly explain any new concepts/words. If you're writing your doctoral dissertation, you want to use as many "big words" as possible and you can assume the reader is familiar with advanced concepts and words. Forum posts fall somewhere in-between.

The main thing you want to do is write so that the forums members will understand what you mean. This is the foundation of everything that follows. If people can't understand what you are typing, you are wasting your time and Internet resources.

In order for all parties to understand each other, they must use a common language. On this site, that's English. I don't think "foreign" language posts are forbidden on this site but you severely limit your audience if you don't use English.

No one here expects perfection but at least try to use something close to proper English. Many members, who could be very helpful, just don't have the time and/or inclination to decipher poor English. They will ignore your post and move on to something that is not so much work to understand. As long as your comments are easy to understand, few will complain (too much) but grammar and spelling do count if you want others to understand you.

Text-speak is frowned on by many members on this site - heavily frowned on in the tech sections - use it at your own risk.

If you start a topic, make the title meaningful. "I Need Help" is NOT a good title. "Need Help Reinstalling Throttle Bodies" works much better. Eschew abbreviations in the title*. Eg, don't use TBs for Throttle Bodies in the previous example. If you are asking a question, put a question mark somewhere in the title. I'm not sure how many characters you can use in the title but you have lots of room - make use of it.

Post new threads in the appropriate section of the site. Are-you-going-to-some-event posts do not belong in the tech forums and VVEL discussions shouldn't be in the social forums. Sometimes it's difficult to decide which is the most appropriate forum to post in - try to get close. Put a post about fuel injection in one of the Engine & Drivetrain sections (depending on the subject, it could go in FI or tuning, pick the one you think fits best; Exhaust is probably not applicable), not Wheels & Tires.

If you are asking for help, be as complete and as precise as you can. Explain the symptoms and give step-by-step details on what you have already tried and the results. If you are having problems understanding something you have read somewhere, include a link(s) to the source.


I'll add more as I think of it or if other members make suggestions I like.


* (Abbreviations are OK in comments. You may want to spell out the term the first time you use it and add the abbreviation in parentheses after. Eg, ... Throttle Body (TB) ...)

iblt

Fixed! :stirthepot:

:icon18: Very clever, indeed...

my brain too short memory for big posts... :(

Tldr

tl dr = the language doctor :confused:

This should be required reading before being allowed to post.

ouy naem i t'nac eypt ekil siht? or lyke dis? wat madn3zz is di5?


but i do wonder what is the reason behind this thread though

There's been a lot of barely literate new members lately posting near-gibberish.

Too long, didn't read.

Show me a guy who can correctly use a semicolon and he's the guy who knows grammar. I'd shake his hand.

my name is kenchan; i like to eat charburgers and cheeze fries.

Punctuation is the bane of my existence; semicolons, and their usage rules, have always befuddled me!

:bowrofl::bowrofl:

oh damn, you even used the comma correctly too. :mad:

i hate folks that up one each time i post something. :shakes head:


:icon17:

Sorry, if it's any consolation, I didn't see your post before I replied. :icon17: :eek:

Plus one for good grammer and spelling. :tup:

My name is Donald and it's been 15 days since my last improper semicolon usage.

should this sentence be:

"My name is Donald, and it's been 15 days since my last improper semicolon usage."


:confused:

I believe the comma may be optional. :icon17:

:icon18:

:tiphat:

:icon17:

is that grammatic package - or -

grammatical package? :confused:

Most people misuse colons worse than Elton John.

you know.... I'm a Chinese..... :p


:bowrofl::bowrofl:

I like this thread idea; however, I don't like the fact that it has nothing to do with General 370Z Discussion and should be in Off Topic

:confused:

:tup:

I'm a kenchanese. :D

Maybe we could discuss whether or not it should be 370Z or 370-Z. Don't want to get into that whole cap Z or wee- little z discussion. That started a raging debate that plagued the forum for decades.

That would keep us from being banished to off topic (or is it off-topic?).

Oh dear! You are right. Mea culpa.

And that's exactly why I don't expect perfection from others. ;)

This is a nice write up. You, sir...are a gentleman and a scholar!

A lot of my profession involves what the OP wrote about. I definitely can relate to it, haha.

Kidding aside, I appreciate your thoughtful write-up. I consider these rules axiomatic and wish other folks did as well.

:tup:

Is the need to say all this really an indicator that the used 370s have come down in price enough that the younger generations are able to afford them now and it has led to an influx of idiots on the forum? Just speculating.

You might be onto something.

Yeah, now that an 09 is a $2ok car, it's gotten worse. In another few years when it's a $10k car and high school students can buy them, this place will be a barren wasteland of stupidity, stretched tires and hellaflush.





;


Was that the right way to use a semicolon?

Must... subscribe... to... grammatically correct thread

While younger people do seem to be more likely to be poor writers (probably because they don't yet realize how important effective communication is, not because they can't write), I think The Internet has made poor writers (and good ones, too) of all ages more visible. Before online access became ubiquitous, few poor writers were able to get "published." Nowadays, anybody with access to a computer can post something that the whole world can read.

My buddy's HS English teacher GF would disagree with you. :rofl2: