Aaack!

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I dislike finding typos and grammatical errors in my posts - makes me feel like a real idiot (of course, maybe I have an exaggerated opinion of my own literacy).

The most common typo I notice is teh instead of the.

Then there are the little typos that Word fails to pick up like, "Then there are he little typos that Word fails to pick up."

There are also the times I insert or omit one or more words in a sentence.

I could also gripe about my use of punctuation - which I consider creative in most instances - not to mention run on sentences - for which I sought no help (they just seemed to go away - mostly).

This morning, I noticed a typo in my Evolution of a Peeve blog. sigh.

I suppose what I need to do are: (1) write my posts out well in advance - say a month or so – put them aside and reread them shortly before posting, (2) get an editor who will proofread this stuff.

I also habitually break various grammatical rules because it sounds better to break the rule than to follow the rule. I misuse hopefully, I split infinitives, and I have been known to verb the odd noun - for these, I am unrepentant. For all the others ... aaack!

Image nabbed from here.

Comments

Barbara said…
I too am a grammar fanatic, but I have decided to cut myself some slack on the typo issue. Initially I felt very embarrassed (just spell-checked the last word), but I am trying to make the emphasis communication and not perfection. Blogging is not about points being taken off for misspellings!
September 06, 2006 1:53 PM
B said…
excellent point, barbara. for so long, i've worried too much about these technical things, when really, blogging is about the communication itself and the content. it is still difficult for me not to spell check and do a quick read through to make sure i haven't completely butchered something, but i think that blogging is a great exercise in letting go.
September 06, 2006 2:31 PM
RennyBA said…
I always love to read your posts - typo or not! I hope you bear with me my gramma - yours are not my native toung you know. But: ask me to spell a Norwegian word - I all of a suden feel at home:-)
September 06, 2006 4:02 PM
Richard said…
barbara: I agree, it is about communicating - it just looks better when properly spelled and resonably grammatically correct.

breal: one of the problems with being oour own proof reader is that we know what it is supposed to say, so we easily gloss over imperfections and errors because we don't see them. But, yea, if I was focussed on getting it roght, I would never blog.

rennyba: the next time I need to spell a Norwegian word, I shall think of you first.
September 06, 2006 8:13 PM
Just me said…
I'm just speaking (typing) for myself but I rarely notice most errors and tend to read right over them if I do notice. We're all busy with real life and blog as a way to share our opinions, thoughts, ideas, pet peeves, etc. If we were being graded on the quality of our work I'm sure no one would bother. I certainly wouldn't, life grades us enough as it is. So be yourself, errors and all.
September 06, 2006 10:20 PM
tin-tin said…
i don't proofread my work. i just type tne press publish. hahaha. that's why sometimes i have wrong spellings and wrong grammars. and to think that i laugh with those who have wrong grammars. tsk tsk tsk
September 07, 2006 4:25 AM
Mother of Invention said…
I am guilty of all you have mentioned plus ending the sentence with a preposition! No to worry, Richard, we get what you're saying! if I am sending some work to a publisher, then I get picky! You already put a great deal of effort into your posts! Small potatoes!
September 07, 2006 10:28 AM
vina said…
haha, you are definitely not alone tito richard!

i read my work over and over and over again to make sure everything is correct, grammar and spelling-wise.

i sometimes lose sleep over errors i overlooked.
September 08, 2006 6:46 AM
Richard said…
freckled-one: certainly this is a more informal way of expressing thoughts.

tin-tin: I agree that the content of the blog is more important than the fine details of spelling and grammar. If someone has great spelling and grammar, but lousy content I don’t bother to read it. However, it is still nice to get it right.

MOI: you have been published? Whaaaa! I have always dreamed of being a writer, but, I suffer from writer's paralysis - not block. I have found blogging is instilling in me the discipline of writing.

vina: do you really lose sleep? I always find your posts so charming.

Thank you all for your comments, support and encouragement, however, I am not as distraught as my post may intimate. I just needed a topic and, lo!, I found a spelling mistake - topic found!
September 08, 2006 9:17 AM
Richard said…
matt: you have had something published? Aaack! I Feel so inadequate now.
September 10, 2006 8:11 AM
vina said…
oooooh yes. i lose sleep over it. when i do get to sleep, i dream about it.
September 12, 2006 1:28 AM
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