Readability of posts

[Get a Job]

Disclaimer: If you think I'm a stickler or nerd or message board weirdo and want to ignore me, please feel free to do so. If you'd like to improve the Boneyard experience for yourself and other users, however, please give the following some consideration. It is meant as a public service announcement; not a reprimand.

It occurs to me that many posters write as if they are a voice-to-text utility, transcribing their thoughts as they first play through their mind. Punctuation is often nowhere to be found, resulting in a sort of stream-of-consciousness that is very hard to decipher. Those who wish to have their thoughts understood would do well to spend a little more time on the formatting of their posts. Simply typing what one would say in a face-to-face conversation does not usually lend itself to message board communication.

Again, not trying to hassle anyone, and this is not my usual spelling/grammar/syntax nitpicking. It's just that I often need to read posts 5 or 6 times before I can figure out what the author intended. A post does not need to be a Pulitzer-worthy masterpiece, but, on the other hand, a post that is so hard to read that the reader simply moves past it might as well not have been written in the first place.

Edit: Also, the "Edit" feature is your friend!

 

[Mister P]

Post/handle

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Disclaimer: If you think I'm a stickler or nerd or message board weirdo and want to ignore me, please feel free to do so. If you'd like to improve the Boneyard experience for yourself and other users, however, please give the following some consideration. It is meant as a public service announcement; not a reprimand.

It occurs to me that many posters write as if they are a voice-to-text utility, transcribing their thoughts as they first play through their mind. Punctuation is often nowhere to be found, resulting in a sort of stream-of-consciousness that is very hard to decipher. Those who wish to have their thoughts understood would do well to spend a little more time on the formatting of their posts. Simply typing what one would say in a face-to-face conversation does not usually lend itself to message board communication.

Again, not trying to hassle anyone, and this is not my usual spelling/grammar/syntax nitpicking. It's just that I often need to read posts 5 or 6 times before I can figure out what the author intended. A post does not need to be a Pulitzer-worthy masterpiece, but, on the other hand, a post that is so hard to read that the reader simply moves past it might as well not have been written in the first place.

Edit: Also, the "Edit" feature is your friend!

I get it, but...pearls before swine?

 

[mauconnfan]

Don't care if you're a stickler or a nerd but understand I don't care all that much about my punctuation or what spelling my iMac may change to look awkward. So you can ignore me but I will always spend less time on my format as I am working a real job at the same time often being sure to format my emails to customers and fellow workers.

This is The Boneyard right? Knot sure this iz a nessessary thred two bee onest.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Don't care if you're a stickler or a nerd but understand I don't care all that much about my punctuation or what spelling my iMac may change to look awkward. So you can ignore me but I will always spend less time on my format as I am working a real job at the same time often being sure to format my emails to customers and fellow workers.

This is The Boneyard right? Knot sure this iz a nessessary thred two bee onest.

mea culpa, mea culpa,
mea máxima culpa

 

[the Q]

Post/handle

Damn it, beat me to it

 

[donyell34]

I've personally never had difficulty understanding a post thats not grammatically correct. Huge variety of people with different backgrounds who enjoy sharing their thoughts on the Boneyard.

 

[jleves]

Mambo dogface to the banana patch?

 

[B1GEast]

 

[Kitaman]

FoRTthEAD!

 

[Get a Job]

Don't care if you're a stickler or a nerd but understand I don't care all that much about my punctuation or what spelling my iMac may change to look awkward. So you can ignore me but I will always spend less time on my format as I am working a real job at the same time often being sure to format my emails to customers and fellow workers.

This is The Boneyard right? Knot sure this iz a nessessary thred two bee onest.

I knew I was going to get a lot of flack, so I'm not sweating that. I just want to repeat that my comments are simply about the ease with which a reader can glean the meaning intended by the author. I am not encouraging better writing to satisfy my OCD. My aim is to provide feedback that I hope will be helpful, based on the premise that he who posts something to a message board wants it to be understood by anyone who reads it. If you don't care if other people can understand what you write, then my comments don't apply to you.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't consider your posts to be difficult to understand.

 

[CL82]

Disclaimer: If you think I'm a stickler or nerd or message board weirdo and want to ignore me, please feel free to do so. If you'd like to improve the Boneyard experience for yourself and other users, however, please give the following some consideration. It is meant as a public service announcement; not a reprimand.

It occurs to me that many posters write as if they are a voice-to-text utility, transcribing their thoughts as they first play through their mind. Punctuation is often nowhere to be found, resulting in a sort of stream-of-consciousness that is very hard to decipher. Those who wish to have their thoughts understood would do well to spend a little more time on the formatting of their posts. Simply typing what one would say in a face-to-face conversation does not usually lend itself to message board communication.

Again, not trying to hassle anyone, and this is not my usual spelling/grammar/syntax nitpicking. It's just that I often need to read posts 5 or 6 times before I can figure out what the author intended. A post does not need to be a Pulitzer-worthy masterpiece, but, on the other hand, a post that is so hard to read that the reader simply moves past it might as well not have been written in the first place.

Edit: Also, the "Edit" feature is your friend!

TL;DR

 

[huskiesNhoos]

I've read chappy posts and cliffyspliffy posts all the time with at least 50% comprehension so the rest of you are like reading Shakespeare

 

[Get a Job]

TL;DR

As long as you don't say TI;DR (Too Incomprehensible; Didn't Read), I'm happy!

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

There seems to be a couple layers of irony to this post.

 

[Dove]

Mambo dogface to the banana patch?

Give that Yarder a special test.

 

[Get a Job]

FWIW the new time limit on editing posts is impacting readability.

Unfortunate timing, indeed.

 

[Husky68]

Must be something wrong with me, I easily understand all the boneyard posts, even Chief's. Maybe the reason is that I don't understand any of them, I just think I do.

 

[UCDaveD]

Didn’t know JD Salinger posted on the Yard.

 

[HooperScooper]

I've read chappy posts and cliffyspliffy posts all the time with at least 50% comprehension so the rest of you are like reading Shakespeare

I completely skip reading those posts. Gives me a headache. I think that's probably the best way to navigate the board if anyone has an issue with the way certain people post. Just impossible to police how people post with such a large pool of posters. It's a message board for fans. Not the New York Times.

 

[tcf15]

As long as you stop calling Isaiah Whaley “Squirrel”, then we’ve got a deal.

 

[Leebo]

I sympathize with the sentiment of the OP, but the biggest culprits seem like lost causes, so I don't expect anything to change.

 

[Husky Alien]

I knew I was going to get a lot of flack, so I'm not sweating that. I just want to repeat that my comments are simply about the ease with which a reader can glean the meaning intended by the author. I am not encouraging better writing to satisfy my OCD. My aim is to provide feedback that I hope will be helpful, based on the premise that he who posts something to a message board wants it to be understood by anyone who reads it. If you don't care if other people can understand what you write, then my comments don't apply to you.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't consider your posts to be difficult to understand.

 

[Waquoit]

FWIW the new time limit on editing posts is impacting readability.

Good point.

 

[kobebeanbryant]