For God's Sake - Another Bomb?!

[wildsweetone]

Yep I'm riding on that title to get YOU in here and READING! This is IMPORTANT and this posting is here because I don't want more boundaries in the Author's Hangout simply because of misunderstanding between inept writers.

1. we are all different.

2. we voice our opinions differently - some use sugar coating, some are direct.

3. we have all got to this point in our lives after having gone through some good stuff and/or some shit.

4. not one of us is unique, we all are, GET OVER IT!


Before we commit people to the death sentence, how about taking a little time out to show some compassion and some understanding about where they're coming from?

The majority of us in here are interested in using words in our lives. ARE WE SO USELESS that we're unable to ask people to explain meanings in a more specific way before we cover them in leeches and let them bleed slowly and noisily to death?

suggested mode of chat in this particular forum:

1. BE polite, considerate and respectful.

2. DO NOT jump to conclusions.

3. ASK questions, BE tenacious until you are happy you understand what the other person is trying to say.

4. UNDERSTAND that some of us are unable to express ourselves at the same standard as others.

We have all become efficient at using the internet, BUT WE HAVE NOT YET LEARNT how to put correct facial expressions and correct tone into the messages we read that other authors have written. The baggage each of us carries affects how we read postings.

Most often, those of us who are unable to make ourselves clearly understood are the very ones who are hit with the lynch mob. I suggest that people take a deep breath, step back from your computer and search inwardly for some of that so called 'christian' goodwill the civilised members of this species is meant to have.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I'm afraid you lost me on that one.



What'd I do wrong this time?

 

[Guest]

Feel better?

 

[Whispersecret]

I don't want more boundaries in the Author's Hangout simply because of misunderstanding between inept writers.

What boundaries are there now?

What misunderstanding?

 

[damppanties]

ouch!! what happened here WSO?

 

[its Leslie]

Thanks sweetone

 

[BigTexan]

3. ASK questions, BE tenacious until you are happy you understand what the other person is trying to say.

Okay, I'll ask the question:

Did I miss something? What happened?

Oh, I am soooo lost.

BigTexan

 

[Guest]

Oh, I am soooo lost.

That makes several of us.

 

[wildsweetone]

Hmm it seems that my own writing skills are in need of a little work to reach more of the 'wider community'.

Although, reading through my PMs and all my emails this morning, I know full well that I managed to make my points very clearly to most.

I respectfully suggest if you do not understand the implications of my posting, then you take a little time out, then re-read my posting with perhaps more of an open mind.

For those of you who do not have the time, or the inclination to re-read with openmindedness, then perhaps you need to look within yourselves and answer some of the questions below...

1. Do I read a post, and then jump right in without taking the time to consider other perspectives?

2. Do I find myself having to explain things more than once?

3. Do I feel offended when people don't like the way I comment?

For the moment I can't think of any more...

I wish to make myself perfectly clear here... I am not using, nor accusing any one person in particular.

I believe the arguments and problems we have from time to time in the Author's Hangout stem from communication problems. Some of us do not have the skills to make our points with clarity, and others of us do not have the skills to understand the points with 'charity' (thank you dear - i hope you don't mind me borrowing your phrasing).

To those of you who have PMed and emailed me, you are welcome. I hope that at the very least, a tiny amount of what I'm saying is understood by those who need to learn to listen carefully.

 

[BigTexan]

Okay, WSO, I stand, properly chastised, but still wondering ...

What is this about?

I'm real sure you aren't aiming your guns at me, per se', but I do think I'm missing something that is happening on the boards.

Maybe I'm just not reading the right threads, but I haven't seen people getting boxed around (verbally).

Is there an ongoing fight that I'm missing?

If so, please point me in the right direction. I hate a fight happening without me

Despite this mild confusion I heartily agree with your position. A little tolerance and understanding can go a long way toward making our lives a lot more boring.

BigTexan

 

[KillerMuffin]

I read it several times.

It's ambiguous and I still have no bloody idea what you're talking about.

 

[wildsweetone]

it wasn't meant in an ambiguous way actually... it was meant to be a cry from the heart i guess. just one way of getting people to see that not everyone is as capable of being able to make themselves understood as clearly as others. and i thought in my bumbling way i could kind of help straighten some things out a little; if i could simply help give people the chance to open their eyes a little wider than they normally are able to... a chance to gift another person with a little caring and understanding.

still, i know that it's helped from the messages i've received. and i'm glad for that.

i'm not mentioning names purposely, i'm not doing a lynch mob thing here. nor am i picking on any one person in particular.

it's not that difficult to understand eh? i wrote in english.

it's as simple as saying - be aware that we are all different.

they say the internet is a great equaliser. it is in a way, somebody in a wheelchair (for example) is probably reading this right now.

but the internet is also a great divider. it takes lots of work and plenty of practice to stop it from dividing needlessly.


i am from new zealand. i have friends online who are from Canada, America, England, Holland, Pakistan, Australia and South Africa. there is a tiny sample of how multicultural this one website is.

sometimes one's written english is way better than their reading comprehension level.

if it's still too difficult for anyone to understand what i'm trying to say here, then well, i guess i need to forget about writing because i must be pretty darn useless at making simple points clear.

 

[Guest]

it's not that difficult to understand eh? i wrote in english.

I don't mean to sound rude, but why bother using punctuation if you do not take the time to capitalize sentences or the word "I" in reference to one's self?

 

[its Leslie]

Come on people, her message was crystal clear.

Upper case or lower case is immaterial though. We all know the intent of the word or letter.
Punctuation is a pause or a separator, it adds distinction, allows the words to convey speech.
Capitalization only allows the words a formal prettiness.

What sweetone is saying is for everyone, and directed at no one.
There is no hidden message. She only said what she wrote.

 

[TheEarl]

Very pedantic IMHO. I or i shouldn't matter. no-one is perferct and typo's do happen (esp on this damn keyboard).

WSO, I get your point, but was there anything in particular that brough this on, or has it been brewing for a long time?

The Earl

 

[Guest]

Hey, I said I wasn't trying to be rude. I was just curious. This is a literary site, though. I know not everyone at Lit is an author, but this is the Author's Hangout after all. It seems like a safe bet that how people type here reflects how they write their stories.

I know I am not perfect when it comes to spelling and other things children are taught in English class, but come on, I give it a try at least.

 

[its Leslie]

All my writing gets passed through my Word XP spell checker and grammar watch dog.

It doesn't catch everything. And it always gets annoyed when I insist on using Canadian Spelling.

It doesn't provide style or interest level of course.

But when I write a post on a Forum (any forum), it's composed here in this puny window thingy.

As such typos occur. I am glad a post can be edited here on Lit though.
Not all forums out there have good software available.

Part of sweetones message though, was that what you see posted, is not always exactly what we are. How we post is also not automatically indicative of how a person normally communicates routinely.

Some of us are great orators and lousy writers. Some of us are great writers, and worthless as speakers. Not many of us get to be both.

 

[BigTexan]

BlessedBe;

There may also be, ahem, alternative reasons for not capitalizing the i.

I don't know WSO enough to know if this is the case, but when I saw the lack of capitalization, I assumed that she was a sub. This is how some of them express that aspect of their lifestyle.

I would hope that here in the Author's Hangout, we can be open minded enough to allow others their self-expression without being judgemental.

Or I could be full of malarky

BigTexan

 

[Guest]

Texan,

I happen to be submissive. I've been this way all my life. It is who I am, not an online game. However, I still try my damnedest to not forget what I was taught in English class growing up since I am an aspiring author and wish to be published someday.

I guess I don't see the net as an excuse to "become lazy". (Not attacking anyone here, and I am talking about all "net slang". Sure, I use "IMHO" or "LOL" at times, but I am not so lazy I feel the need to abbreviate three letter words.) Again, I was only using examples of what I have seen all over the net and not attacking anyone.

 

[BigTexan]

As I said, SOME subs express themselves this way. (and damn if I haven't taken heat over this already!)

I respect your opinion and your desire for "correct" grammer. I was simply opening my mouth 'cause my foot fits in it better when I do.

BigTexan

 

[Guest]

I was simply opening my mouth 'cause my foot fits in it better when I do.

 

[wildsweetone]

thanks for asking BlessedBe

whether i am a sub or not in this particular case is irrelevant.

i write my postings often with no capitals for a physical reason only. i am perfectly aware of correct mechanical writing procedures, - click on my story link and it'll show you that relatively quickly. - hmm well some correct mechanical procedures that is

i have RSI (repetitive strain injury aka OOS occupational overuse syndrome) in my right hand; i have trigger thumb on my right thumb; i have the early stages of carpul tunnel syndrome.

i have been typing (for payment and for pleasure) for the last 26 years. i have an average typing speed of about 92 words per minute. because i don't tend to watch my speed i have stuffed my hand. (unfortunately my fingers type faster than my brain thinks)

i figure that by cutting back on some key usage, i can type for longer each day without night time pain. something as small as not bothering with capital letters actually saves me a monumental amount of extra strain on my hand. (i wish i could avoid the space bar, but i'm still working on that one.)

i apologise if this causes anyone problems or difficulties with understanding what i try to say.

as you may have noticed, i do try to type peoples names/nicknames as they appear on the boards... this is a measure of respect - you chose the name, i type it as i see it.

i understand you're simply asking BlessedBe

i take no offense at your question, nor indeed any question asked of me in such a manner

it's interesting though... my idiosyncrasies are blatantly obvious - i joke around a bit, i type with lower case frequently...

how about those people who's differences are not so obvious?

some people stutter, but you don't see that in their writing. some people are mute, but you don't see that when they post. some people have english as a second or third language, but because of their excellent writing skill it's not obvious that they struggle with their english reading.

It seems like a safe bet that how people type here reflects how they write their stories.

what you see is not always what you get.

 

[its Leslie]

In an attempt to add a simple quirk to the list.

One of mine is contractions, or rather the lack of them in a lot of cases.

I guess you could call it Cmdr Data speak

I have written pieces before and then I have had to go through the whole thing intentionally adding "it's" where I have used "it is". Doesn't seem like much I suppose. But it can lead to some very hard to speak in one's head reading.

 

[DVS]

In an attempt to add a simple quirk to the list. One of mine is contractions, or rather the lack of them in a lot of cases.

I do the same thing. And, I don't even notice it until I read it all back. I don't talk like that, so why do I type like that? Humm?

 

[DVS]

Oh. Sorry for interrupting. And, for the record, I understood your post from the beginning.

Still waiting for the bomb, though. Did I miss it?