It’s lose weight not loose weight.

cbstewart88

I know I'm just a looser. Been called a "lose woman" among other things. But I truly believe I should "use it or loose it". After all, lose lips sink ships.....

kshama2001

Often people who are ESL, or, less commonly, dyslexic, will disclaim that in their OP. I do have a great deal of tolerance for them. However, their mistakes are different from someone who is typing quickly on their phone and simply not bothering with proper grammar and punctuation.

When a poster is asked if they are writing on from their phone, I will see replies like "haha yes im on my phone" - they believe it is ok to not bother with punctuation and capitalization if they are on their phone. However, if they are the OP, and asking for help, in a written medium, they should have the courtesy of taking the time to express themselves in a way that is easily understandable.

kshama2001

https://paintingthegreyarea.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/literacy-privilege/

I'm with commenter Greg Shmuel Selz

"...I need to also draw from jail to make clear why I disagree with your assertion that alternate grammatical systems are valid in English. Without a doubt there is a level of effective communication amongst those from a common dialectic culture, however, language is supposed to be a unifying quality of a culture and society, and when concepts about this unifying force differ, its unifying abilities are marginalized if not destroyed. I would like to live in a utopian world where people can possess and utilize whatever brand of language they embrace, but the fact of the matter is that any divergence in use of language within a society can only cause chaos.

...In summation, you are absolutely right without any shadow of a doubt that literacy amongst adults is no laughing matter."

amusedmonkey

kshama2001 wrote: »

Often people who are ESL, or, less commonly, dyslexic, will disclaim that in their OP. I do have a great deal of tolerance for them. However, their mistakes are different from someone who is typing quickly on their phone and simply not bothering with proper grammar and punctuation.

When a poster is asked if they are writing on from their phone, I will see replies like "haha yes im on my phone" - they believe it is ok to not bother with punctuation and capitalization if they are on their phone. However, if they are the OP, and asking for help, in a written medium, they should have the courtesy of taking the time to express themselves in a way that is easily understandable.

I personally don't find it hard to understand what someone means when they say "loose". I also know what they mean when they say "im". I believe it's perfectly okay to make these kinds of mistakes from time to time. My most common mistake is skipping words because my brain is faster than my fingers. I don't proofread before posting because I feel more connected when I just say what's on my mind and hit send (which is also why many of my posts are edited later). There should be no gatekeeping or stressful demands when it comes to asking for help or seeking human connection.

kosseychick

My husband has a learning disability. I've learned to ignore mistakes in spelling. He spells it like he says the word.. No big deal

AnnPT77

kshama2001 wrote: »

https://paintingthegreyarea.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/literacy-privilege/

I'm with commenter Greg Shmuel Selz

"...I need to also draw from jail to make clear why I disagree with your assertion that alternate grammatical systems are valid in English. Without a doubt there is a level of effective communication amongst those from a common dialectic culture, however, language is supposed to be a unifying quality of a culture and society, and when concepts about this unifying force differ, its unifying abilities are marginalized if not destroyed. I would like to live in a utopian world where people can possess and utilize whatever brand of language they embrace, but the fact of the matter is that any divergence in use of language within a society can only cause chaos.

...In summation, you are absolutely right without any shadow of a doubt that literacy amongst adults is no laughing matter."

Using "loose" for "lose", or vice versa, doesn't exactly cause chaos.

For my taste, too much abstraction, overdramatized, in this context.

A common language is important, but nitpicking details isn't mostly about that. Frankly, unfamiliar slang, ambiguous abbreviations, inappropriately used terminology**, and unfamiliar cultural references*** generate more misunderstandings and miscommunications around here than "loose" vs. "lose", IMO.

** I'm thinking of terms with both technical definitions plus popular usage that differs, for example: Binge, overtraining, HIIT, etc.

*** Such as tag lines from TV shows, or references to song lyrics, that aren't broadly familiar across ages and nations.

That said, I think OPs seeking advice who can't be bothered typing whole words or using punctuation, when they ask for advice involving nuance, are sorta shooting themselves in the foot. If they're not clear/coherent, I'm betting lots of people won't bother answering. Their loss.

kshama2001

amusedmonkey wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

Often people who are ESL, or, less commonly, dyslexic, will disclaim that in their OP. I do have a great deal of tolerance for them. However, their mistakes are different from someone who is typing quickly on their phone and simply not bothering with proper grammar and punctuation.

When a poster is asked if they are writing on from their phone, I will see replies like "haha yes im on my phone" - they believe it is ok to not bother with punctuation and capitalization if they are on their phone. However, if they are the OP, and asking for help, in a written medium, they should have the courtesy of taking the time to express themselves in a way that is easily understandable.

I personally don't find it hard to understand what someone means when they say "loose". I also know what they mean when they say "im". I believe it's perfectly okay to make these kinds of mistakes from time to time. My most common mistake is skipping words because my brain is faster than my fingers. I don't proofread before posting because I feel more connected when I just say what's on my mind and hit send (which is also why many of my posts are edited later). There should be no gatekeeping or stressful demands when it comes to asking for help or seeking human connection.

It wasn't the "haha yes im on my phone" that was incomprehensible - it was the request for help, which prompted the question, which elicited the response. I stand by my statement that if someone wants help, they should make the effort to be easily understandable. Why should the helpers put in more effort than the helpee?

It's the attitude "I'm on my phone so I can't be bothered" that bothers me, not people who genuinely have difficulty. For instance, my brother is learning disabled. His mistakes don't look sloppy - they look weird.

kshama2001

AnnPT77 wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

https://paintingthegreyarea.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/literacy-privilege/

I'm with commenter Greg Shmuel Selz

"...I need to also draw from jail to make clear why I disagree with your assertion that alternate grammatical systems are valid in English. Without a doubt there is a level of effective communication amongst those from a common dialectic culture, however, language is supposed to be a unifying quality of a culture and society, and when concepts about this unifying force differ, its unifying abilities are marginalized if not destroyed. I would like to live in a utopian world where people can possess and utilize whatever brand of language they embrace, but the fact of the matter is that any divergence in use of language within a society can only cause chaos.

...In summation, you are absolutely right without any shadow of a doubt that literacy amongst adults is no laughing matter."

Using "loose" for "lose", or vice versa, doesn't exactly cause chaos.

For my taste, too much abstraction, overdramatized, in this context.

A common language is important, but nitpicking details isn't mostly about that. Frankly, unfamiliar slang, ambiguous abbreviations, inappropriately used terminology**, and unfamiliar cultural references*** generate more misunderstandings and miscommunications around here than "loose" vs. "lose", IMO.

** I'm thinking of terms with both technical definitions plus popular usage that differs, for example: Binge, overtraining, HIIT, etc.

*** Such as tag lines from TV shows, or references to song lyrics, that aren't broadly familiar across ages and nations.

That said, I think OPs seeking advice who can't be bothered typing whole words or using punctuation, when they ask for advice involving nuance, are sorta shooting themselves in the foot. If they're not clear/coherent, I'm betting lots of people won't bother answering. Their loss.

Yes, I agree with you that "loose" for "lose" doesn't cause chaos - the chaos reference was targeted towards the link, not the opening post.

A pet peeve of mine is when an English-first-language coworker uses abbreviations when typing to our contractors who are ESL. I know what "wut" and "pls" means, but they may not. It would be clearer and more professional to use the proper common language. But I imagine the thought process is that is it ok to use abbreviations when IMing, which is not true in all situations, in my opinion.

psuLemon

Dear Posters,

I wanted to offer a brief explanation for the locking of this thread.
The forum guidelines include this item:

1. Play Nice
I WILL:
• I will be respectful and understand that everyone is different. Some members are new to this, so be kind to the newbies.
• I will remember the human on the other side of the screen.
• I will share my opinions while respecting others' thoughts and feelings as well.
• I will be ready to hear and accept other opinions that I might not always agree with.
• I will ignore users.

I WON’T:
• I won’t be a jerk.
• I will not attack, mock, or otherwise insult others. I can respectfully disagree with the message or topic, but I cannot attack the messenger. This includes attacks against the member’s spelling or command of written English, belittling a member for posting a duplicate discussion, or attacking a member for posting in an older discussion. (ie. It’s lose not loose, strong first post, didn’t you already post this today, etc.) Not every member has the same level of education, so I’ll refrain from criticizing a member for not framing their content in a manner befitting a university-level science paper.
• I won’t pick apart how something is said; I will focus on the meaning/message.

If you would like to review the forum guidelines, please visit the following link:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines

At our discretion, this locked thread may be deleted entirely in the near future.

With respect,

psuLemon