The New Official Spam Thread!

[fatedicewolf]

Lol we know that now. I personally like all four of you - Jenna, Raven, Joy, and Paden. Getting to know all of you has been a blast! None of you are troll-overlords like some may have thought but not me *whistles nervously*

Just kidding, guys. Y'all are incredibly nice!

[Theraven]

Aww, thanks, fatedicewolf 

Of all the big forums I like Insim best. Mostly nice people (If you look away from the annoying necromancers, extreme brats and spammers), nice admin and (other) mods, and people can take a joke with going through the roof in fury.

And you can stop reading here if you don't feel like reading a(nother) little rant about ESL, English, bratty posters (and the like)...

I also like that Insim takes ESL more seriously than several other places (I think EFL might be a better description - English as a foreign language). I've been to many forums where you're almost excluded if you can't write or understand the language (spanish and chinese, for instance). On those I just grab whatever CC I came there for, and forget about the site. They're a pain in the you-know-where to navigate, because no one bothers with a quick and simple explanation in English - and I've got more than enough troubles with translators not being able to translate Chinese or Korean into something I can decipher... Even on some sites in English most of the members write so poorly it's almost impossible to understand anything. There's a reason we're learning English as a foreign/second language. It's so we're supposed to be able to communicate. If everyone decides to give a c*ap about grammar and spelling - then what's the point of English lessons?

The past few years I've had a goal to become better in English, so I'm writing my stories and reading books almost exclusively in English, learning new words and a lot of grammar as I go, even getting better verbally. But even with only school English, I was able to make myself understood. Despite nearly everything being in English now, and despite the fact that it's one of the most widespread languages around the world, it's a shame people are almost dependent on (bad) translators and still have more grammar mistakes than a kid just started English lessons. That even goes for some English speaking people. Laziness is a big part of it, I guess. Capital letters, understandable grammar, and looking through the text just once before you hit thte post button seems to be extemely hard for certain people. I'm not at all flawless, and often do several typos or grammatical mistakes - but if I don't notice it after reading through a post once or twice, then it's most likely not much visible anyway. Mostly it's simple ignorance, easy mistakes, usually from not having learned a particular grammar "rule" for a certain word. Like lose-loose. I went through all the LFB chapters when someone pointed it out. I like to have things in order (even if my room and my desktop tells a whole other story).

I just wish more people could be considerate, and realize that other people are supposed to read what they scribble down. Lack of punctuation and capital letters isn't only bothersome for a dyslectic. I'm a quick reader, maybe too quick sometimes. Some posts are so badly written they make me have to slow down so much I have to read the text word for word, even letter for letter sometimes - if it's even possible to decipher it at all. By ignoring grammar, they're only making it harder for themselves. If people can't understand what is written, then it'll take a round or two of of “twenty questions” to figure out what the question really is. By that time several days might have passed, instead of maybe getting the answer less than an hour after posting the question.

People who thinks grammar is unimportant are ignorant, stupid brats. Just look at the quote below. A comma placed correctly could save a man's life...

I have often heard the warning that 'a comma can kill man' substantiated by a tale that a judge wanted to set a man free and pronounced 'hang him not, let him leave" which was wrongly written down as 'hang him, not let him leave", leading to the man's execution.

The next time I see anyone here who thinks they're above the rules, I might place the comma where they hoped it would not end up... “Ban it not leave it be”


My little not-so-secret trick on how to get along nicely with people on a forum is to get a feeling of the forum before I start posting. Lurking around a bit, reading up on rules and such, and see how the general "population" behaves and talks. And of course using some common sense and basic logic. Then I de-lurk safe and slowly, and write with OK grammar and try to avoud typos so that people can understand me. Less getting in troubles then

Me think my head is a bit random today... Might have something to do with the fact that it's 3.30 am... 

[caffeinated.joy]

Thank you, fatedicewolf!

Theraven, I've said this to you before and it bears saying again; if you had never told me English wasn't your first language, I would never have known. You have far better written English than many who have grown up speaking and writing the language.

To be honest, I commend anyone who takes on the task of tackling the English language, considering how confusing it can be for even those of us who have it as a first language. We've taken almost every language in the world, picked and chosen what we want from them and mashed them together to make English. When you add to it the words spelled the same, yet pronounced differently and have different meanings (tear, pronounced tare, meaning to divide or rip with violence - and tear, pronounced teer, referring the liquid coming from your eyes when you cry) or, even better, words spelled differently, pronounced the same but with different meanings (pare, as in to peel something, pear, the fruit and pair, two of anything), I know it can get confusing.

My favorite words people (even English speakers) mix up is bare and bear. You bare your soul, or you can be bare naked. You bear a heavy weight. Yet, quite often, people will mistakenly write, "bare with me". I always have to resist the urge to respond (cheekily), "Sorry, I don't know you well enough to do that."

[Nonni]

I am glad I asked about zombies and started this little discussion. I think we should do a group hug. *ducks and runs*

[soulofthesea]

Totally agreed, raven. Another thing you could add to the list is when people use leet speak on a forum with ESL. I mean, it's hard enough for a non-English speaker to understand the language itself, but w43n u TyP3 l1K3 tHi5, it makes it even more difficult for the non-English speaker to understand the language. Hell, English is my native language, and even I have a hard time understanding what people mean when they use leet speak on a forum! You can use leet speak when you text, only if your friends understand what you're saying, but a lot of us don't. Personally, when someone types or texts like that, in "an effort to be cute and/or sexy", I don't find it cute or sexy at all. When I see something like that, all I see is an ignorant person with poor grammar skills trying to make a difficult language even more difficult. It's like my friend Keith always says, "Good grammar is sexy, and makes you look like you have some thought behind your words."

[Zooey]

Lol we know that now. I personally like all four of you - Jenna, Raven, Joy, and Paden. Getting to know all of you has been a blast! None of you are troll-overlords like some may have thought but not me *whistles nervously*

Just kidding, guys. Y'all are incredibly nice!

Totally agree. Best site staff I've ever met 

[Glamily]

Wait wait.. What's leet speak? I never understood that.

Totally agree. Best site staff I've ever met 

Thirded! You all are very lovely. And not just the staff too. Everybody is.

[fatedicewolf]

*ropes Nonni back in* Oh, no, you suggested it so you will do it lol

Raven, I totally agree with Joy! Had you not said English wasn't your first language, I totally wouldn't have known. Seriously, you're terrific at it! Your diction and rhetoric exceeds so many

My favorite words people (even English speakers) mix up is bare and bear. You bare your soul, or you can be bare naked. You bear a heavy weight. Yet, quite often, people will mistakenly write, "bare with me". I always have to resist the urge to respond (cheekily), "Sorry, I don't know you well enough to do that."

Okay, totally guilty of that one lol.

[soulofthesea]

Wait wait.. What's leet speak? I never understood that.

You that phrase in my previous post that I put in italics, bold letters, and underlined? That's an example of leet speak. Or, as they prefer to type it, l33t sp3@k.

OK, admins, I'll stop with it now.

[fatedicewolf]

Lol I never knew what leet speak was before now. Weird lol

[Paden]

It's funny to be called "good staff" and "nice", when the majority of flouncers call me everything but dead. You'd not believe some of the PMs I get, calling me every name in the book and speculating on everything from my sex life to whether or not I get beaten on a daily basis to calling me a racist bi***.

I like it when people are able to communicate freely and easily, which is why I can be such a stickler for proper posting habits. If you make someone call in code breakers from World War II in order to decipher what you have written, then there is something wrong with what you're doing and ya gotta knock it off before someone decides to bounce you around like a basketball...

Seriously, though, a forum like this happens to be where people get together to exchange information, ask questions and air new ideas. If someone posts in a manner that makes understanding what is being communicated too difficult to do, then they need to be brutally beaten with an Asian carp until the lesson sinks through their heads.

Some folks find it easier (for them!!) to use text speak or leet, not realizing that their laziness is causing other people headaches and aggravations. My take on it? If you can't be asked to post your ideas in clear and concise manner, don't post at all. And don't get all snippy and snarky if the staff call you on it. Because we will.

[Zooey]

OK, I know what leet speak is, but what is text speak?

[fatedicewolf]

OK, I know what leet speak is, but what is text speak?

I think "text speak" is stuff like 'lol' or 'btw' for 'by the way.'

It's funny to be called "good staff" and "nice", when the majority of flouncers call me everything but dead. You'd not believe some of the PMs I get, calling me every name in the book and speculating on everything from my sex life to whether or not I get beaten on a daily basis to calling me a racist bi***.

Are you serious??? That's so mean and petty!!! 

Poor Paden Don't worry, I don't think that about you

[Nonni]

Yeah, I have seen your soft under-belly, Paden, but you had me quaking in my boots for a long time. I am not being derogatory, I think anyone who has paid any attention knows that the staff here is caring and wants to promote a site beneficial to the majority.

OK, fatedicewolf, here it is: 

[fatedicewolf]

Lol, Nonni

I agree with Nonni. At first glance, you guys may appear scary but after a little socializing with y'all, anyone can see how nice and helpful the staff is.