New Topic: Same Rant, Different Day

[Candid Carrie]

Spelling and grammar errors in blogs and comments. 

I get so frustrated when bloggers are careless.  This is going to sound cruel and harsh and snobby, however ...

Re-read what you wrote before you hit the post button.  There is a tremendous amount of conversation on this forum about generating traffic and sharing of information and moral support through difficult time and this is an awesome place to hang out, but I need to get this off my chest.  I don't want to offend anyone, but ...

Again, re-read what you wrote before you hit the post button.  If you historically have errors with grammar, have a dear friend read before you post. 

I am very forgiving and if someone uses the word lushes instead of lucious I understand and there is no call to be perfect in everyway.  But, with so much whoop-dee-doo about getting traffic to your site ... once the people actually get there you will want to treat them nicely and that means spelling and grammar. 

Sometimes things call for a couple of exclamation points, but not always!!!!!  In just my opinion, that is so second grade!  I don't care how exciting a contest is, if the reading style is difficult for me I can't bring myself to read the entire post.  I will apologize for that, I have blog attention deficit disorder or something. 

Paragraphs.  Even if you aren't sure where to stop and start a paragraph, use them.  Sometimes I have to look away from a post to take a sip of coffee or deal with my life and I can't find where I was if the entire post is one giant paragraph.  This could just be a problem I have because I am very old, I don't know for sure. 

Go back and read your old posts.   Yup, read 'em and fix 'em.  Learn from 'em.  I go back and read my own posts a couple of times a day and I usually find something to change. 

Now, I am not pointing fingers just trying constructive criticism.  I love my peeps from this forum and I love being amongst the well-seasoned bloggers and the newbies.  Everyone is equal here, learning and sharing. 

We've got food people, green people, parent people, marketing/retail people all living in the same pink place together and the one thing we strive for is to get more traffic.  Yippee for us, but once we've got our new friends over to our blogs one sure way to keep them there is with easy to read posts ... no matter what the topic. 

[Happy Momma]

You certainly are candid, aren't ya Carrie?

Seriously though, it drives me crazy too.  Great advice.

[Candid Carrie]

You certainly are candid, aren't ya Carrie?

Yeah, and you can bet this advice is going to come back and bite me in the ass, too. 

[Linda]

no, Candid Carrie, you are correct...i am the queen of not capitalizing my i's and ...putting in too many ...'s in my posts.  i drive myself crazy...

It's very irritating.  Please forgive me...i will try harder...

[Candid Carrie]

Please forgive me...i will try harder...

I invented "..." when I was in high school!!!

I just had to get something off my chest.  We spend a lot of time trying to generate traffic and just about the only thing we can control is our spelling and grammar.  If a blog isn't a smooth read, will they stay once they get there?  I don't know. 

Be yourselves in the forums, use abbreviations and don't capitalize ... that's no big deal.  But if a person is blogging for business, 'nuf said.  Sorry, I am starting in again.

[Jane @ Kidzarama]

I have blog attention deficit disorder or something. 

Yep Carrie, you're B.A.D.D. 

Go back and read your old posts.   Yup, read 'em and fix 'em.  Learn from 'em.  I go back and read my own posts a couple of times a day and I usually find something to change. 

I've been trying not to change my old posts too much because it's just tooo easy to find places where I could do sooo much better. 

Now you tell me it's okay?  Whew!

Now I'm seriously wondering about whether my writing style annoys the crap out of people...  But don't tell me, save it for when I have my makeover completed and I'll be asking / begging for a review.

[give-and-receive]

Oh...this is a great post.

I'm probably one of the worst offender's here. I don't know my grammar rules and really need to learn the "how to's"...I also have a casual style of writing. I tend to write just like I talk. That's not always a good thing!

I will take the constructive advice any time!
Shaz

[Candid Carrie]

I don't know my grammar rules and really need to learn the "how to's"...I also have a casual style of writing. I tend to write just like I talk. Shaz

Casual writing is great.  Write like you talk, it is fun to read ... almost like an intimate conversation among girlfriends, that's fantastic.  Even mix up to, too, and two!  Be human and personable, just don't get careless or take your audience for granted. 

I guess that would be the point I would try to make would be stay true to yourself and your style of speech and your own style of writing.  Not all sentances have to have predicate noun combinations ... it is the sloppy crap out there that bugs me and then the bitching and whining about having a low tally on repeat readers. 

Networking is great, being a featured blog is great/grate (haha) but once you've got the traffic coming to your blog it is YOUR responsibility to keep them there, not someone else's to keep them returning to YOU.  I love the idea of blog rolls and sharing and networking but at some point, it needs to be YOU as a BLOGGER that keeps them coming back. 

[Jane @ Kidzarama]

I fink your tottalie rite Cardie 

[zimkandace]

Carrie,

You make an excellent point.  For me, even if I see an error in a post hours after it has been posted I still change it.  Heck, I go back in sneak in huge edits on some posts.  I think the reason we all blog is to have others read or to generate traffic and sometimes it's easy to lose sight of what is in our control.  Thanks again for the reminder.

[jamajofe]

Boy, I just found a HUGH mistake on my blog, I am soooo embarrassed by it. I sure hope Carrie did not see it. I will never be forgiven. I happened to spell suit as suite, sometimes the fingers are faster then the brain, and it takes a few days for the brain to catch up. Sorry for looking so stupid. I hope all who have read the blog will forgive me. Thanks

[Candid Carrie]

I am soooo embarrassed by it. I sure hope Carrie did not see it. I will never be forgiven.

Alright, is this sarcams or not because I seriously can't tell.  I just went in and corrected three errors in my last two posts.  Even I might not read me. 

[jamajofe]

Carrie no it was not sarcams, I am sorry if it came out wrong, but I had read you rant and then noticed my one blog, and was horrified at my mistakes.

I also did see your errors today, and did not feel so bad, but was not going to say anything.

Again sorry if you misunderstood.

[Candid Carrie]

I also did see your errors today, and did not feel so bad, but was not going to say anything. 

If you saw errors in my blog, it just goes to show how human I am, and stop apologizing.  I wasn't sure if it was sarcasm, so I asked. 

AND IF YOU SEE ANY ERRORS IT IS ALRIGHT TO SEND ME AN EMAIL AND LET ME KNOW!  YES I MEAN TO BE USING ALL CAPS AND YELLING! 

I do read and re-read and then I have a few eagle eye friends that let me know if there is something I should fix (zimkandace is the best set of eyes an old woman could have).

[jamajofe]

So we are good here.

My daughter is the one who catches my errors, thank god for her.

AND YES I WILL SEND YOU AN EMAIL IF I SEE AN ERROR ON YOUR BLOG!

Have a good one, I am going over to read your blog for the day, which I do everyday.