Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!
I am the first to admit that I am an awful typist. Anyone who spends any time in chat with me will heartily vouchsafe for that! However, I and some other posters have become increasingly distressed by the multitude of spelling, grammar and punctuation errors in recent posts. Okay, punctuation is not such a biggie--but spelling and grammar? Come on people! Proofread! Consult a dictionary! There is no excuse when non-native speakers post more coherently than our homegrown posters! Take some pride in what you write, Dammit! There are a lot of great minds out there, but the points you make can be lost when the reader is having trouble making sense of what you write. PROOFREAD!

Thanks Tracers. That needed to be said... CP

why tasckers, whateever are you talcin abuot?

LOL! But you aren't trying hard enough, Johnny. I can still figure out what you mean!

Uh oh! ...rushing to re-read posts...

Hey everyone, never be ashamed to hit that edit button and fix your posts! That's why the button is there!

I agri !

Peeple taynd too bee relukant too uze da aydit buton, fo feah off de 'lasst aydited bah so-an-so at sutch-an-sutch tayime' sain mayking daim luke fallyiable. Mah advayce - dun worri boud id. Ower croud aynt gunna judg yu laike dat, konsidwering ainyone kin maike a miztake.

讲了话象日本的一位真实的居民. Cue The Mikado!

Thanks, Tracers, for saying what should be obvious, but is not. And as long as we are on the subject: Folks, punctuation is your friend. Capitalize the first letter in a sentence. Put a period / question mark / exclaimation point at the end of a sentence. Apply commas appropriately. Use "..." sparingly and only for emphasis, not as a transition between sentences. The most brilliant idea will never be acknowledged if you write it like an idiot.

Good one NIN! Thanks, Tracers, for saying what should be obvious, but is not. And as long as we are on the subject: Folks, punctuation is your friend. Capitalize the first letter in a sentence. Put a period / question mark / exclaimation point at the end of a sentence. Apply commas appropriately. Use "..." sparingly and only for emphasis, not as a transition between sentences. The most brilliant idea will never be acknowledged if you write it like an idiot. So true, Dr. Doogie--Using the basics of punctuation is VERY important to getting points across too! Nacht, VERY IMPRESSIVE! LOL And the point buried in there is spot-on: don't be afraid to edit a post if need be.

Tracers, Thank you, thank you! But what about that thing we discussed -- you know, where everyone would have to read "The Scarlet Letter" and turn in a three page report...