Talk about your missing periods!

October 9, 2007 7:18 PM

I'm sorry, I can't let this post pass without comment

This kind of composition is not clever. It's not kewl. It's not original. It wastes the time of both the reader and the writer. And apparently, it's a recent affectation. It looks silly.

There, someone had to tell her.

posted by Neiltupper to etiquette/policy at 7:18 PM (96 comments total)

And irony of ironies, I missed my period too.
posted by Neiltupper at 7:19 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Sorry, what? You're complaining because she's using a lowercase "i"?

Can we have this thread deleted?
posted by five fresh fish at 7:21 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'm sorry, what?
posted by rhapsodie at 7:22 PM on October 9, 2007

I third the "what?"
posted by brundlefly at 7:22 PM on October 9, 2007

And....closed.
posted by Deathalicious at 7:22 PM on October 9, 2007

I'm not sure what you mean -- the poster of the thread appears to be semi-literate, or at least unconcerned about appearing so. I don't think it's an affectation, though.

Sure, the rise of posting and commenting with no regard for writing conventions does seem to be on the rise, but it's a losing proposition to complain about it, I think. And there are guaranteed to be tons of people who will cane you thoroughly for having to temerity to do so.

*runs away*
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:24 PM on October 9, 2007

Heh. It started even before I hit post!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:24 PM on October 9, 2007

This two people sharing account. Is that ban worthy or something?
posted by bigmusic at 7:25 PM on October 9, 2007

Not just lowercase i but very little punctuation, including no full stops. It all reads like one long breathless, ill-thought out screed. Very hard to understand. Plus, not only did the account previously to post with better grammar but appeared to be male. Probably not call-out worthy but all very odd and kind of irritating. The poster has been to see a doctor already, she (he?) isn't going to get any better advice here.
posted by shelleycat at 7:25 PM on October 9, 2007

I sure hope not.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:25 PM on October 9, 2007 [2 favorites]

Also, the rise of the rise seems to be on the rise, risibly. Arise, ye prescriptivists!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:26 PM on October 9, 2007

... previously to post with ...

Whereas my proof reading has always been crap *sigh*.
posted by shelleycat at 7:26 PM on October 9, 2007

Is that ban worthy or something

itz better not be!!!!11
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:26 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

It's already been proposed that the asker of this questions may not be the asker of unvivid's other questions.
posted by rhapsodie at 7:27 PM on October 9, 2007

Yeah, there's obviously different people using the account.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 7:29 PM on October 9, 2007

i dontunderstand the recent affectation link please help thankyou
posted by YamwotIam at 7:29 PM on October 9, 2007

It's not a positive affectation; most people are simple unable or unwilling to make the effort write 'proper' on the internet.
posted by chrismear at 7:29 PM on October 9, 2007

I get it now. Never mind.
posted by YamwotIam at 7:30 PM on October 9, 2007

i can has babby? Oh, god, I'm so sorry.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:30 PM on October 9, 2007 [15 favorites]

Is two people posting from one account a big deal? I've seen it done often enough with a note, which I think is fine, but what about a spouse or someone using the account without mentioning anything?

(no, really, I'm interested in what the rules or community norm is for this stuff)

And on further looking the previous posting never explicitly mentions gender so I'm making a pretty big assumption with the 'guy' part.
posted by shelleycat at 7:35 PM on October 9, 2007

....
posted by loquacious at 7:36 PM on October 9, 2007

God, I've really got to start reading threads before posting in them.
posted by chrismear at 7:38 PM on October 9, 2007

Know a lot of girls named Nate, shelleycat? First thing I noticed. Although it could be a stupid fake name of course. The posting style is completely different between questions though so it's probably two different people.
posted by puke & cry at 7:43 PM on October 9, 2007

You cheapen the coin of "I'm sorry", sirrah.
posted by boo_radley at 7:52 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Kids these days, with their hair and their clothes. Unvivid only really wants to know if she's pregnant because getting knocked up is cool.
posted by klangklangston at 7:55 PM on October 9, 2007

Isn't it possible the asker is using an input device that makes punctuation and the shift key difficult to use-- for example a mobile phone?
posted by justkevin at 7:59 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

wow, you really called her out, thats awesome , Lol
posted by dhammond at 7:59 PM on October 9, 2007

Two accounts? Meh. But it's an extremely stupid question, written stupidly. I would revel in it's absudity were it on the blue or grey, but AskMe seems to have a different standard.
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 8:00 PM on October 9, 2007

For someone hung up on presentation, your MetaTalk post sucks, I'm sorry to tell you. How about some fucking substance in the main part of the post so we can tell what the fuck you're making a callout about? You're never going to save the world by prioritizing punctuation over content. And frankly, though I am an english major and a former editor, I read the entire post without noticing a damn thing. I guess it's about context. Is Chicago Manual English really required to post a damn AxMe?
posted by scarabic at 8:10 PM on October 9, 2007 [3 favorites]

They need to do way instain mother> who kill thier babbys. becuse these babby cant frigth back?
it was on the news this mroing a mother in ar who had kill her three kids . they are taking the three babby back to new york too lady to rest my pary are with the father who lost his chrilden ; i am truley sorry for your lots
posted by ALongDecember at 8:11 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Though your comic timing in selecting THIS post to make this point is pretty brilliant.
posted by scarabic at 8:11 PM on October 9, 2007

So that's how girl get pragnent!
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 8:19 PM on October 9, 2007 [15 favorites]

This is some cold-blooded shit, Neiltupper.
posted by kosem at 8:20 PM on October 9, 2007

I mean, your MetaTalk is full of non-people.
posted by kosem at 8:21 PM on October 9, 2007

Hey, we all had fun with the AskMe question that got answered by the same account (wife asked the question from home, husband answered from work, if I recall). I don't think anyone seriously called for bannination in that case. But here it is not as cute or funny, and the MeFi Junior Detective Squad gets all excited. I think it is very bad form to question the bona fides of a question or its asker in the answers to the question. Flag it, email the mods, or take it to MeTa (if you must), but don't derail the green with your little Mystery Machine shenanigans.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:22 PM on October 9, 2007

I don't much care how shoddy one's grammar is in an AskMe question, so long as it is understandable. I mean, to a much greater degree than most of the other subsets of this site, questions are posted for the individual user's benefit, not for the enjoyment of the whole community.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 8:24 PM on October 9, 2007

i agree the writing in that post is abysmal its to bad that everbody in here isn't piling on
posted by solipsophistocracy at 8:25 PM on October 9, 2007

Though your comic timing in selecting THIS post to make this point is pretty brilliant.
Previously, from Neiltupper.
posted by blenderfish at 8:26 PM on October 9, 2007

Also, I am using a LOT of self-restraint right now. I can only assume Neiltupper has some kind of Asperger's or other social disorder. Good luck with that.
posted by blenderfish at 8:29 PM on October 9, 2007

Is this callout about the missing periods in a question about pregnancy?
posted by emelenjr at 8:34 PM on October 9, 2007 [9 favorites]

I take it that you're q's suck puppet?
posted by stirfry at 8:34 PM on October 9, 2007

price check on portobellum mushrooms
posted by psmith at 8:38 PM on October 9, 2007

If I used my faves in the egoboosting way, I would give you a tick emelenjr.

I agree with scarabic. That question's not so bad. If you mentally add fullstops and caps it reads fine. I also agree with stavros, this is not a style defect that calling out here will ever solve. Mock and hound occasionally ok, in-thread (except not the green); but starting a Meta over your momentary peeve is at best a vacuous gesture.
posted by peacay at 8:41 PM on October 9, 2007

It all reads like one long breathless, ill-thought out screed. Very hard to understand.

that's what you get for reading great literature in class when you should have been listening to the sex-ed teacher explain how babies are made
posted by pyramid termite at 8:53 PM on October 9, 2007

I thought the first comment in this (offending?) post - by Streetdeams - was calm and sort of HAL 9000 ish. That is how I read it anyway.
posted by Sk4n at 8:57 PM on October 9, 2007

Calm and Hal 9000-ish in a good way, of course.
posted by Sk4n at 8:58 PM on October 9, 2007

Is that second caveman Abraham Lincoln?
posted by Brittanie at 9:01 PM on October 9, 2007

the gray gets more and more lame every day
posted by caddis at 9:03 PM on October 9, 2007

Sometimes I'm really surprised that Matt hasn't gotten mad enough to replace the whole site with a picture of some hard disks being crushed under a truck tire and a message that says "metafilter's gone - for links go to kottke or something."
posted by milkrate at 9:13 PM on October 9, 2007 [3 favorites]

Holy moses that's funny. This callout sucks. But this is the grey. Just call yourself out plsthx.
posted by ninjew at 9:14 PM on October 9, 2007

Also, did anybody get their cookie (or other snack) from Kashi yet? I threw away some very nice beef jerky and have gotten squat for my efforts.
posted by boo_radley at 9:15 PM on October 9, 2007

milkrate: "Sometimes I'm really surprised that Matt hasn't gotten mad enough to replace the whole site with a picture of some hard disks being crushed under a truck tire and a message that says "metafilter's gone - for links go to kottke or something.""

Thanks for the reminder. I always forget to check his site. But he doesn't really update very often so it's not hard to catch up on a monthly basis.
posted by who squared at 9:18 PM on October 9, 2007

. . . though I am an english major and a former editor. . .

Well I for one am very impressed, scarabic. An editor. Wow! I guess your dangling modifier in your first sentence is also an affectation then.
posted by Neiltupper at 9:29 PM on October 9, 2007

*dusts off the big red kottke-alarm button*

Man, we haven't needed that thing in a long time.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:31 PM on October 9, 2007

I was the one who suggested the poster was a different person from the person who usually uses that handle. It's relevant only because I wouldn't hold the male partner in a relationship to the high standards of menstrual cycle tracking that I expect females to meet.
posted by padraigin at 9:34 PM on October 9, 2007

Serial "learn to write" Metatalk posts is probably pushing it, Neiltupper.

As for the account sharing question: yeah, the SO using the main user's account seems like the likeliest explanation. Done occasionally, it's probably not a big deal—couples seem to comment on one another's accounts in AskMe now and then—though transparency about it is a pretty good idea. Someone feeling a little freaked out about pregnancy concerns might not be thinking it through that carefully, though.
posted by cortex at 9:37 PM on October 9, 2007

I can only assume Neiltupper has some kind of Asperger's or other social disorder

You call that self restraint, blenderfish? Why would you demean yourself with such a crass comment?
posted by Neiltupper at 9:40 PM on October 9, 2007

You call that self restraint, blenderfish? Why would you demean yourself with such a crass comment?

I genuinely think that someone whose reaction to a post from someone wondering/worried that they are pregnant is to be upset that they failed to use proper capitalization then call them out about it in a public forum is either conscientiously being a dick, or has a social disorder. I gave you the benefit of the doubt.

Neiltupper: Well I for one am very impressed, scarabic. An editor. Wow! I guess your dangling modifier in your first sentence is also an affectation then.

You forgot the comma after "Well." (It is an introductory word.)
Where does it all end?
posted by blenderfish at 9:51 PM on October 9, 2007 [3 favorites]

The periods that concerned me most were frankly not the ones missing from the poster's menstrual cycle, but from her post.

I am slightly more tolerant of the wash-rinse-repeat nature of "zOMG I are pregnant?" questions, because it is the nature of teenagers and the recently teenaged to believe that nobody has ever had their exact experiences before. However, given that MeFi is not a crisis pregnancy line, I don't think that enough spelling and punctuation to make the question literate is too much to ask.

Failing that, the date of her last menstrual period would have gone a long way in helping to answer her question with any advice that could conceivably be, you know, helpful.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:01 PM on October 9, 2007

darn. well so much for that e.e. cummings post I was hoping to do...
posted by miss lynnster at 10:05 PM on October 9, 2007 [2 favorites]

Anyway, Neiltupper, that's just one man's opinion. *shrug* Maybe you hit some kind of weird nerve that I have. Don't let it get you down. I'm sure there are other people here who agree with you.
posted by blenderfish at 10:12 PM on October 9, 2007

Ahem
posted by puke & cry at 10:12 PM on October 9, 2007

I said, former editor, dipshit, which was meant to imply that though I no longer follow such things minutely, I have at least appreciated the joy of correct grammar at some point in the past and know what I'm missing in a post like this.

Are you so foolish as to nitpick my sentences and by implication purport that your posts in this thread are grammatically irreproachable? Have I already called you a dipshit? Oh. Well, it bears repeating.
posted by scarabic at 10:13 PM on October 9, 2007 [2 favorites]

It's not a positive affectation; most people are simple unable or unwilling to make the effort write 'proper' on the internet.

So Help Me God Today I Read A Post On A Forum That I Frequent In Which A Person Asked A Question That Was Much Longer Than This Comment That Was Completely Devoid Of Punctuation Or Paragraph Breaks But Had Every Single Word Of Every Single Sentence Capitalized And So Help Me He Wasnt Being Funny Or Ironic He Was Just Asking His Question And My First Thought Was Boy That Must Have Taken A Lot More Effort To Do Than Typing It Out Correctly And Writing This Comment Has Confirmed This Assumption

We used to do the vast majority of our interpersonal communication vocally, and so we're used to dealing with varying accents and clarity of speech and extents of vocabulary; yet now, here we are on the web and we expect everyone to to write as if they've been communicating primarily via the written word for their entire life.

How easy it is to forget that until the internet took off, written communication of any quantity or regularity was limited to those who were professional writers, were extensively educated, or had a personal interest and desire to write (and write well.) Now, there is a vast sea of internet users who, given the choice, would rather communicate vocally -- but like the people in LA who only drive because they have to, these people have no choice but to write as best they can, even if it's not very well.

I know it's hard to have patience, and it's impossible not to have their awkwardness color our view of these people, but remember this: there is also a subset of the internet's population that reads your words, and mine, and view us as functionally illiterate.
posted by davejay at 10:33 PM on October 9, 2007 [5 favorites]

to to? that's where I'm a ballerina!
posted by davejay at 10:33 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Also, did anybody get their cookie (or other snack) from Kashi yet? I threw away some very nice beef jerky and have gotten squat for my efforts.

Got mine today, as a matter o' fact!
posted by katillathehun at 10:35 PM on October 9, 2007

Yeah, semi-literate writing is annoying. Worth posting to meta about? Meh.

Is it wrong that my first thought when I read that question was that it was Pyramid Termite asking it?
posted by god hates math at 10:39 PM on October 9, 2007

You wake up one morning, and it occurs to you that things aren't right with your cycle. You follow the signs and symptoms, and you try to convince yourself otherwise, but you keep coming to the same conclusion. You're pregnant. So, you look everywhere for answers in hope of the contrary, but you're terrified, so no answer is solid enough or quick enough. You post to a forum of strangers and hope for good news and maybe a comforting word. In response, you get called out in front of everyone for not using periods (with a pun on your situation in the title for bonus points). How does that make you feel?

Yeah, you could have it let pass without comment.
posted by katillathehun at 10:53 PM on October 9, 2007 [8 favorites]

Are you so foolish as to nitpick my sentences and by implication purport that your posts in this thread are grammatically irreproachable

No scarabis, that was your inference. I'm just making the point that some one who trumpets his qualifications in this forum should be aware that their fundamental professional errors are fair game. And yes, you did call me a dipshit, but if that's all you've got, then perhaps it was a good idea for you to retire from the profession.
posted by Neiltupper at 10:53 PM on October 9, 2007

Well, someone's in for a shock the next time they peruse their recent activity.

*MeTa flagged as Lamer Than Its Catalyst*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:56 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

While we're on the subject, I would like to register my complain that Astro Zombie 3 not only has not bothered to learn basic English, but also has a tendency to go on a rampage in threads while calling out the word "NARF." I'd bring it up to him myself, but some idiot gave him a handgun and I'm not going anywhere near him into he gets bored with it and puts it down.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:02 PM on October 9, 2007

I've always wondered about the etymology of 'dipshit'.

I suppose I could Google it, but I'm just too damn lazy.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:06 PM on October 9, 2007

Yeah, ok, whatever. The joke stands, Mister smarty pants. 'Cuz the guy clearly and indisputably liked lowercase in general for Christ's sake.
posted by miss lynnster at 11:29 PM on October 9, 2007

God, what a stupid MeTa post.
posted by mediareport at 11:42 PM on October 9, 2007

stavrosthewonderchicken writes "the rise of posting and commenting with no regard for writing conventions does seem to be on the rise, but it's a losing proposition to complain about it, I think."

Well complaining won't work directly but it might encourage admins to just delete incomprehensible posts. However 'unconventional' this post it isn't a particularly bad example. It was much more clear what it was about than the single word mystery meat that so often appears on the front page.

davejay writes "My First Thought Was Boy That Must Have Taken A Lot More Effort To Do Than Typing It Out Correctly And Writing This Comment Has Confirmed This Assumption"

You need Leetkey. It allows you to do all sorts of things with a couple clicks. Like

• Capitalize Each Word In A Sentence
• .ecnetnes a ni srettel eht esreveR
• EBG13 fvzcyr punenpgre fhofgvghgvba rapelcgvba.
• (0nv3r510n 0f 4 w0rd-53n73n(3-wh473v3r 0f 73x7 70 '|337 5p34k fr0m wh1(h 17 d3r1v35 17'5 n4m3.
• Even -- --- .-. ... . -.-. --- -.. . ..-. --- .-. .-- .... . -. -.-- --- ..- .-- .- -. - - --- -... . .-. . .- .-.. .-.. -.-- --- -... ... -.-. ..- .-. . .-.-.-

All sorts of stuff, even encryption and hex and other 8->7 bit encoders.
posted by Mitheral at 11:45 PM on October 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

I thought it was much more interesting with the chatspeak, because it means it's probably someone who really doesn't want to be pregnant.
posted by smackfu at 5:41 AM on October 10, 2007

And yes, you did call me a dipshit, but if that's all you've got, then perhaps it was a good idea for you to retire from the profession.

Simple, orderly and sincere -- Strunk and White would definitely approve.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 6:08 AM on October 10, 2007

I've always wondered about the etymology of 'dipshit'.

It's like a dipstick, but for methane vehicles.
posted by cortex at 6:54 AM on October 10, 2007

This kind of composition is not clever. It's not kewl. It's not original. It wastes the time of both the reader and the writer ... It looks silly.

Shit, I can't believe that someone terrified of being pregnant also failed to be clever, kewl or original while also wasting our time and looking silly.

Neiltupper, when your kid comes running home crying with a skint knee, do you sit her down and say: "Now, dear, it's 'said', not 'like' and since you were 'not doing nothing' that means you were doing something, and therefore Jessica was entitled to pull your hair"?

Actually, I bet you do. Try hugging next time, Aspie.
posted by bonaldi at 8:06 AM on October 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

The Great Big Mulp - that link made my day week.
posted by desjardins at 8:18 AM on October 10, 2007

Is there a flameout brewing here?

/me getz p0pc0rn.
posted by GuyZero at 8:58 AM on October 10, 2007

Previously, from Neiltupper.

Wow. My impression of Neiltupper just got upgraded from "annoying" to "really, really annoying." Is there a way to keep him from making any further MeTa posts without actually banning him? Because he doesn't deserve bannination just for being annoying, but I really don't want to see any more of these pointless callouts. And this one was particularly classless, for the reason everyone has been pointing out.
posted by languagehat at 9:26 AM on October 10, 2007

has a tendency to go on a rampage in threads while calling out the word "NARF."

Astro Zombie 3: Gee, Astro Zombie, what are we going to do tonight?
Astro Zombie: The same thing we do every night, Astro Zombie 3: try to take over the blue!
Astro Zombie 3: NARF!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:10 AM on October 10, 2007

im in ur axeme, missin ur periods
posted by slogger at 10:16 AM on October 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

*MeTa flagged as Lamer Than Its Catalyst*

I would use this flag daily.
posted by Kwine at 10:33 AM on October 10, 2007

I got your missing period for you right here -> .
posted by psmealey at 11:58 AM on October 10, 2007

I take it that you're q's suck puppet?
posted by stirfry at 11:34 PM on October 9 [+] [!]

if i had one of those i'd never have to leave the house.
posted by quonsar at 12:10 PM on October 10, 2007

soonr.com - online web pregnancy tests for those who kant wait!
posted by blue_beetle at 3:28 PM on October 10, 2007

Thanks for the upgrade. languagehat. Good to see that I'm not the only one really, really annoyed by some types of posts.
posted by Neiltupper at 5:04 PM on October 10, 2007

You need Leetkey.

Based on your examples, nobody needs Leetkey.
posted by davejay at 6:31 PM on October 10, 2007

4nd y37 1 1n574||3d 17 4nyw4y.

1 4m 45h4m3d.
posted by davejay at 6:53 PM on October 10, 2007

It wastes the time of both the reader and the writer.

I don't think it wastes any time for the writer. Most people who type that way actually spend more time by hitting the Shift key and using punctuation.

It wastes some time for the reader. If there had been clear markers which showed the beginnings and ends of the 5 sentences in that post, I think I would have been able to get through it about 5 seconds faster.

How long did it take to make this callout? And respond to all the people in this thread? Unless you're some sort of guilt-ridden pregnancy-psychic who gave up on the post because it was too hard to read, I think that the optimal time-saving strategy is to skip the very, very, very very very very very small number of posts like this that show up and concentrate on the ones that have an acceptable amount of punctuation and capitalization.
posted by 23skidoo at 7:01 PM on October 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

4|50 45h4m3d
posted by dg at 8:42 PM on October 10, 2007

It's probably worth noting that one's probably going to get out of a question what one puts into it. I typically won't bother to read a message that is overly difficult to decipher.

I've learned they usually aren't worth the bother; if they can't care enough to use conventions that maximize communication, I certainly don't care enough to communicate with them.

I haven't checked, but I should think those who ask questions poorly are receiving poor answers.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:52 PM on October 10, 2007

Good to see that I'm not the only one really, really annoyed by some types of posts.
Shame that you haven't done anything about creating those types of post.
posted by bonaldi at 2:05 AM on October 11, 2007

iseenothingwrongwithalllowercasewritingontehinternetsitsbutitsthespacesdisappearingthatreallygetz2melol
posted by spitbull at 7:03 AM on October 12, 2007