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Grammar all gone to...
28/03/2008 10:18
Yeah, grammar has really gone all to hell in SA (globally too, probably) and a pet peeve of mine is the incorrect use of 'loose' instead of 'lose' and vice versa. Irritates me to death... - Alex |
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At least people ar giving their opinions......
28/03/2008 10:19
even if they are racial slurrs etc.......because it is high time people in SA started speaking out about how they feel instead of trying to be all politically correct about it. I myself have in the past found it harowing that no-one seems to want to comment on any political issue or any going on in this country..no, they all just shut up...either they did not care, or they were ignorant and when I spoke about it..they'd all just change the subject. Good thing this is changing...... - karen |
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Well Spoken Colleen, but..................................
28/03/2008 10:21
However, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and in a democratic nation as ours, where there is freedom of speech, people will express those feelings of hate, anger and racism. Its just sad that this is one of the few platforms people WILL use to express themselves. We can only hope for change but can not force it down anyone's throat. - Tafadzwa |
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Sharing the peak peek pique when reading...
28/03/2008 10:21
...comments on New24.
Sorry ... couldn't help myself! Your piece is spot-on. - Cynicus |
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Vision for the future
28/03/2008 10:30
Dear Colleen, re your comment about the puerile arguments, I too live in the hope that one day we will all get over ourselves and not take offence where absolutely none is intended. I dream of a time where we will learn to look beyond the surface and see that underneath it all, we are the same..the same hopes, dreams and aspirations and that finally we will know peace. Thanks for the article. - Gail |
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This outta do it?
28/03/2008 10:30
Colleen, I can like to read you columms. I can orlso like to reed dikshunrees. I think your peace about politics must not be menshioned. Someone will bring up race. - Nick |
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yip!
28/03/2008 10:34
I actually had long think about the same subject last night! Even though reading some stupid comments on the chatroom (that News24 has become) takes the wind out of my sails sometimes, i agree that they can't be cencored as, in the least, it exposes people to other views. My favourite spelling mistake? Incompitent, incompetant, incompatant LOL. - Leondj |
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Great column
28/03/2008 10:34
Thank you for a well-expressed, succinct article. I've been thinking the same thing - unhelpful, often racial or narrow-minded arguments in these comments pages often detracts from the original points news 24's excellent columnists were trying to make. And I agree with you about the Grammar Nazis. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are not optional extras - they are crucial to meaning-making and expression. - AB |
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Karen, Tafa ..
28/03/2008 10:39
I'd agree for the most part.Unfortunately we,as Saffers,seem to work in black/white terms(yes,that WAS deliberate).We appear to be unable/unwilling to debate & discuss.So much of the interaction rapidly declines to personal attacks.The right to freedom of speech is tempered by the obligation to tolerate other perspectives.We all forget this.I believe that a moderator may help (insertion of comments where things are getting ugly) - but I'd object to censorship. - Cynicus |
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Excellent again Colleen
28/03/2008 10:40
I agree with you in most part, but beleive that there is a reason why people offload their baggage in this manner. I think it is largely because people are scared to verbalise their feelings in public for fear of being chastised or labled. At least this provides us all with a view of how different people reason and what their value systems are. - mikehunt |
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ANONYMITY
28/03/2008 10:40
Well spoken, its always depressing going through most comments, majority of which are aimed at promoting pointless racial tension. Price we pay for freedom of speech.I guess the idea of anonymity gives people a platform to vent their frustrations without revealing their true identities. I wonder how people would behave if their real names were displayed with each post.
Compare news24, Times.. and MG websites and you'll see the vast difference. - Joe Perkins |
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Yes, but ....
28/03/2008 10:40
Yes, very true indeed. Great article....BUT (yes, there's always a But) pity about those two spelling booboos in the article (or perhaps typing mishits) - Grammar Nazi |
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A chip...
28/03/2008 10:41
There is also an overused expression on this site: "you've got a chip on your shoulder"I wonder whether they know what it means. - Godfrey |
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Thanks for venting
28/03/2008 10:41
Hey
Thanks for venting all that pent up anger in you, if you do it more, maybe you will not get so frustrated and actually learn not to take anything on news24 seriously, as most people don't know what they are saying - Dawid |
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Idea
28/03/2008 10:49
How about an analysis of who has been the worse dictators in Africa, like Amin, Mugabe, Mabutu etc I would gues they did a lot more damage than Smith or Botha.. ? - Joe |
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spelling & grammar
28/03/2008 10:56
According recent statistics, only 3-4% of South Africans are first language English speakers. That means that most people writing on this forum have learned English later in life under different circumstances. Writing in a ?foreign? language is more difficult than speaking. Speaking is less grammar bound. The evolution of ?SMS speak? is contributing to the watering down of language rules. First language English speakers, who do not speak any other language, are particularly arrogant on the issue of grammar and spelling mistakes. They do not understand the problems of translating ?thoughts? in one language to ?thoughts? in another language which can be understood by the reader as precisely the thought in the original language. Having said that, thanks heavens for spell checkers otherwise the spelling of this response would look totally different. English is not my first language. - Benzo |
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speeking of...
28/03/2008 11:01
Good column, Colleen, as usual. I'm an avid reader of columns and comments myself, it's the best way to keep abreast of what makes people tick, although it does frustrate the hell out of me that some can be as obtuse as they are (meaning not sharing my personal opinion of what's best for them). And yes, I too worry about the plight of the English grammar, I heard one person say what does it matter how you spell it as long as people know what you mean. Duh. - taurus |
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Grammer/Gramma/Grammar
28/03/2008 11:04
Good article - even though I was fairly good @ my England when I was @ school I somehow understand why some people cannot spell to save their lives. Being in the IT industry and dealing with all sorts of people & their (or is it there) back-rounds, I have had my fair share of good laughs. I have a had letter addressed to me as : Polar (as far as I know I do not live in the North Pole with a hairy fury coat...) but alas such is life in the world of the spelling (funny aint it)!?!?! - PAULA |
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I say
28/03/2008 11:07
A good article Colleen. However, I believe that people must say it as they feel about it. I agree with you that some people actually ignore the subject matter and simply use their comment to vent about their general unhappiness with the government and the ANC and the same tone comes through from these writers all the time. I assume that this makes them feel better so let it be. In general though, I find the responses interesting and I certainly enjoy reading them. - Stormin |
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Your frustration
28/03/2008 11:12
is shared by many Colleen including me.A lot of this is to do with the sms,hip-hop,rap and computer culture we have today.As long as we understand the gist of what is being siad we can communicate.Like they used to say "old english has went".An afrikaans speaking customer always tells me he only speaks english in self defence.Nick,lol,guess you can like to wear your short sleeve jean pant today? - psycobabble |
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Hi Joe and Benzo
28/03/2008 11:14
People commenting in this forum is not typical South Africans. People commenting here are generally educated (although you sometimes wouldn't think so!) and really have no excuse to not use a spell checker, like you and I! I was just getting excited about a very good article and behaved, well thought-out responses when i read Joe's one. Sticks out like a sore thumb... oh, and Joe - it's "guess". - JC |
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we still live in fear
28/03/2008 11:15
this country will always have these problems because we are not really democratic country and i challenge anyone who argues we are a democratic country. How can this country be democratic when government comprises of a specific culture and has the best interest of its own culture at hand and also protect criminals. what kind of a democracy is this????? - terence |
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Benzo - Stats not quite in sinc
28/03/2008 11:18
According to the link below, English is the 1st language of 8.2% of South Africans. http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/demographics/language.htm - bokkie |
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Sure... keep your pap and your beads.
28/03/2008 11:19
What we have here is an age old struggle of cultures fighting it out for supremacy. Please show me the African Renaissance will you? What is it? A movement to enhance low self esteem? We are trying to breed an Afro-European culture without the Caucasian flavours. Embrace European culture or die in the bush, from sickness and ignorance. Look at Zim and learn from the African way my comrades and aks yoahselves if it wehks (for your grammar too) being "African". - Pieter |
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No, Pieter!
28/03/2008 11:29
What we actually have here is an article and comments about articles, comments and grammar. - Sunshine |
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Actually Terence
28/03/2008 11:33
Actually Terence, it does not seem you know what Democracy is. Were you stopped from voting? Just because your vote did not necessarily correspond with the votes of the MAJORITY of your fellow countrymen does not mean we are not democratic. - Hennie |
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spelling
28/03/2008 11:42
Hi Colleenn
Very good article. Good choice of words as well, had to look up some of them. Is there a reason you spelled "withoutt" on the last paragraph the way you did? DOnt blame the content management system. :)
Job - Firebrand |
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Spelling and Grammar
28/03/2008 11:50
It has been a while since I've read such amusing comments. It irritates me beyond words when I see a spelling mistake, but somehow the ones in these comments work. Question is, are they intended? - Shannon |
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Actually
28/03/2008 11:55
In any democratic nation people have freedom of speech and have a right to say what they want, when they want and to anyone, so censoring the comments would be as good as taking away freedom of speech. This is an open forum and anyone can express themselves freely without fear of victimisation, thats one thing we must all be thankful for, it seems we take that freedom for granted, look at the situation in countries like Zim, you can never say anything about the president. If you censor this forum, you heading in the direction of a non democratic country. - Tafadzwa |
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bokkie - statistics
28/03/2008 12:05
Apologies, my spell checker did not pick this up :-)) I quoted from memory..too lazy to check..or is it "2 lazy 2 check". - Benzo |
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Hennie - Depends on your slant on democracy
28/03/2008 12:07
Pieter Dirk Uys defines it as "3 wolves and a sheep voting on what's for lunch". Perhaps Terrance just does not want to be the sheep? - Pieterfan |
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There is democracy in SA
28/03/2008 12:08
Democracy dawn in 1994 in south Africa Terence. You don?t know what you are talking about. The fact that you don?t belong to the majority doesn?t mean there is no democracy. SA is an african country therefore african cultures and values will always dominate. You cannot go to India and expect african cultures to dominate - siza |
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Grammar Nazis? Spelling Nazis too!
28/03/2008 12:08
Colleen, I think you'll find that "mold" is actually spelled "mould" everywhere in the english speaking world apart from the US. (Ref: the first chapter after the Grammar Nazis headline) - Stephen |
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I duznt lik rong english ...
28/03/2008 12:10
Gr8 artikel. Coodnt haff sed it beter myselff. Spellink erors reely git upp my nows tooo. They stik owt lik a saw thum. - Sally |
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Pieterfan
28/03/2008 12:13
Brilliant, Pieterfan! I have to remember that one! Maybe that sheep should immigrate to Australia! - Hennie |
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Spelling and Grammar
28/03/2008 12:16
A subject so close to my heart. One cannot even blame first language vs second language. When our children's english teachers give them a list of words to spell to learn for a spelling test - and one of the words on the handwritten list is incorrect, it is obvious that our children are being taught english by teachers who cannot spell! Well done with the columns, always enjoy reading them and laughing at people's OTP responses. - Tracyb |
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........
28/03/2008 12:16
I think every South Africa is frustrated by all the drama happening around us. The only way to vent out the frustration is through sites like this. Sometimes expressing yourself when you are frustrated is very difficult, let alone putting sensible words together with good grammar nogal! It is unfortunate that most of the time the anger is taken out on the wrong people and thus an exchange of bitter words and insults. Some comments are taken out of context and interpreted wrongly. - Cookie |
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Speak out
28/03/2008 12:16
About the grammar?. and advice from one of the many English second language people. Don?t be afraid to make language mistakes. My fear to make language mistakes kept me from voicing my opinion for way to long. I?d rather see people voicing their opinions with grammar mistakes, than having no opinion at all - Flowerfountain |
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And here we go again...
28/03/2008 12:21
Thanks, Colleen, a super article based on correct usage of the English language (I too have spelling errors jump out at me - so I know the feeling). Maybe now we should have an article about the correct use of punctuation, hmm? How to avoid littering your sentences with commas like a dropped handful of hundreds and thousands. Oh and guys, lets keep the 'racism' out of this one. - Ray |
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........
28/03/2008 12:25
So long as the message is driven home. Whether your spelling stinks or your grammar is despicable the fact remains you have put your message across. And by the way, Terence maybe you should check the meaning of democracy in your dictionary. The explanation you will get from there (your dictionary) will be the exact phenomenon we experience in SA today! Hmmm? - CB |
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Grammar
28/03/2008 12:27
Then there's site when they mean sight or vice versa.... - Tom |
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