We have been seeing a lot of posts recently which are very hard to read due to the lack of proper punctuation and paragraph breaks. In an entirely selfish effort to save my eyes, here's a little bit of a refresher on the kind of grammatical expectations we have as a forum (as per the
forum rules):
4. Do not use Internet shorthand or text-speak, other than the most basic and widely-used abbreviations, like LOL, LMAO, WTF, OMG. Keep in mind that there are many members for whom English is not their native language, not to mention older people who weren't raised on chat and cell phones. They won't understand you. It's a matter of having respect for others and making your posts easy to read.
5. Use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation as well as you can. We recommend using Firefox or Google Chrome browsers, which have built-in spell checkers. (Also, the chat room may have difficulties when used with IE, the browser that most people use.)
The first excerpt from the post linked by Kassandra above:
by Moon_Stone » Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:22 pm
I know dreams are very vivid and are essentially one, long run-on sentence, but when a reader is opening a post about a dream and sees a gigantic paragraph that seems to go on forever, it looks much more like a chore to read than a pleasure. Please... make paragraphs!!
(You might actually be limiting yourself and may not receive everyone's input by making the content look never-ending in a giant paragraph... some people will just skip over these kinds of posts!)
Bright Blessings & Pleasant Dreams!
~MoonStone
In addition to paragraph breaks, because reading a wall of text without any form of punctuation, sentence structure, or line breaks between major topics is hard to get through and not many people are likely to read through all of it for that reason:
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Punctuate the first letter of every sentence, along with proper nouns (names, places).
End each sentence with a period, question mark, or exclamation point.
Choose your sentence structure carefully. Re-read it if you have to before submitting your post. Does the sentence make sense? Will others be able to understand it without needing to re-read it multiple times? Remember, not everyone will be able to read your words the way you are able to.
Do not use text speak or improper abbreviations (u, r, l1k3).
Use correct spelling. Words mean things and improper spelling can change the meaning of those words entirely. Turn on your browser's spell-checker if you need to. People will notice chronic inabilities to spell and it will shape an individual's perception of your internet self.
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Respect the rest of us who are genuinely trying to give you a place to discuss your experiences and interests, and those who are trying to understand your question enough to respond. Make your posts legible.
