Productive Discussions on the Internet

Bsumer704 · May 31, 2008

Some of my pet peeves are lack of punctuation, and incorrect synonyms, such as "they're, their, there", and "two, to, too". "Loose" instead of "lose" is not an error of synonym, but just a plain old spelling error (and yes, it bugs me). I also can't stand "would of" instead of "would have". Another one that bothers me is the misuse of "a" or "an". For instance, it's "an RN", not "a RN".

Hi everyone! Synonyms are words that have the same meaning.For example, happy and glad are synonyms. Homonyms are words that have different meanings but sound the same. An example of homonyms would be "to, too, and two."

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · May 31, 2008

Another one that bothers me is the misuse of "a" or "an". For instance, it's "an RN", not "a RN".

I've often wondered about that. I know the rules of grammar state that "a" is to be used in front of words that start with consonants and "an" to be used in front of words that start with vowels.

"an RN" or "an LPN" sounds better, but is it really correct? What you would really be saying is "an Registered Nurse" and "an Licensed Practical Nurse". I thought maybe because they are abbreviations the rule was different but thought about it more. We don't use "an BSN" or "an MSN" or "an CBC" or "an L/S"

My huge pet peeve is putting the apostrophe in the wrong place..I've seen it a crazy amount of times reading on this site and it drives me crazy each and every time I see it.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · May 31, 2008

I'm very guilty of making errors, so I'm not very anal and don't cringe when someone else does. I didn't get 40,000 plus posts by stopping to proof every one. LOL
I do get bothered with text speak type of posts, people that use "u" instead of you, and "cuz" instead of because.
But like others, there are posts that I read and respond to and those that I don't. Content is more the deciding factor, but I do appreciate good communication skills.

Yep, 'cuz' is the other teenage sounding offender that is like nails on chalkboard.

Another thing that loses me is more than 3 paragraphs. I consider the internet a light reading place, plus I usually have other stuff going on at home where I post from. There are occassional exceptions, especially for opening posts or known posters with interesting writing styles.

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · May 31, 2008

Yep, 'cuz' is the other teenage sounding offender that is like nails on chalkboard.
Another thing that loses me is more than 3 paragraphs. I consider the internet a light reading place, plus I usually have other stuff going on at home where I post from. There are occassional exceptions, especially for opening posts or known posters with interesting writing styles.

What's Even Worse Than That Are Those Posts Where Every Word Is Capitalized For Some Unknown Reason. I Find Such Posts Unbearable To The Point Of Seeking To Kick My Monitor In The Hopes I Will Hit The Poster On The Other Side.

elkpark · May 31, 2008

I've often wondered about that. I know the rules of grammar state that "a" is to be used in front of words that start with consonants and "an" to be used in front of words that start with vowels.
"an RN" or "an LPN" sounds better, but is it really correct? What you would really be saying is "an Registered Nurse" and "an Licensed Practical Nurse". I thought maybe because they are abbreviations the rule was different but thought about it more. We don't use "an BSN" or "an MSN" or "an CBC" or "an L/S"
My huge pet peeve is putting the apostrophe in the wrong place..I've seen it a crazy amount of times reading on this site and it drives me crazy each and every time I see it.

It's just a convention -- you're right about the rule, and "a RN" and "a LPN" are perfectly correct. However, many of us use "an" because, when you pronounce the acronym, it sounds like it starts with a vowel (an ARE ENN; an ELL PEE ENN). It just seems too jarring to me to say (and, therefore, to write) "a ARE ENN" or "a ELL PEE ENN". BTW, for the record, I use "a BSN" and "an MSN," for the same reason ("a BEE (SN)" vs. "an EMM (SN)" -- but, of course, if I'm not using the acronym but spelling it out, it's "a Master's degree").

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · May 31, 2008

Thanks! I know I always find myself hemming and hawing if I should type "a LPN/RN" or "an LPN/RN". Glad to know my English teacher is still lurking in my head. Also glad to know that I was correct in thinking that there had to be an exception to that rule and thats why "an" can be used with certain abbrevations.

Makes total sense to me now.

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · May 31, 2008

It's just a convention -- you're right about the rule, and "a RN" and "a LPN" are perfectly correct. However, many of us use "an" because, when you pronounce the acronym, it sounds like it starts with a vowel (an ARE ENN; an ELL PEE ENN). It just seems too jarring to me to say (and, therefore, to write) "a ARE ENN" or "a ELL PEE ENN". BTW, for the record, I use "a BSN" and "an MSN," for the same reason ("a BEE (SN)" vs. "an EMM (SN)" -- but, of course, if I'm not using the acronym but spelling it out, it's "a Master's degree").

My English degree'd wife informs me that the rule isn't regarding written use, but instead for words (and by extension acronyms) that begin with a vowel sound.

Therefore, an RN is the correct format.

This is why we use 'an' with words beginning with a silent h such as honor and why we use 'a' with words beginning with a vowel if the sound isn't a vowel sound such as one (which is sounded "won").

**All Heart RN** · May 31, 2008

I agree that spelling and punctuation matter. Horrible punctuation on top of major spelling errors can make it painful to read an entire post.

However, there have been posts where individual posters became very nasty in their responses and the line has to be drawn somewhere. Recently, on this site, I've read responses to spelling mistakes that were grossly out of line. If similiar discussions were taking place in person and someone pronounced something wrong or was making huge grammatical errors I would hope 'the human spell-checker' would have the decency to withdraw from all of the flaming that goes on here.

Some of the 'human spell-checkers' wandering around on this site can get so distgustigly self-righteous sometimes...

hikernurse · May 31, 2008

Spelling errors, unless egregious, no big. I try to proof my own stuff because I think it comes across as more professional, but I'm a little more generous with other people's writing.

However, posts that look like they belong on a text message drive me nuts! I don't read them because (my opinion here) I prefer to discuss topics with adults, not kids. Of course, since I don't actually read them, I have no idea what I'm missing...yep, I can live with that .

RN1982 · May 31, 2008

What's Even Worse Than That Are Those Posts Where Every Word Is Capitalized For Some Unknown Reason. I Find Such Posts Unbearable To The Point Of Seeking To Kick My Monitor In The Hopes I Will Hit The Poster On The Other Side.

I agree. I ALSO HATE WHEN PEOPLE TYPE WITH THE CAPS LOCK ON. TURN IT OFF. I also dislike when people on this site have to correct others. If someone says HIPPA instead of HIPAA, heck I don't know which one is correct and I could care less but we all should really know what the person is talking about anyhow.

hikernurse · May 31, 2008

some of the 'human spell-checkers' wandering around on this site can get so distgustigly self-righteous sometimes...

are you trying to bait those "human spell-checkers", lol. :clown: :chuckle

LydiaNN · May 31, 2008

This is a response/opinion to the numerous posts in the "nurses vs doctors" thread pertaining to "spelling and grammar".
Does it matter?
From my personal standpoint I DO believe that spelling and grammar are important when posting.
When we argue/discuss/lecture etc in normal day to day life we have a luxury, the luxury of the non-verbal. You can sense emotion, poise, commitment and strength (or all the opposites) from a person when they are sitting right beside you. When you read an article that you find convincing or moving you often base it on how well it is written and how supported its arguments are.
When it comes to online forums/discussions I believe there is only one thing we have to confirm or deny our commitment, emotions, poise and strength over a non-verbal medium. That is our writing.
When people come to the forums with posts that are full of misspells/slangs/wall o' text and numerous grammatical errors, personally I will say I have a harder time taking anything they say seriously. That is just me.
I peruse several forum sites from nursing to video gaming, and across them all the rules are the same. Those who are eloquent are generally more responded to and respected. Even down to the 15 year olds playing World of Warcraft. Look back at the posters here and you will see many who take a few extra moments for paragraphs, spell checks and some of those who even document sources for their information and you will see they get a lot of positive feedback, even when their ideas go against the popular consensus.
Now is it fair to openly bash someone's ideas because they are poorly written? Not necessarily, but it is fair to assume (especially here where there are many,many well educated professionals) they are trolls, with no particular intent than to stir up drama.
There is also an exception for posters who do not have English as a primary language, and for that we can afford some leniency.
Just some thoughts from the Taitter mind this sunny Saturday afternoon.

I agree in principle. However, I find it petty when someone responds to a well thought out post with "you spelled communicate wrong", or "wow, don't you believe in punctuation?".