There is no excuse for sloppy writing. Get someone else to write for you if you can’t do it well.

There is a big difference between typos, writing as you would speak, and outright “don’t know nuthin’ ’bout communication.” A typo is sloppy, but okay. Using contractions improperly or using “irregardless” is a sign of not caring about reading and writing in school. Using f-bombs and not structuring your sentences correctly is an abomination (example: Rosie O’Donnell).

I noticed in your article one of the differences between technical, proper grammar and journalistic grammar: the lack of the serial comma. What you did is fine here, but not in a government manual on blowing up a hideout with C4. :)

Doug

I have no tolerance for grammatical or spelling errors in my own blog items and try to review them multiple times prior to posting, and will not hesitate to go back and correct after publication. As a blog author I feel I must do my best to publish quality language. (Not always easy, having failed college English, one of the most boring classes I ever took.)

On top of this, I find my propensity to scan most of the content on the Web means I don’t notice as many typos as I otherwise would.

Having said that, if you’re writing for a living – even if it’s ‘just a blog’, even if it’s ‘just marketing’ for your services – take 2 minutes to proof read your blog posts – it won’t kill you. Probably.

Finally, you are spelling ‘organize’ incorrectly, Chris :D

Check the OED, the ‘s’ is given as an alternative spelling, the ‘z’ is the “correct” one – yes, even here in England ;)

For me, it’s not so much wordsmithing issues, but simple misspellings (e.g., its/it’s, they’re/there/their, loose/lose) that rankle me.

For those who asked, it was two comments in one day – not a constant flow of criticism :) In most cases people only complain when I spell things “incorrectly” (such as organise). If people do spot real errors and have the generosity to point out where I went wrong I always try to both correct the mistake and learn from it.

All anyone can do I guess is keep the content value higher than the irritation factor :)

Misusing grammar or misspelling words can make writing difficult to understand. I just read one of Chris’ earlier posts and had to re-read a sentence twice to get the right meaning – all because he hadn’t used an apostrophe. Now, that’s not so bad, and I don’t mind re-reading a sentence, but for a lot of busy people that’s an irritation they don’t have time for.

I would suggest that anyone who writes for a living (and Chris’ bio describes him as a professional blogger) might try to gradually learn the things that trouble them.

Strunk and White’s book on grammar is excellent – I often refer to it.

Also, judging by all of the ads on this site, I don’t think Linnet’s argument that because we don’t have to pay for the content on this site, the quality doesn’t matter, is very strong. Readers on this site ‘pay’ for the privilege by being exposed to the ads, who pay people like Chris for that privilege.

Again, I don’t mind the occasional error, but routine mistakes and a plain disregard for the rules of grammar do suggest a lack of consideration for your audience. Perhaps that is why they complain so much.

I love blogging, and think that anyone can do it – but anyone who isn’t confident with spelling and grammar should ask for a second opinion. And that doesn’t mean employing a professional editor – try friends, family or colleagues.

I do find that typos, grammatical infelicities and the like snag the attention, and create a hiccup in the flow from written word to brain … which makes me a good proofreader, but can be a distraction from the content.

As the others have said, it does depend on the context, and on who the author is. If you were writing about grammar, an error would be more of a jolt, though even then, forgivable – we all make mistakes. Perhaps, though, the people who unsubscribed find it difficult to get back on track once their attention has been derailed?

But if a blogger consistently gets things wrong – switches loose for lose, it’s for its, for example – I simply tune out. It’s so annoying to read.

Bloggers and others who provide inspiration, ideas, information and entertainment at no cost to their readers, frequently spending time that might have been put to profitable use elsewhere in order to do so, can hardly be expected to spend money on professional editing into the bargain.

One might think that, as a person to whom words are so important, I would be amongst the first to pour scorn and heap abuse upon anyone whose work fell below an entirely professional standard in the grammatical sense but, on the contrary, I am concerned with only one thing in the reading I undertake for my own benefit: absorption of the message contained within the text.

When I have paid for my reading material, I expect it to be written professionally. When the national newspapers we purchase are full of errors, as they so frequently seem to be, it is annoying.

When taking advantage of the extraordinary generosity of those who are willing to share their knowledge and experience with me at no charge, however, it matters not whether the grammar is correct, the spelling precise or the punctuation accurately positioned. What is important is the transfer of ideas and information from the provider to the receiver and your offerings are always instructional, interesting and entertaining, What more could one ask of you unless willing to pay for you to employ the services of a professional editor?

It seems to me that those who place such a high value on semantics that they would prefer to miss out on the message altogether, are ‘throwing the baby out with the bathwater’ to adopt an apt cliche, and should be pitied for their short-sighted approach. Please carry on, and don’t let a vocal minority of hair-splitters drown out the unexpressed appreciation of the many who look eagerly for your next post. You can’t please all of the people all of the time, as an equally appropriate saying goes, and there is no good reason why you should feel obliged to try and do so.

Poor grammar and spelling can make writing difficult to understand, or easy to misinterpret – obviously not a good thing when you’re trying to communicate.

If you’re getting complaints, and people are finding your regular mistakes an annoyance, I think you should consider doing something about it. While you’re right that providing good, useful content should be your aim, it sounds like the gaps in your writing arsenal are starting to hinder your work.

Do you have a colleague who could act as your editor?

I’m probably one of the pedants you’re complaining about, because certain errors strike me as ignorance rather than typos/goofs, and that’s when I get annoyed. (I’m talking about native English speakers here). It also depends on whether it’s the final straw in a day of annoying stuff! However, I like to think I’m reasonably tolerant of occasional typos, because of course I make them myself.

Blogging, by its very nature, should allow for spontaneity (<– could be wrong spelling, I haven’t checked it!) and ‘writing as you speak’ is actually a skill in itself that many do not have.

So … you can’t please everyone, but I think it shows a certain attention to detail and respect for one’s readers if a writer does his/her best to eliminate glaring errors. Just my 2p-worth!!

As a former Sub Editor I’ve known people who just can’t get past the smallest mistake, and moan about the work – something, Chris, I think you’ve just experienced! These people are very special and are few and far between.

If you can just express yourself clearly and in an entertaining way, what’s the big deal if you use compliment or complement?

I think that a typo or two makes the work more accesible anyway, as if you pick it out – you feel happy!

Well – that’s my two cents anyway! :)