There seems to have been a lot more "text speak" and other abbreviated language in posts recently. Please avoid this so that others can read your contributions more readily.
Many people suffering from thyroid issues struggle enough reading properly written replies without struggling to interpret lots of shortened "words". Shortened forms which make perfect sense to you, the poster, at the time, might make little sense to someone else, whose first language possibly isn't English, and who might be feeling awful and brain-fogged.
In order to give an example of the difficulty of understanding slang/text speak, I have converted the above into a form of text speak:
ther sEmz 2 hav Bin a lot mo "text speak" & othR abbreviated lngwij n posts recntly. pls avoid DIS so dat others cn rED yor contributions mo readily.
mNE ppl suffering frm thyroid isUz struggle Enuf reading properly RitN replies w/o struggling 2 interpret lots of shortnD "words". shortnD forms whch mAk perfect senS 2 you, d poster, @ d time, mite mAk ltl senS 2 SOME1 else, whuz 1st lngwij possibly isn't English, & hu mite b fEln awful & brain-fogged.
Thank you
[ A repeat posting - previously posted 4th October 2016, 30th January 2016, May 17th 2015, 23rd March 2915. ]
Written by
helvella
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I agree helvella . Can I also add the bright yellow smiley face emoji's, I find those very distracting, and avoid reading replies in most cases, they make my poor struggling thyroid eyes struggle to read. Do we really need to know the writers mood?!!
Can't agree on that one helvella , what did we do before emoji's came into the picture. Didn't we learn at school to express ourselves with our vocabulary?
Seems to me that very few people did. They certainly don't seem to learn punctuation, anymore, and that's what I find hardest - long tracts of text with no punctuation - à la James Joyce, only less well done.
Well, as I heard it, the powers that be decided that grammar and spelling, etc. weren't important, what was important was that the child was allowed to express itself fully. So, they stopped teaching all those things. Only to find that without bricks, you cannot build a wall. And the children were unable to express themselves at all without the building bricks of grammar, punctuation, etc. I could have told them that, but no-one ever listens to me! lol (Sorry! Can't resist, and it does point out that I'm just joking, there, which is rather important when it could be taken either way by people who don't know me.)
I was thinking of Molly Bloom's soliloquy at the end of Ulysses. Obviously James Joyce uses punctuation apart from that. I wasn't denigrating James Joyce or his books.
heartily agree! I was soundly warned by admin to desist when I asked a poster to add some punctuation as I couldnt make sense of what was written.punctuation is the key to proper communication ( as a former English teacher!)
Really? I think that's rather unreasonable on the part of admin. I tend to ignore posts with no punctuation. It's often difficult enough to get the gist of some posts, but if you don't know where one sentence ends and another begins, then there's so much scope for misunderstanding. Or should I say, so much more scope.
In the days before predictive text that can work reasonably well, I too would accept text speak. Now, however, I rarely use any such short-forms. Obviously, quality of predictive text depends on the device/software!
Obviously, quality of predictive text depends on the device/software!
And also on the quality of the proof-reading of the author. There are some posts that people clearly haven't read after they wrote them e.g. there are sometimes autocorrect errors affecting every sentence which make the author's meaning impenetrable.
And please don't forget those of us of an older generation for whom text messages did not exist for most of our lives. We have no idea what some of those words mean. Why do people keep putting "lol" into messages? Is there a dictionary of text words somewhere?
No, I know! Sometimes I simply don’t have a clue what is being said, and I don’t want to ask. I also worry that maybe the poster has learning difficulties and they don’t mean to post something illegible, so I don’t want to be accused of not being inclusive 😆
If someone is desperate and can't manage to post in beautifully formed sentences, I think we should all cut a bit of slack. It is when people repeatedly post like that for what appears no reason other than it has become their default posting style, that is when I get less tolerant.
This is a very good post that points out ways that make reading and understanding easy or difficult. As I read I realize I use emojis, lol's, etc. I look at my posts as I would a 'first draft' . I go back and correct what I think is not clear but sometimes this is too frustrating and time consuming for me. I see myself in a lot of these complaints and since my goal is to write a helpful, clear and easy to understand reply I would appreciate if anyone has a problem with something I wrote that they mention it to me as a reply. I would not be offended as long as it is done in an informative non-sarcastic way. I'd prefer to know. For me computer language was at first a completely foreign language for me and it took me time to learn abbreviations and the like. I'm 74 and it seems to me that younger people who grew up with computers write totally different than I was taught. So if my posts aren't clear I would appreciate being told. I do like 2 "text-speaks;" Emojis and LOL. This is because sometimes when I write something I want others to understand that my meaning is lighthearted and friendly rather than critical. I know how to write-have written for professional journals in my time. I always wrote my first draft just to get thoughts down on paper, then polished and corrected it with further revisions. I see posts as a way to quickly express my thoughts without them having to meet term paper or publication standards. I think there is a happy medium here. When I receive helpful information here I am happy to have content that helps me find better care for myself. I don't think form is the goal. This is a health information site not an English grammar lesson. Thanks for listening. Just sayin'. I'm also not the best typist or computer user. irina
Irina1975 - you write well and clearly have an understanding of spelling and punctuation. As you say, you know how to write. Emojis can help make intention clear - I agree with you and think they should really pass unnoticed ( except where they litter the text and it all gets a bit too visual.)
But all of that IS form. It's communicative form, if you like. And you are very communicative. I wonder why you see yourself in a lot of these complaints? Your post is a model for clarity. With the possible exception of lack of paragraphing... ;.)
If someone finds a post with poor punctuation hard to process, it's almost certainly because the very purpose of punctuation is to make written discourse easier to process. So no surprises there. This IS a health information site but it is one of the very best, where certain standards are in place and occasionally the moderators ( who I believe are volunteers) remind people of them. Just because there are some basic standards that should make life easier for the majority (and the posts clearer for the majority) doesn't make it a grammar lesson!
Style, cohesion, coherence, flow...sometimes it takes a bit of grammar, sometimes punctuation, other times vocabulary. Sometimes something else entirely.
Thank you for the kind words. I do get verbose but it's because I want to share as much information as I can. I guess it comes from years of explaining to patients what their doctors didn't. I have to laugh about the paragraphs. You are right. I will only offer the excuse that I am so computer illiterate about which keys do what in structuring a piece of writing. Computers are very frustrating for me. I was dragged kicking and screaming into the computer age. I have ADD and I joke that I have 2 right brains. When we started using computers in hospitals of course I had to learn how to use them but they were so well programmed even I made very few mistakes. When I write something that has to be well-written and constructed I have to do it in longhand. My mantra should probably be "The computer is my friend." Computer paragraph? What's that? Take care. irina
Not sure I can change that. Just getting a post typed is enough for me. I don't like computers but they are the way of the world. Changing my writing style is more stress for me for me right now. . I don't read everyone's posts either. Not always necessary . Probably someone else will write something similar to my post in an easier form to read. Take care.xx irina
And I am grateful to greygoose for helping me learn how to use emojis.They express humor that I want to include but in a quicker way. Sort of a universal language for friendliness and agreement. 😊
Some people think it's ok to make the most offensive remark and then expect most of us to develop a sense of humour just because they put LOL behind it... like that somehow negates the offensiveness! It really doesn't, people...
I do not like full on text speak as i do not understand some off it but i disagree with the emoji comment that they should possibly not be used either, i think they are a good idea and yes they can help soften a sentence up and can show people how you are feeling-i get they are not everyone's cup of tea but what is nicer than a smileyface!!☺ or 🌟.xx
The odd emoji is acceptable, it's when there is a sea of yellow blobs on the messages, which I find most off putting. However, each to their own I suppose, I just avoid reading anything with dozens of emoji's really can't be bothered. Any why would it be necessary to know what kind of mood somebody is in.
I don’t use them to express a mood, I use them to express that I’ve said something light-hearted. Because these days, many people *can’t* construe from the content that you’re not being entirely serious. I don’t know why that is but on more than one occasion, I’ve had someone take my words here completely literally and been “punished” for it because I’ve inadvertently upset someone (despite agonising over word choices sometimes). Thyroid patients - especially undertreated ones - tend to be prone to anxiety and even paranoia, so sometimes you need a way of conveying the context of a post. I only use smiley faces , sad faces and the occasional wink.
Agreed. jazzw. The thing about emojis is that they're universal. You don't need to speak English to know what a smiley, laughing, sad or angry face is saying.
I agree. And we wouldn't have to use emojis or 'lol' if we were speaking face to face and not relying on accurately understanding each other through computer use here. We can't include 2 important facets of good communication skills: body language and voice inflections. So we need substitutes to effectively communicate in this technological world.
I agree. All we have for others to interpret our meaning is our typed words. There is no body language or tone of voice to help others correctly understand what we want to say.
Talk about snobbery, yes, it's still alive and kicking.
Bunnyjean, this is nothing to do with snobbery! We ask people not to use text speak on the forum, as a courtesy to members who have difficulty understanding it. This can very often be due to the proverbial thyroid brain fog, but there may be other reasons why a member finds this mode of communication difficult to cope with. There is absolutely no good reason to communicate in abbreviated format such as only typing 'r u' instead of are you, 'w/o' instead of 'without', or 'ppl' instead of 'people'.
I can live with incorrect grammar and mis-spelling - there is a difference between being too lazy to type full sentences, and not being sure of correct usage (I expect we are all guilty of this at times !) Also, editing/proofreading posts on this forum via tablet or mobile is not always easy.
We do also have some members for whom English is clearly not their first language, and generally I’ve been pleased to see that everyone will make an extra effort to support and encourage them.
In the end, it’s up to individuals to decide whether they want to read / respond to any given post. When I decide to celebrate with a post featuring flashing lights, text speak, dancing emojis and maybe the odd word of English, I will only have myself to blame if you all ignore me !
I am 70 years old, don't use text (or have a Smartphone) so don't understand much of this text speak. I can just about work out "r u" and "gr8" but that's about my limit. It may be fine for younger people who use it a lot but there are many of us seniors on here who just aren't familiar with it. I don't think it's snobbery, it's just asking members to be considerate.
Laughing out loud-he he,ha, everyone will now be under pressure to use the right vocabulary, expressing themselves with words instead of using the emoji's and no Capitals so other people wont think they are being shouted at, and the correct grammar and punctuation, will anyone write a post or reply to a thread now? I think so.!!😊😊 yeah!!
!!!! drives me nuts too. Also those who can't construct a sentence with a full stop and a space or two at the end. So they write like this..............my doctor won't help me..................what can I do......................where do I get help.....................etc. I find myself hoping their full stop key will break!
The ............ between every pair of sentences and the !!!! at the end of nearly every sentence are some of my pet hates too. I find it so difficult to read!
I will admit to using "..." sometimes i.e. just three full stops (an ellipsis). I use it where I start saying one thing as an introduction, then follow it up with the three dots as a way of saying I am metaphorically taking a deep breath before I begin, and as a way of separating an intro from the main text.
I have sometimes thought that I use an ellipsis too often, and I'm never sure whether I use them correctly or annoyingly.
It can also indicate that you are thinking about what you've just said, or are going to say. But people who use more that three full stops are very annoying! I used to proof-read for someone for their site, and that person would frequently use a random number of full stops, for no apparent reason. And when I explained how it should be, that person didn't want to know, and preferred to continue with their random full stops, even though they didn't mean anything. That was very annoying. The same person also used 'i.e.' and 'e.g.' indiscriminately, believing that they meant the same thing. And would not be told! So, I gave up the proof-reading.
When I see etc in writing I hear et cetera in my head in a normal voice, like I would if someone said it in conversation. But when I see ect my brain insists on shouting EKT at me and it derails the meaning of the sentence so much that I have to go back and read it again, sometimes more than once.
In turn, that makes me think of Life with an Idiot, even though the sound and spelling isn't exactly the same.
As a punishment for not working hard enough, "I" is forced by the authorities to live with an idiot. He chooses Vova from a lunatic asylum. Vova is only capable of speaking a single word: "Ech".
I'm impressed.Most of my favorite literature is Russian. I also like Dostoyevsky's The Idiot. His "Idiot' is one who has a moral code higher than most people. Probably a good role model in today's greedy world. My favorite novel is One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich- a fairly short work by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Ivan is serving time in one of Stalin's gulags yet has a positive attitude everyday seeing his glass as half full. When I'm feeling really down and ungrateful about my life, which is really pretty good, I re-read Ivan. It helps me get out of the pity party in my head. Thanks for the memories. irina
Have not read his works. But just googled his books and see he wrote a lot about life under Stalin. My first trip to the Soviet Union was in 1975 and was the most interesting trip of my life. I have always had a fascination with Russia. I don't know why. Maybe I lived a former life there. Their literature has so much philosophy that resonates with me. Maybe I have a little Russian blood. I was adopted so there are gaps in my knowledge of my family tree. If I were there I'd say let's go have a Guinness and discuss Russia "dushe dusha" (soul to soul.)
My grandfather and his parents came over to the UK during the Russian Revolution. They were from St Petersburg.
We know very little about him and he used false names a lot (bit of a colourful character by all accounts!) so it's really hard to trace any family tree information.
I love the idea that there are people wandering around Russia who I am related to!
I would love to do the "ancestry' research but it can get expensive. It's on my bucket list. There is a reasonably new program (3 years, I think)on public television here that takes 3 people weekly and does their family tree search. There is a lot of free info and leads on there. Something to think about. I think I would find some Russian ancestors. My late brother was very fascinated by ancient Egypt and my sister is very taken with the UK- especially medieval times. We are not blood related but by adoption. Amazing how our individual interests crop up. Maybe it would be something you could do. Then you'd have a reason to start planning your Russian trip. 😊
I've done loads on my mum's mother's side of the family - fascinating lot! Circus, theatre, music halls, trapeze artists. But have nothing on my mum's father's Russian side
Would love it. I would like to go again before I move on from this world. We have some Russian senior residents in my bldg and I really enjoy talking with them It's like history in living color. Some of them are in their 90's, are still sharp, and have very interesting stories to tell. It puts perspective on how little we in the west have had to do without in our lives.
My mum wishes she'd talked more to her Russian grandparents - the main thing she remembers is she would get yogurt when she was at their house - way before yogurt was common place over here!
Maybe a place to start would be old shipping manifests that brought immigrants. When I watch that program I mentioned called "Finding your Roots" I am amazed at how much much information and avenues are now available for finding our ancesters. Apparently they can be helpful even when we don't have a lot of information to go on. Maybe "Finding Your Roots" has a website that could help. Worth a try.
Thanks, they may be worth checking. We're not even sure what the family surname was though as they kept changing it. And he took on an English first name too. He and my grandmother divorced when my mum was very young and he died when she was only 17, so we don't have an awful lot to go on!
Sometimes searches begin with only the village they came from and finding other people from there who emigrated. I hope you come up with some workable info. There is a great book and film called Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Boer about a teenager who goes to the Ukraine to find his roots. Look up the synopsis on amazon if you're interested. It is a true story and to me the film was beautiful. I think the teenager is the one in Harry Potter. Directed by Liev Schreiber.
The best is Crime and Punishment - just like Columbo, when you know the answer and have to see how the detective works it out - but I have the other two you mention (and have read them).
And I love Columbo. In fact he has re runs on this evening at 8PM. I try to watch his old programs and also Angela Lansbury's Murder, She Wrote. I have used books to escape from uncomfortable reality since I was a child. Always had my nose in a book and often reprimanded for it.
Me too. He did a lot of good anti-smoking commercials before he died of lung cancer. He was already very sick when they were shown on tv. Sad. I have a playlist with some of his songs. They are on youtube. He played russian guitar and sang gypsy and russian songs in several languages.
He was a very good entertainer before becoming an actor. I brought back a balalaika in 1975. Couldn't play it either. Gave it to my sister who played guitar. Bringing it back on the plane was a challenge. I flew the Soviet Airline Aeroflot which we renamed Aerofright as some of the seatbelt parts were missing and some of the tires were bald! The stewardesses were also interesting. Not what you'd think. They wouldn't have needed security to handle any problems. Quite an adventure. The food was sausages? and awful hard candies to keep your ears from popping. We changed planes for US in Denmark and everyone tripped over everyone else trying to buy real food in the airport. But it was a fun trip. You really needed a sense of humor. The Concorde it was not!
Glad to hear you've read 'Ivan Denisovich" The english actor Tom Courtenay made a film based on the book years ago. It came out on VHS but never made it to DVD. I have tried to get a copy but as it was a film that involved several countries in its production no agreement could be reached about a DVD and distribution rights. I think Norway, where it was filmed, is the holdup. I do remember he had no verbal lines in the movie just acting with facial expressions and body language. Very well done. Once in a while it turns up on TV. Worth watching. For me, the book reinforces something that I have yet to learn well about life; that is no matter what our circumstances in life, it is our choice to be free inside. A hard lesson for me. Thanks for listening. irina
Dostoyevsky was required reading for cool young teenagers "in my day", as was Orlando (Virginia Woolf), and Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game (Herman Hesse).
I remember. And having to do all that reading was an education in itself. It's very sad kids don't have to do this much anymore. Even basic subjects have fallen by the wayside. When american children are asked geography questions they often have no idea there is such a country or where it is. And many don't even know state capitols. When I was little the best present I could receive was a new book. Now it seems to be a toy or video game that kills someone.
They aren't full stops; they are an ellipsis - three dots. If at the end of a sentence, followed by a full point, so four dots. Bah, humbug! I haven't given up proofreading
OK clever-clogs Are you absolutely sure you put a fulls stop after an 'ellipsis? That would rather defeat the point (no pun intended!) if the 'ellipsis' indicates a trailing off. Besides, the way this person used them, they were just dots, not 'ellipsis' at all.
It's rare, but you do see it. Can be preceded by a full point also - more common. The spacing is different between the dots within the ellipsis and the ellipsis and full point. Many editors leave out the full point because the author makes it impossible to work out which dots are the ellipsis, so the typesetter leaves it out, too. I used to work as a typesetter. Still do, sometimes.
They aren't full stops; they are an ellipsis - three dots.
I understand that in professional publishing an ellipsis is three dots rather than three full stops, but in terms of writing posts on HU or writing an email then my version of an ellipsis is quite definitely three full stops.
When using full stops I don't put another full stop at the end if the ellipsis ends the sentence. If I had an ellipsis character available to me I'm not sure what I'd do. I've never given it a moment's thought before today.
That because you can't easily alter the spacing - it's not another character (although MS Word tries to supply one and … alt 0133 will do it on Windows, and get it wrong). Exactly how it is set depends on the style guide, but it is very often set with tighter spacing between the dots than you'd get if you just typed a normal fixed width en space (as between words), In InDesign you usually use a nonbreaking space (Fixed Width) with tighter (negative) tracking. None of which matters at all to your thyroid
Ah well, a full stop is really a full point and looks like a dot. Way back, ellipses were dashes. What typesetters call a full point is called a full stop in the UK and a period in the US, so "dot" is a bit more inclusive, I suppose, and the spacing in a printed ellipsis is different from the spacing you'd get from just typing three full points - in handwriting it makes no difference.
helvella, it’s funny you mentioning morse code, when my husband and I were engaged (1971) we used to write to each other in morse code every day.
The reason being his mother had found my letters and had read them, so we had to devise a way of keeping them private.
When I was working one of my colleagues was a woman who had used written morse in the army during the war.
She had talked about her experiences and taught me how to write morse down. I thought it would be the perfect way of corresponding so I showed my fiancé how and our code was born.
Actually the ‘dot dot dot’ comment was so that you could imagine my head spinning round fast enough to come off.
...sometimes when you press the full stop for more than one - then more can appear - do you always have the strength to modify ? - I don't ! Maybe this only happens on the PC and not my phone x
As I don't have a phone, I can't compare. But, no, that doesn't happen with my dreadful keyboard! Half of the letters I do type don't appear. But, yes, I would have to go back and correct because I'm obsessive/compulsive about these things. If I notice a spelling mistake in one of my replies a year later, I have to correct it! lol But, that's just me. No, the person I was talking about, did it quite deliberately, even though they couldn't explain why.
Off topic: I remember a Cilla Black character from an episode of "As Time Goes By." Is it the same Cilla Black?
Had no idea what you were talking about - then found this in Wiki:
39 6 "At Death's Door" Sydney Lotterby Bob Larbey 11 February 1996
When Penny needs minor surgery, she claims to be at death's door. Steven stays with the family while Penny is in the hospital. Things are made more unsettled by Penny's premonition and an addled room-mate who claims Jean is Cilla Black. Lionel once again tells the joke about the parrot that nobody gets. We never hear any of it except the 'punch' line.
Sorry. As Time Goes By is one of my favorite british series. Have my own copy of all the seasons. I never knew there was a real person-will checkout website.
Google "As Time Goes By," the long running very popular British TV series starring Dame Judi Dench, Geoffrey Palmer, the late Joan Simms, Philip Bretherton, Frank Middlemass, Moira Brooker, Jenny Funnell, Moyra Fraser, Paul Chapman, Janet Henfrey and other well known British actors. A very well known series even across the pond. Sorry, not up on my pop stars!😥
A little off topic but maybe not really. I have my own set of dvd's and occasionally 'binge-watch. For me, music and certain types of tv shows relax my mind especially when the world around me adds to my anxiety. I don't enjoy reality , violent tv as there is enough of that in our day-to-day lives. ATGB (As Time Goes By) is such a normal household with normal people just trying to do their best with everyday life. Refreshing!. I know it's just a tv show but sometimes I think it would be nice to have them as neighbors! I believe we all need to find ways to pull our minds away from the real world at times when life seems overwhelming. Even just for a few hours. The shows I really have stayed away from are medical dramas. Having been a nurse, for me they are like carrying coals to Newcastle. (An American expression-probably shows my age.)🐹
Coals to Newcastle is not just an American expression, we (of a certain age too maybe) use it in the UK! I like the way you describe the use of programmes like this to "pull our minds away from the real world at times when life seems overwhelming". So true.
I went to see Cilla in concert in Coventry many decades ago. Afterwards queuing for her autograph, I will never forget the size of the diamond in her engagement ring, it was HUGE!
Pardon my ignorance, but is text speak the same across all languages? In other words, do people whose first (or only) language is not English still use English text speak abbreviations?
Interesting question. I would guess no because all languages have their own humor and ways of expressing slang statements. I have cyrillic alphabet stickers also on my keys. Wouldn't that make us all nuts!
I would guess no too, which is surely a jolly good reason not to use text speak on a forum that has members from lots of different countries. I get really fed up too with people who use abbreviations for diseases that most people are unlikely to ever have heard of. It's one thing to say UAT (under active thyroid) here on a thyroid forum, but really not fair at all to use it on other forums. We should not expect others to have to work hard to understand what we're saying, simply because we're too lazy to type things out in full.
I was a nurse and even I don't understand some of the medical abbreviations I've seen. Many are not only pertinent to a specific disease or country, they can be very specific to a smaller area. True story. I once worked part time in an emergency room. On one wall there was a large erasable board listing brief information about what patients were where and a little about why they were there. This was so staff could get patient info at a glance. One abbreviation was 'FLK'. Turns out it meant 'funny looking kid'. Don't know who came up with that one but I can't imagine any situation where it would have been appropriate.
Legalese and Medicalese are like having to learn another language aren't they? And, at least in medical terminology, it seems that over the years many shortcut initials have taken on more that one interpretation. It's very confusing. I remember, when charting, we were not allowed to use initals or short-cut terms. Too unclear and confusing about meanings especially from a legal standpoint. I have a friend who is a nurse and an attorney. Boy does she have a lot of terminology to keep straight! I'm glad I'm retired! I try to keep up with new medical info but if I need help I call my sister. She is a medical transcriptionist and understands all the new-fangled terms.😊
Certainly not the same in French! Here, text speak is abréviations of French words - can't give example, sorry, it's a mystery to me. But, the French do use 'lol'. They even use it verbally! lol
Yes, it is. Fortunately, not many people use it. My granddaughter uses it when she's being sarcastic. She says 'Oh, lol!' with a sneer on her face. I find that funny. lol
Only people of a certain age -way before computers, never mind texting - a disc jockey called Jimmy Young used to sign off his radio station with TTFN - ta ta for now. Seems that nothing much is new under the sun!
I completely agree with the ‘no text speak’ suggestion. It’s so much harder for non-native English speakers like me to understand the meaning of some messages here and on other forums.
However when it comes to emojis I have to disagree. I need them, not to communicate my mood, but, for example, when I want to soften the meaning of a sentence in case I’ve been a little too direct.
Also, what can be a funny comment in one language may not be at all funny in another. So I find that emojis play an important role in helping people like me to get their point across.
Oh thank you helvella, that put a smile on my face this morning! I’ve lived in the uk for a long time but often find it hard to get my message right when I’m tired or ill. x
Sometimes, we may be judging someone for something we do ourselves, or have done. Look at your own behaviour. We are all strangers here looking for advice and guidance, not judgment on our educational backgrounds.
Ah ok, I just let that sort of thing go whoosh over my head. Not worth getting het up about. On the other hand, education doesn't have to stop when we leave school. Life long learning can make our educational 'background' a thing of the past.
Agreed, yet most do not seem to learn, just judge others thoughts and opinions. Just take a moment to reflect on your last postings. No emojis.?Your job doesn't divine you as a person. Enough said!.
I quite agree, not everybody has the same level of education and to be quite honest i would still try and help someone who had bad puncuation or no caps or bad grammar but text speak i do not understand?😊😊
EXACTLY!!!! I have had messages from people in despair ~ and they're not even new members! Just nervous and ill, saying they don't feel like posting anymore! 😳
I'm not remotely surprised to hear that. I read this thread with incredulity then mounting horror.........…
I can see perhaps the need for the original post but not the direction it quickly took.
I was under the impression that this was a forum specifically for those suffering from thyroid related conditions; I didn't think it was an English grammar site where you would expect members to be fastidious in their prose.
People grouping together to blatantly discuss/criticise/nit pick about how others - on the same forum! - post...….REALLY??!! Like some sort of Grammar Police?
Isn't there a well known word for that kind of behaviour?
It would appear that if you don't post, in a perfectly grammatical form; then your post won't get read and valuable help and advice will be withheld...…
REALLY??!!
I sincerely hope the people most in need of help, advice even compassion sometimes (if you are very lucky); DON'T STOP posting. And I include myself firmly in the group - so note to self.
Please do not allow the content of this thread to stop you trying to improve your health.
I also hope that the people who sprinkle their posts with smiley/grumpy faces/friendly bees, lots of exclamation marks, paragraphs that are too long, don't have the correct punctuation and God forbid, way too many full stops in your ellipsis; also DON'T STOP posting.
Please don't allow the unfortunate and largely misplaced content of this thread; to affect how you post nor dampen your natural personality.........
I'm sorry if my posts are difficult for you. For me my difficulties involve computer use-very hard and I consider just being able to use one an achievement for me. So my way of posting will remain what works for me. They don't have to be read by everyone. In the scheme of things my opinions just are not that important. If they are difficult for you just bypass them and move on.
No more long paragraphs, no more posts. Will continue to read forum because I like the helpful info here. irina1975
Don't you dare stop posting! I like your replies I think the point of this thread is for people to be aware of trying to post so that their words are easy to understand, but it's not a law and it should never stop people posting. xx
To anyone reading this thread who feels put off posting again - please don't be put off!
Yes, be mindful of trying to make your post/questions easy to read (it's to your advantage as more people are likely to reply if it's easy to read - many people with thyroid problems can have low concentration or brain fog, so do be mindful of this).
But do not be put off posting for any of the many reasons mentioned in this thread. They are all just people's opinions about things, and they are NOT rules
It takes all sorts of people to make up a community, and each person's contribution is valid and welcome
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Are you absolutely sure you put a fulls stop after an 'ellipsis? That would rather defeat the point (no pun intended!) if the 'ellipsis' indicates a trailing off. Besides, the way this person used them, they were just dots, not 'ellipsis' at all. 
Thyroid text
Healthwatch "Speak up in 2020" Survey
Resizing a text box on this forum
Results need further attention, speak to your GP
