Since I think we haven't been having enough fun lately on OSNews, I decided it's time we do something fun for a change. We all have our little pet annoyances when it comes to other people's comments. Fixed expressions or comment styles that annoy the living daylights out of you. Here are mine.
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Member since:2008-04-23
I'm Norwegian too, and I believe we were thought the difference between it's and its in fourth grade. I'm sure then/than was mentioned at some point too. 
That being said, if people keep correcting your small mistakes, you should probably take it as a compliment. They probably do not realize they're talking someone whom native language isn't English. From what I've seen, people who obviously don't speak English very well don't usually get the same "grammar nit-picking" replies.
Member since:2006-09-22
Member since:2009-08-05
Member since:2006-01-12
Multiple languages speakers/ writers tend to be more correct than native speakers. Native speakers tend to be lazier, or more correctly, looser, in their language patterns.
The problem with non-native speakers is that they tend to be more literal. Humor, figures of speech, irony, and sarcasm go over their heads. "I'll be back in a minute" doesn't mean within a literal 60 seconds. Arguing with them on boards can be a pain because everything is taken literally.
They also don't understand and mangle figures of speech and cliches, which is where I have my pet peeve - people speaking/ writing outside their level. If you don't understand what you are saying, no one else will either.
I've lost count of how many ways people mangle "for all intents and purposes." Then we see things way out there: "the tail wagging the pillow" or a "he has a potato chip on his collar."
Member since:
2005-07-06
As a Norwegian, I get frustrated when people use all their energy correcting spelling errors and wrong use of then/than and it's/its and such.
We're not native English! We do not necessarily know the difference between then and than - nobody has taught us! That doesn't make us stupid - just uninformed. If the writer is uninformed of the topic, I can understand you reacting. But it's the finer points in English writing and grammar we are bad at (and the spell check do not help us with errors like that), not the topic at hand, and come on! You are smart enough to correct in your mind while reading, aren't you?
Now, what I find annoying is when I read a forum that cannot be threaded and a writer entire comment is:
«@RoundTree: YES!»
Without any quote of RoundTree's comment. Of cause there is a few hundred comments and only ten on each page. Then I have to go backwards and look for the comment made of RoundTree to find out what the writer is shouting YES to. Takes a bit of time that.
Now that's annoying!
Nalle Berg
./nalle.