Grammar Nazis

Yes, I am a grammar and spelling nazi. I can't help myself. When I see you using "you're" in place of "your" it makes me cringe. When I see you using "they're" instead of "their" or "there", it makes me want to go correct your post.

I am not alone in this, trust me. I know it's annoying. I know it gets on others' nerves. I feel like an old biddy schoolteacher sometimes, but it is something ingrained in me. Do I make mistakes? Yes, all the time. I try to catch them and correct them, though.

Using written language correctly is an art form, and a dying one at that. Unfortunately, we now have the texting generation who, instead of using correct spelling, punctuation, and the proper words in a sentence have become lazy and will reduce a sentence to consonants.

U knw wht i meen lolomgwtf!!1111!!1

I cannot imagine these folks filling out a job application.

Education: Ummmmm, i lyk wnt to hyghlnd hygh scool for abt 4 yrs dude

Interests: I rlly lyk musicmovies an othr stuff all that good junk ya know

It's, its.

They're, their, there.

"I" is always capitalized (unless you are ee cummings).

Punctuation is important.

Proper spelling looks like you have more than two brain cells to rub together.

Facebook/Myspace/Twitter doesn't charge by the letter. It's ok to use ALL the letters.

Where you put that apostrophe is important.

Something well-written and spelled correctly can be a beautiful thing. It is akin to a magical tapestry woven with caring hands. Something poorly written causes the reader to stumble over the offending word (or apostrophe, spelling, capitalization, etc) like a speed bump, interrupting the flow.

All bets are off if you are not writing in your first language, though.

The great writers and speakers of our time put infinite care and attention into their works. Can you imagine Dr. Martin Luther King or Maya Angelou getting by on "WTEVA, DUDE"!?

You have an education, look as though you actually paid attention.