Ask HN: Why the grammar and spelling pedants? Is it good for HN?
it? What kinds of mistakes should be corrected (at least factual errors, obviously)?
I value grammar and spelling, but is an HN comment thread the right place to teach it?
I value grammar and spelling, but is an HN comment thread the right place to teach it?
Correct spelling and grammar is not pedantry. If you don't bother with spelling and grammar your readers may think you uneducated, lazy, not able think and communicate with precision. Especially in a technical field you don't want to be perceived as a sloppy thinker. When I see misspelled words followed by (sp?) I wonder why the author was too lazy to open a browser tab and Google the suspect word -- it's so easy to look up a word when you have a computer with an Internet connection in front of you. When I see grammar errors I wonder if the writer finished elementary school.
Writers struggling with English because it's not their first language should be cut some slack unless they ask for help.
Many times in my career I've seen résumés and proposals tossed aside because of spelling or grammar errors, especially in cover letters. If I notice errors on a web page my scam alarm goes off (except for "FAQ's," which I've given up on). The little things do matter.