Pet Peeves in Personal Ads

[BiloxiCouple]

I saw one in a description the other day that had the woman listed at 5 feet 4 inches and 50 pounds.

Okay, what is wrong with this picture? Wouldn't you at least get the weight right?

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by BiloxiCouple

I saw one in a description the other day that had the woman listed at 5 feet 4 inches and 50 pounds.

Okay, what is wrong with this picture? Wouldn't you at least get the weight right?

Maybe she was just anorexic! REALLY anorexic.

[rpu3]

How many of you are offended by misspelled words?

Depends on the quantity of misspelled words, in relation to grammar. No one is perfect. On the flip side, I can be just as offended by the spelling/grammar police. I'm pretty pissed off when I get a PM about one spelling error or poor turn of phrase (from those who are not real-life friends that are teasing me) when, for the most part, I am pretty conscientious about spelling and grammar.

In any case, I do try to spell correctly and use proper grammar on our profiles and in my postings on various boards and I prefer to read posts/profiles in which the writer uses the same care.

Or words used out of context?

Same as above - an occasional misstep isn't offensive, but 20 of them in a post or profile is annoying to me.

Or by "text style" wording (not to be confused with textile... refer to previous question)?

All caps, all bold, all red or green or whatever makes my eyes hurt.

My spouse is guilty of the lower case as a "style". I loathe that. For crying out loud, he's an educator, and I don't think it's a good "example" at all to his students. He thinks it conveys his informality and his openness to providing help to his students. I think it conveys laziness in using the shift key and belies his skill and education level.

So my answer is yes, text style does mean something to me and can annoy or engage me.

Do you prefer words to be spelled out?

The occasional well known acronym is not offensive/annoying to me. But an entire profile written in classified ad style is not enjoyable to read. YMMV, of course.

[TNT]

Originally Posted by starryeyes

How many of you are offended by misspelled words?

Depends on what word it is...but usually no, the occasional misspelled word does not bother me.

I do have a huge problem with the first word of a sentence not being capitalized. I'm not the best at grammar/spelling but I do try and the occasional mishap in either is no big deal. It's the simple things that should have been learned in 1st grade that drives me batty.

Or words used out of context?

Yes...discreet and discrete are words when used in the wrong context will literally make Ted and I beat our heads up against the wall.

Or by "text style" wording (not to be confused with textile... refer to previous question)?

HATE IT!!! I don't text so I have no idea what the hell all those letters jumbled together are suppose to mean. Even when I am IMing someone I spell everything out.

I've often said to Ted that the internet and the ability to text people have created a whole new language...one I don't speak or read.

Do you prefer words to be spelled out?

See above answer.


Teresa

[VegasLee]

I am going to be the first to admit that many times my spelling sucks. I have been typing so long that I get going to fast and mess it up. I have got better about trying to correct things but sometimes words just come out wrong.

I do not like on line short hand. I feel if you are trying to hook up at least you can spell the words out. If I get a message from someone "I C U lik 2 fuk" chances are I am going to delete it and not take the time to figure out who the person is. If I am not worth the time to type it out then chances are they are not worth my time to talk to.

I am working on the spelling though.

[cocpl2007]

Wall eye’ve bean a’ tryan ta sea whare eye kood gro wyth tis’n!

Now having said that, we are equally turned off by the grammar and misspellings. It reflects on what we view the posters outlook toward finding whatever it is they are seeking. If they are indeed serious and caring they would take the time to develop a profile which reflects just that.

[edmustang]

Originally Posted by cocpl2007

... take the time to develop a profile which reflects just that.

Or just proofread what they wrote.

[hamlet]

I'm an English professor. I grade hundreds of student papers each year. If I were "offended" by misspellings and grammatical errors, I'd spend my life in a perpetual snit. With literacy dying everywhere in the culture, it's not so much that I respond negatively to badly written profiles and/or messages, but rather that my heart leaps up whenever I find one written in complete, and somewhat correct, sentences. If someone can write coherently, it gives us hope that conversation may be possible before and after the sex part of the evening. But, otherwise, it doesn't much matter.

[Tybee Swing]

A few random typos are understandable, but if the profile is poorly written overall and sounds illiterate, I'll assume that the person writing it is either genuinely illiterate or lazy. The worse it is, the more likely I won't be interested in writing them. For me, there are degrees and gray areas. I won't immediately write them off after the second typo. If they're cute, I might allow them three.

[purpletiger]

Originally Posted by starryeyes

Ok... now we have a few questions.... (got us thinking, dangerous very dangerous)

How many of you are offended by misspelled words?

Or words used out of context?

Or by "text style" wording (not to be confused with textile... refer to previous question)?

Do you prefer words to be spelled out?

Should we create a poll for this or is there already one?

I've read the responses and now have more questions?

Are you talking about friends, profiles, or initial emails?

Friends - None of these would be an issue. I know they know better and are either having fun with a word, or trying to type a quick response.

Profiles - Well, these should have been thought out, read, and re-read. There may still be a typo, but your profile says who you are to anyone reading it. It should have words spelled out. Acronyms can mean several things.

Emails (until we know each other) - These have more leeway than a profile, but it should still be coherent.

Put it all together, if it's a bad email, and a poorly written profile, then chances are good there will be a "No Thanks" as the reply.

[sweet_tna]

Originally Posted by starryeyes

Ok... now we have a few questions.... (got us thinking, dangerous very dangerous)

How many of you are offended by misspelled words?

Or words used out of context?

Or by "text style" wording (not to be confused with textile... refer to previous question)?

Do you prefer words to be spelled out?

Should we create a poll for this or is there already one?

None of these things really offend me. But if we're talking about profiles: Misspelled words are a pet peeve of mine. I can live with a few (no one is perfect), but if they use a lot of words they cannot spell, I'm probably going to pass on that profile.

The same goes for words used out of context. If done in a humorous manner, I'm fine with it. But the majority of times I've noticed this, it's because the people using these words don't really know what they mean.

Again, in a profile, I do prefer the words to be spelled out, though a few commonly accepted abbreviations are tolerable.

"Text style" . . . if you're referring to profiles written in "IM" language, then YES that bugs me. If you're referring to the (heavy and unnecessary) use of all caps, bold face, and/or colored text, the answer is also yes. I tend to find it distracting.

I feel similarly about these things with initial emails, though I'm slightly less picky. In IM's, I accept that these rules are thrown out the window and am fine. It's intended to be a less formal means of communication.

=)

[The Fuse]

Originally Posted by Tybee Swing

A few random typos are understandable, but if the profile is poorly written overall and sounds illiterate, I'll assume that the person writing it is either genuinely illiterate or lazy. The worse it is, the more likely I won't be interested in writing them. For me, there are degrees and gray areas. I won't immediately write them off after the second typo. If they're cute, I might allow them three.

Very well put!

[Cerberus]

Not me I misspell all the time. It doesnt make me unattractive or uneducated.

[Swingercast]

Not really a pet peeve but something I find amusing....

I've noticed a lot of profiles that say, "She is multi-orgasmic".

I just shake my head and think, "Duh, she is a girl, after all".

John

[JustAskJulie]

A profile that says:

"we are beginning to think this site is full of game players and fakes, where are all the real swingers? If anyone is interested, drop us a line"

Yes they never respond to messages (whether personal or related to events set up as part of a group that they opted to join).