11 Comments

• Easy There
  May 11th, 2010 at 12:09 pm

  Wow! (I’m keeping my comment short so I don’t get a visit from them.)

• Grammar Nazi
  May 11th, 2010 at 3:09 pm

  I’ll think you’ll find it’s ‘comments’, not ‘comment’.

• Easy There
  May 12th, 2010 at 11:59 pm

  Aha! You fell into my trap! Although I had intended to make a separate parenthetical statement in addition to my comment, there are technically two comments, when viewed as a whole. The statement does, in fact, comment on the original comment. I agonized over whether or not to pluralize the word comment. Finally, I decided to test to see if some kind Nazi with a spare S would loan me one. Thanks for the assist.

  So, when will you – or when shall you think I’ll find it’s ‘comments’, not ‘comment’?

  btw jk

• Edward
  May 13th, 2010 at 2:09 am

  I think you’ll both agree that regardless of whether it’s singular or plural, “comment” should be made possessive, as the sentence refers to the spelling mistakes of the comment or comments. And I assume you meant “Tarantino.”

  Never before have I so wanted to be a Nazi.

• Easy There
  May 13th, 2010 at 6:22 am

  Indeed, and so I probably should have marked the letter S in the same manner since this comment section does not give the option to italicize. More to the point, this entire mess could have been avoided if there had been a button marked “Submit Comments” in addition to the button marked “Submit Comment.” It would have made my choice so much clearer. How is one to effectively communicate with such limited resources and primitive tools?

• DavoX
  May 13th, 2010 at 8:18 am

  Whoh…..easy there, ‘Easy There’!

• Jonathan Dickson
  May 13th, 2010 at 11:55 am

  Nice to see some people still have standards. Oh, I think it’s Tarantino, not Taratino as well.

• Taratino
  May 13th, 2010 at 12:13 pm

  No, I’m a famous director too. People often confuse me with that childish pretender

• Easy There
  May 13th, 2010 at 1:43 pm

  I agree that too few people know the formal rules of communication, be it verbal, or written, or typed. If the Internet was the grand tool of education that it could be, and probably should be, then I might also advise people to be more attentive to those rules where applicable. However, for the most part, the Internet is a playground and a perfect example is the video on this page. It’s fun and I enjoy it, but it’s not seriously vital to my existence. The whole of civilization is not likely to collapse if we fail to conform 100% to complex grammar structures in a forum that has no significance beyond itself. To mercilessly demand perfection is quite literally like asking children to be serious at recess. All I’m saying is: Don’t bother me with that, it’s my day off (and I’m still saying it with a smile.)

  Among other problems, there are people out in the real world dying. If there is one thing we have to get right, shouldn’t it be concern for our own personal health and nutrition, or perhaps social problem solving skills, or even breaking down cultural barriers? If we can ignore all that while visiting here, why do we need grammar lessons? So, what’s next, online faith counseling? Consider this: English teachers are paid less than doctors, lawyers, politicians, and even evangelists. Why is that? It’s all just a matter of perspective.

• The period goes on the outside of the parentheses!
  May 18th, 2010 at 5:51 am

  The very first comment on this page: The period goes on the outside of the parentheses!

• Easy There
  May 22nd, 2010 at 5:22 am

  Actually, the period in the first comment is correct. The entire sentence is parenthetical because the “Wow!” is separated by the exclamation mark. If the period were placed outside, then the sentence within would have no punctuation itself. On the other hand, in my comments dated May 13th, the period at the end of the first paragraph should have been outside the parenthesis because only part of the sentence was parenthetical and the portion ahead is left without punctuation. Who caught that? Anyone? Anyone?

  We could go on debating my flaws until the Internet’s batteries die, but I am more disappointed that no one seems to have got my joke about the Nazi with the spare ‘S’, from my comments Dated May 12th. Mel Brooks would have got that joke, and maybe even laughed at it.

  I have noted and logged these examples. Arrant pedantry has once again killed a humorous experience and, I might add, ignored social morality. It’s a hollow victory, yes, but by the power vested in me by Norm Crosby, and in the name of Terrence Aloysius Mahoney, I declare myself the winner.

  So, where can I get a home with an intellectual French woman under the floorboards, and is she single?

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