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Spelling/grammar And Cache Approval


Dr. Boggis

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Before I start, this is probably going to make me sound like a grumpy old man, which I'm not really, and I don't want to cause any offence. I know that cache approvers are VERY busy and don't want to burden them with any more work, but I was wondering if there's an official policy about the naming of caches, or the content of the cache pages, in relation to spelling or grammar? I'm one of those people who gets annoyed when people put in erroneous apostrophes, can't distinguish between "your" and "you're", and so on, and some caches are just terrible in this respect.

 

For instance, there are lots of errors in this cache page, including 7 wrongly placed apostrophes, and various typos etc. The guy who placed this cache is a bit of a local celebrity cacher, and I have nothing against him (in fact his caches are pretty cool), it's just an example. It's not hard to correct a cache page once it's been made either, and when I've made typos on my own cache pages I've gone back and corrected them.

 

Does anyone else get annoyed by things like this? Do any approvers ask people to rewrite their cache pages before they get approved? I still enjoy finding the caches no matter how badly the cache page is written, and I know this isn't a spelling club, I just wanted to vent my spleen on the subject.

 

Cheers,

 

Dr. B

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I think FATTBOY is teh roxors, personally.

 

Yeah, spelling is something of a pet peeve for me, though I don't mind ending sentences a preposition in. But to each ones own. Some people are more talented in their cache placement than their spelling.

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I try to fix the obviously bad spelling errors when they jump out at me. It's not a big deal to have IEspell or SpellBound for FireFox do a quick check.

 

However I do so carefully, like only when the page is littered with errors. If there is just one or two I tend to leave them. I've been chastised a couple of times when I fixed a spelling error that was intentional and provided a subtle hint.

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Hey - it bugs me too - but as long as I understand it and get the information (I think) he's trying to convey then I just try (hard) to ignore it.

 

We should also all be just a little tollerent as some of our fellow cachers are ESL (English as a Second Language). Not necessarily an excuse - just an understanding of the situation.

 

LIke some ones sayd up there Lives two shoot too make a fuse bout it - hey?

 

:ph34r::lol::lol:

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We should also all be just a little tollerent as some of our fellow cachers are ESL (English as a Second Language).

That, I'm so thankful for! :ph34r:

 

I generally spell better than my most common approver anyway :lol:, and I have never got suggestions from him to edit the spelling on my cache pages. To answer the question: yeah, I generally get annoyed by bad spelling too.

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and I don't want to cause any offence.

And you didn't cause any offense, Dr. Bogus. What we have here is the English language, and with that comes creative spelling. There is no authority. Many people are annoyed by spelling that ain't quite kosher, others couldn't care less. It's probably best to accept this and look at the positive aspects. You'll feel better in the long run. :ph34r:

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To answer the question: yeah, I generally get annoyed by bad spelling too.

In English as well as in Finnish?

Me, I don't care too much about misspelling in English (if ever I realize it); there's just a little concern about my written English deteriorating simply because I spend too much time on the GC premises... :rolleyes:

 

BS/2

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If someone could tell me how to fit it in to my schedule I'd be happy to fix all the errors. Right now I do not have that kind of time to spend.

 

(or as another admin said, "You want me to do WHAT??"

Hey CO, you could do like I did. I kept complaining to my mother till she gave me a twin brother. I thought I could split the duties in half and have more free time. Oh how wrong I was :) . Now I complaint to my mother, please send him back :rolleyes: where he came from. He created so much more work for me. I now have to correct his mistakes :rolleyes: , too. So now, I guess I'll get a new watch that has no batteries, so time stands still. For sure I'll then get more done in an hour. Keep on truckin and keep up the good work!

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To answer the question: yeah, I generally get annoyed by bad spelling too.

In English as well as in Finnish?

Especially in Finnish. In English I tend to misspell from time to time too, and also write inconsistently using both American and British phrasing. (German, on the other hand... it'd be a small wonder if I even understood if someone asked me my age... :rolleyes::))

 

In English text it's sometimes confusing for me as a foreigner when the author has only slight idea (or not idea at all) of spelling some non-English words or place names. Misspelled words like weiner or Ramstien are only just understandable, but how could I know that the writer means voilà when the word is spelled walla? :):rolleyes:

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Agreed. Poor spelling can be annoying. But I usually accept it as color; the way we write is the way we are; imperfect. We gain some insight to the cache owner when we read the cache page. We gain even more when we visit the cache.

 

We provide insight to ourselves when we write our logs and comment in forums. Personal (and public) communication is an expression of much more than just our thoughts, assuming we actually relay our thoughts.

 

Most of us know how to use a dictionary and have access to some kind of spell check program.

 

I really see no reason for the site to provide any assistance. If the approvers can’t read the cache page because of excessive spelling errors, etc., then the cache should not be approved. If the approvers can read the page, then so can I.

 

Let the cache owner make any adjustments if and when he (she) feels it’s necessary. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes:

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You will not here me complaining about typos on a cache page although some make me wonder about the hider. After all with my sig line, I better not complain.

 

There are translators available that only require cut and paste. The problem is they need to have proper spelling or they can't figure it out.

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Before I start, this is probably going to make me sound like a grumpy old man, which I'm not really, and I don't want to cause any offence. I know that cache approvers are VERY busy and don't want to burden them with any more work, but I was wondering if there's an official policy about the naming of caches, or the content of the cache pages, in relation to spelling or grammar? I'm one of those people who gets annoyed when people put in erroneous apostrophes, can't distinguish between "your" and "you're", and so on, and some caches are just terrible in this respect.

 

For instance, there are lots of errors in this cache page, including 7 wrongly placed apostrophes, and various typos etc. The guy who placed this cache is a bit of a local celebrity cacher, and I have nothing against him (in fact his caches are pretty cool), it's just an example. It's not hard to correct a cache page once it's been made either, and when I've made typos on my own cache pages I've gone back and corrected them.

 

Does anyone else get annoyed by things like this? Do any approvers ask people to rewrite their cache pages before they get approved? I still enjoy finding the caches no matter how badly the cache page is written, and I know this isn't a spelling club, I just wanted to vent my spleen on the subject.

 

Cheers,

 

Dr. B

I hate rambling sentences. But not enough to start a thread on a forum board about it. :rolleyes:

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Dr. B--

 

I see that someone else already took a jab at "offence". Beat me to it. :rolleyes:

 

Back in the day, when I was an admin, I used to correct some of the errors as they came through. But sometimes I'd get one that was written by some rube who had no concept of the Engluch Langwhich.

 

Personally, I think it's kind of rude to just toss up a geocache page without checking the spelling--or at least making an attempt. Of course, it's also pretty sad that so many people get so far in life without being able to write a decent sentence.

 

That said, I would appreciate it if people gave me feedback on my geocache pages, including spelling errors. I am ssure that it has happened and that I was grateful. I feel like my geocache pages are a reflection of my abilities. I mean, eff i spel lik dis, how kin u be sher that i even no how to uze a gps reseever? :)

 

Anyway, what was the question? Oh, yeah, approvals. Well, I didn't feel very comfortable asking some bumpkin to fix his entire page when I was an admin. I figured that other geocachers would draw their own conclusions if it was too horrible. Although, as I said before, I would usually fix the occasional typo or misplaced apostrophe. I'm just too anal to let that stuff slide. :rolleyes:

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I would, however, love to see some kind of translator on the site so I could read the non-english caches and logs.  B)  :o

Software translators, as commonly known, often do much worse job than human ones (even with poor knowledge of the language). Of course, they're often better than nothing as well.

 

When the multilingual cache page feature gets implemented, it hopefully encourages people to post their cache descriptions with more than just their native language.

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I don't want to cause any offence.

I find it offensive that you would use the British spelling of offense. :o

 

Edit: heh, that's what I get for not reading the entire thread. Us Americans is lazy.

 

--Marky

Edited by Marky
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This can be a little Off Topic, or maybe not.

 

I was looking for a topic regarding cache approval issues when i've found this one that seems appropriated or at least close enough ("...And Cache Approval").

 

My point is the following:

 

Most important than the spelling issue, when approving caches, is the understanding of a cache description when it's written in a local language, other than english;

 

- How do an approver understands a cache description written solely in my language (portuguese) in order to approve it?

 

- Would all non english written caches be approved if the approvers understood what the cache is or what it's needed to search and log a find?

 

I think no.

 

So, my suggestion, while it's not possible to have Multilingual Cache Pages (idea already accepted by Jeremy as a good one), is just to place a reminder in the "submit a cache" form asking to write some words in english (brief description of the cache) or the cache won't be approved.

 

Also, that reminder could show up in the "log a visit" form because of the international nature of geocaching. I don't travel too much outside Portugal, but i'd never visit a cache if i don't understand its description.

 

I don't want to seem elitist (in fact, my english is far from perfect) but i don't believe that a person that can understand the "create an account" form, can't write some simple words that describes a cache ...or a cache visit.

 

So, two simple reminders in the right place and an internal rule may help a lot in two issues: geocaching compliance and universal understanding of cache's descriptions.

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Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

 

I found it interesting that you can read this at near normal speed with total comprehension (at I least I can, but I can't spell).

 

P.S. Apparently, this is NOT actually a research result from Cambridge, but an experiment in Intenet folklore dispersion. Pretty interesting anyway.

 

Edit: more direct link.

Edited by Sputnik 57
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can't distinguish between "your" and "you're"
"There", "they're", and "their" are my favorites. However keep in mind that this is an international site so you should accept color and colour, etc... :rolleyes:

 

It happens. Just send a nice email to the owner and suggest the corrections, it's no big deal. If they follow you corrections and value your help then great if they don't then their loss.

 

"But to each ones own." Hmmmmm shouldn't that be possessive? Not plural? Just kiddn :o

 

Thorin

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Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

 

I found it interesting that you can read this at near normal speed with total comprehension (at I least I can, but I can't spell).

 

P.S. Apparently, this is NOT actually a research result from Cambridge, but an experiment in Intenet folklore dispersion. Pretty interesting anyway.

 

Edit: more direct link.

Yeah, it's phony. And you'll notice that the letters really aren't randomized. They keep most of the consonants in the correct order, or are only slightly out of order. When I first encountered this, I wrote a little program to test it. It really randomized the interior letters of words of whatever phrase you entered. In almost all cases, it was rendered unintelligible.

Edited by Prime Suspect
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