Posted October 16, 2012
I'm a fan of right/wrong language. When we codify a language, it slows the evolutionary tree of the language down. And that helps people speak across borders and generations. Is it important to let language adapt? Of course! But when we allow a select group to assist in the adaptation of the language, we get fewer radical changes and it slows the change of the language. All of that said, the Internet has turned every human with a computer and a connection into a writer. And most people are not writers by trade. But as Gusteau says, "Anyone can cook!" And I believe that the same hold true with the art of writing. What we end up with are a bunch of people writing either "right" or "wrong" and a bunch of people judging its "rightness" and "wrongness." Sometimes it's important to correct someone. If they think NSFW means "This post contains content that will make you laugh," then they need corrected. And if you believe you'd like to be a force in the evolution of a language by attempting to correct a perceived misuse such as "literally" or "for all intensive purposes," then by all means, post your perceived correction. But be willing to be called a "grammar nazi" or to be attack by the "wrong majority." What I tend to do is just read the intent of the post and ignore ignorance, mistakes or blatant assaults against the English language. But if I'm publishing something and the audience expects correct usage, then I will do my best to be sure my English is as correct as I can make it be. I for one will remain vigilant in my perceived correct use of "literally." And I hope to never write the word that represents a male who watches and enjoys ponies. That was some fun writing. Thanks. :D
Post edited October 16, 2012 by Tallima