I will freely admit that I am not the best when it comes to spelling, grammar and all that good stuff. In fact I am one of those people who writes like I talk, which can often lead to peculiarities that perhaps are best scrubbed in the edit.
My approach has always been to aim to provide valuable content despite my English inadequacies, but it seems mistakes in spelling, syntax, structure or grammar annoy some people so much that they can not read any further.
I can understand how there can be a limit to any individual’s patience when it comes to wading through error after error, but I am finding that there are folks out there who have a much lower tolerance than I had expected. Rather than help by pointing out problems they unsubscribe, stating my credibility is shattered.
Now, I am not singling out anyone in particular, my goal here is both obviously to have a good moan but also to get to the issue.
- How bad does the English need to be before credibility is lost?
- How many mistakes are acceptable?
- What is the tipping point from irritant to intolerable?
The web is full of people who either do not have strong writing skills or do not have English as their first language, and nevertheless have lots of value to offer. I believe everyone has something valuable to share within them.
Obviously some of us set ourselves up for greater criticism, I have to expect more heat about deficiencies in my writing skills when I am advising people how to write for the web!
We all make mistakes, and most of us are grateful when we are given the opportunity to correct them. When it comes to goofs in writing, where do you draw the line?
