Study finds people who pick out typos are " jerks" - Page 16

wildcat fan · ‎03-23-2010

We were talking not too long ago at work about how English teachers tend to have a harder time building rapport with students because they often point out writing/typing errors and have students make corrections. Their counterparts at our school, science and social studies teachers, require writing but never take off points for spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors. Walk into their classrooms and you'll see errors those teachers have written all over their boards, tests, quizzes, emails, etc. Again, this is what I see at my school--not saying this is typical eveywhere--but it's pretty obvious our students consider the English teachers to be picky/cranky while the other teachers who never point out or penalize for writing errors are viewed as nice/favorites. Is this fair or correct? I don't think so. Many people just don't like to be critiqued. It's hard to convince some that it's with good intentions and not meant to be hurtful.

My brain is wired to notice the errors, and I find them distracting, but I don't think that alone characterizes a cranky disposition.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@wildcat fan wrote:
We were talking not too long ago at work about how English teachers tend to have a harder time building rapport with students because they often point out writing/typing errors and have students make corrections. Their counterparts at our school, science and social studies teachers, require writing but never take off points for spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors. Walk into their classrooms and you'll see errors those teachers have written all over their boards, tests, quizzes, emails, etc. Again, this is what I see at my school--not saying this is typical eveywhere--but it's pretty obvious our students consider the English teachers to be picky/cranky while the other teachers who never point out or penalize for writing errors are viewed as nice/favorites. Is this fair or correct? I don't think so. Many people just don't like to be critiqued. It's hard to convince some that it's with good intentions and not meant to be hurtful.

My brain is wired to notice the errors, and I find them distracting, but I don't think that alone characterizes a cranky disposition.

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@wildcat fan

That is wonderful, so important!

My daughter was GATE right away. She went to a very special advanced academic high school.

The teachers gave two grades on papers, one for content, one for spelling.

It's the content that's important, a paper isn't worth much if the spelling is correct but the content is hogwash.

Of course I am not talking about a paper that is indecipherable, obviously. But a spelling or grammar error here or there should not bring down the worth of the paper.

wilma · ‎03-13-2010

I notice them, but don't say anything. That doesn't mean I don't have a life, or I'm a cranky jerk. I think it is a waste of time to spend money on such irrelevant studies.

GingerPeach · ‎03-12-2010

@Giggles Too wrote:
@GingerPeach, With all due respect, I do not agree that greater intelligence sometimes equates to crankiness. That's like saying it's OK to kick a puppy. IMO, I think "greater" intelligence goes hand-in-hand with wisdom.

@alliswell

I do not understand how you made a connection to kicking puppies. Crankiness is not all the same as cruelty.

Besides, it is not I who did the studies. Perhaps you ought to read some of them before you make your decision. This is not new. I've been reading references to these studies for years.

[was Homegirl] Love to be home . . . thus the screen name. Joined 2003.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

From the opening post link...

"SIMON: A new study out at the University of Michigan. They had 83 people read emails that contained typos and/or grammatical errors. And they found that cranky people are more likely to notice misplaced modifiers and, indeed, apostrophes and think those kind of errors are important than, you know, maybe people with real lives do.

Now I said cranky. The word Gizmodo, the tech blog, used was jerks. Any reaction, Mark?"

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Folks, the study didn't call the picky people "JERKS," a blogger did.

alliswell · ‎07-12-2012

@GingerPeach: Thank you for the clarification.

Speaking of "crankiness," I think in a sense "crankiness" is a form of cruelty, a form of bullying, a form of passive-aggressive behavior.

It's only good manners and respect for the dignity of others, that If a person's cranky, they should realize it and, if they're intelligent, figure out why they're cranky and shift into a more productive vibration.

GingerPeach · ‎03-12-2010

@Noel7 wrote:
IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

From the opening post link...

"SIMON: A new study out at the University of Michigan. They had 83 people read emails that contained typos and/or grammatical errors. And they found that cranky people are more likely to notice misplaced modifiers and, indeed, apostrophes and think those kind of errors are important than, you know, maybe people with real lives do.

Now I said cranky. The word Gizmodo, the tech blog, used was jerks. Any reaction, Mark?"

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Folks, the study didn't call the picky people "JERKS," a blogger did.

Thanks for putting this in BIG RED LETTERS, @Noel7

I posted earlier with the link to the Gizmodo item:

The original study was reported by Gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/study-people-who-point-out-typos-are-jerks-1767969516), from which you can tell that the writer (Sophie Kleeman, who calls herself a "soulless ginger" on Twitter) is young, and trying to get reactions by her use of "jerk" and other words.

[was Homegirl] Love to be home . . . thus the screen name. Joined 2003.

MacDUFF · ‎05-29-2015

I just realized something about myself...I'm a cranky jerk!

~~~ I call dibs on the popcorn concession!! ~~~

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

Title of this thread. I agree, especially nowadays with all the different formats and technology. Some of these formats take a word spelled correctly and change it. At times I can't even figure out what word I wrote.

hckynut(john)

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@GingerPeach wrote:
@Noel7 wrote:
IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

From the opening post link...

"SIMON: A new study out at the University of Michigan. They had 83 people read emails that contained typos and/or grammatical errors. And they found that cranky people are more likely to notice misplaced modifiers and, indeed, apostrophes and think those kind of errors are important than, you know, maybe people with real lives do.

Now I said cranky. The word Gizmodo, the tech blog, used was jerks. Any reaction, Mark?"

*******************************

Folks, the study didn't call the picky people "JERKS," a blogger did.
Thanks for putting this in BIG RED LETTERS, @Noel7

I posted earlier with the link to the Gizmodo item:

The original study was reported by Gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/study-people-who-point-out-typos-are-jerks-1767969516), from which you can tell that the writer (Sophie Kleeman, who calls herself a "soulless ginger" on Twitter) is young, and trying to get reactions by her use of "jerk" and other words.