The Snobbery Misconception?

[SilverBellsAbove]

I don't think there's a single person in this guild who is very snobby at all. All of you grammar-lovers out there are probably cooler than around ninety percent of the general population.

But why, then, is grammar and/or a large vocabulary linked with snobbery? Is it the corrections? Is it the fact that once in your life, you could be wrong about something?

I try to be casual about it. When someone asks me a question, I don't give a billion answers or remarks. I just tell them what's right (or at least what I think is) and they nod. If they make a mistake, I correct them quietly, and then follow up with a chummy joke or something along those lines.

Grammar's not about elitism. I like to think better of myself for not stooping to the low standards of others, but I don't like to cast others down.

Besides, plenty of elite people can have atrocious grammar. President George Bush, for instance. whee

A few days ago, I met a black kid (please forgive me for being totally dismissive of political correctness) who actually corrected my own grammar. I thought very highly of him. Not to say blacks are inferior in any way, shape, or form, but at my school the majority of dark-skinned people are sort of... um... grammar-abandoned, if you know what I mean. No offense to them, or anyone else of course. sweatdrop

So what you you think? What prompts this odd phenomenon?  

[CristoVII]

For some people, being able to wield a wide vocabulary and an advanced level of speaking (typing?) can give you a sense of superiority over people who "leetspeak". As soon as you start appreciating having these skills, as soon as someone text talks you instantly assume that he/she is basically a dumbass.

I suppose it's arrogance born out of fluence in the English language.  

[Marcus McFlufferson]

I live in a rough area of town, and it has often been joked (sometimes with a serious background) that I can't possibly have lived here my entire life, because of my use of vocabulary.

I know what you mean, I know where you're coming from. I do not however, have an answer sad  

[SixteenthNote]

Hm... Maybe this could be linked back to Victorean and Elizabethean eras (and others in the English timeline) where the rich and wealthy were well educated and the poor were mostly farmers, labourers, maids etc. From what I've seen in movies, these rich people always have good vocabulary and grammar whereas the poor rarely spoke proper. And always, the rich act snobbish and shun the poor and not educated.

This could probably be an answer.

I think this rich and poor factor still affects the world today. But sometimes, in a different concept. For example, private schools and government schools.  

[Lady Pica]

I think it's due to persistent stereotypes. Look at media representations of people. The "intelligent", rich, and powerful usually have British or at least European accents, while people that are considered stupid have poor gramar and a Southern accent. We've actually been looking at this in my White Trash Fiction and Dirty Realism course at school. It's fascinating to look at these representations in literature.  

[ChibiStarlet]

On a less scholarly note, I think it also has to do with the reputation (expectation?) that people who enjoy grammar or are good at grammar will go around correcting other people when they speak. I can't tell you how many times I've been told, "Oh, you're an English major? I guess I'd better watch my punctuation around you" or something to that extent. But there are those grammar "snobs," if you will, who give us a bad name by sticking their noses up at colloquialisms and insist that, even in conversational speech, ending sentences with propositions is something up with which they will not put.  

[MadnessFreak]

Grah. Never happened to me personally, and I'm happy it's staying that way.  

[limp dick]

My ego was probably formed by my understanding of grammar and the capability to use a wide array of words.
Then again, I rarely use words that most people wouldn't know.
It's unethical to just use large or unknown words for the sake of appearing intelligent.

Otherwise, I use said words in essays for school just to amuse teachers.

Generally, I don't think of myself as higher or more superior than any of my contemporaries. It just happens occasionally, I suppose.  

[[Spellcheck]]

Many of the stereotypes, as far as Gaia goes, are not being based on the true grammar lovers, such as the members of this guild, but the users who think that acting superior in spelling will make them an elite. I see many threads in the Chatterbox with people posting "Literates only" in the title, only to find that they make simple mistakes in their first post, while insulting anybody that makes one mistake. These people give true literates a bad name, and cause others to instantly classify them as "snobs." On the other side, I honestly do automatically view somebody using excessive "leet speak" as a moron, because that is how they look. If some one can't take the time to type something moderately correctly, then I find it hard to take them seriously. Gaia needs more moderation; less grammar nazis, and less "leet speakers," just understandable, respectable English.

 

[SilverBellsAbove]

The title 'literates only' means absolutely nothing about the content contained within.

In fact, I find it the content to be exactly the same cybersex that takes place everywhere else on Gaia (Such as being followed around in Towns by some guy sitting down and standing up right behind me to suggest humping), maybe even worse.

The only difference (please excuse my vulgar txttlk, this is simply cut and paste from an actual thread, followed by translation):

H3 700k h15 c0ck0rz and 5l4mmD l31k 4 p1z7un N2 t3h slu7

Versus:

He took his and slammed like piston into the slut.

Ugh. While it's readable, why do I still find the need to scratch my eyeballs out? Simple: it's the same pack of illiterate horn dogs. They just happen to use vowels.

burning_eyes  

[[Spellcheck]]

I could care less about inappropriate behavior on Gaia. It makes me laugh, and I don't think people should be taking the internet so seriously. If I just wanted to talk to people, then I would go on an instant messenger site.

 

[SilverBellsAbove]

I agree. No matter what you do, you cannot eliminate porn. But I wish that it was advertised a bit more blatantly...

I clicked on a link to 'Literates only: Tolkien' and got hobbit smut by mistake. Ugh. While it was funny, I thought they could have said 'adult roleplay' or something along those lines. It boggles the mind, I say.  

[[Spellcheck]]

I suppose they should specify the content of threads if they're going to contain images that could be... disturbing. And some people are just plain sickening. Somebody was posting graphic pictures of people that commited suicide by jumping out of buildings. That wasn't something I wanted to see, and considering the ages of some of the members of Gaia, that could be traumatizing.

 

[SilverBellsAbove]

Yeah. There are some sickos out there. Some guy followed me around for an hour in Towns and then sent me PMs with pictures of his nether-bits. And I could have been ten for all he knew; he only followed me around because he thought my avatar was hot.

Not that it is at all. It's just a noobie trying to attempt a nice outfit while not having to sell her kidneys to buy a pair of boots. Perhaps it's the midriff, or maybe the hair.

Anyway, it's not like any of us could fix all the jerks around. They're like an infestation of ants. They find food and flourish. Good luck trying to snuff them out. There's more ants out there than anything else on earth, I bet.  

[CristoVII]

Infestation of ants? Understatement. They're like small houseflies; they're too troublesome to dispose of but they annoy the hell out of you.