Re: It's All About Using The English Right

What is OT and not OT should be decided based on the situation I guess. If an OT post/discussion is relevant enough, it should be allowed to some extent and if it's uncalled for, the post should be deleted and the member should be warned and repeat offenders should be punished. What do you guys think?

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

Apperciate the effort sir, nicely written and a through emphasis on language and behaviour of members.


I don't think i am mature enough to speak on this thread, but still, a few points which i think are important.
Firstly, the number of active Mods on xBhp is way too less. In a growing community like this, there is even more pressure to keep a check on the content being posted and a single mod can't deal all this by himself. There should be more of them. (i know there are more, but most are not active apart from Samarth, who is also rarely here)
Secondly, the seniors should try to more active and post as much as they used to. A humble request to our seniors. I know its hard for them to post in all the rubbish, but a single post by them can put a full stop to the OT's and factless 'gyan'
And also the members should first look at their posts and only post the content thats relavent to the thread. There has been a steep fall in the post that are useful to the TS and more members are just posting to show off (don't know to whom)

As fas are the poll is concerned, it not a matter of choice. If xBhp has to raise its standard, Mods need to be more strict.

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

Can someone tell me the real motive of the thread?
Is it for
1. Getting to know correct use of the English language or
2. Making XBHP a better forum to be on?

If its the former, we're deviating from the topic big time. If its the latter, we should get the thread renamed to something more appropriate.

Also, we cannot compare XBHP to TBHP yet. The infrastructure is entirely different and TBHP is highly scaleable. We, for our forum, would need some radical changes in the setup and maintenance of various areas to achieve that flexibility. Its not a matter of moderators or XPolice only. What can they do if most newbies start brand wars and OT in every possible thread? I have even seen banned members coming back with a different ID and starting all crap again!

Solution# 1: Make registration a bit difficult. Take an online exam a la TBHP. The person shall remain a guest user until he passes that exam.
Solution# 2: Open a few sections of the forum for newbies first. Also, rather than just the thread topic, first 50 posts of the user should be moderated before they get posted.
Solution# 3: Make stricter infractions. No warnings. Conduct an enquiry with the user in question directly and if his/her answers are not satisfactory, XBHP should hand them a temporary ban for the first and second time. 3rd time should strike them out permanently. Temporary ban = guest user. Permanent ban = IP based site blocking.

I'd come up with additional pointers when they strike me.

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

Very good that you pointed out the same. I was a bit skeptical on the usage but expected it to be overlooked, my bad! A keen observation indeed and very well along the lines of this thread. So here is a constructive feedback for the greater good -

1. The way 'Ain't' was used in the post is in no way semantically wrong. The reference was to 'is not', which is clearly implied through the usage. I am sure that you must have heard about linguistic semantics! If you still claim it to be semantically wrong, kindly PM me an excerpt supporting the same.

2. The use of '?!' together is nothing but an overkill. It is a rhetorical usage which many may approve and at the same time many may disapprove at their will. Technically, it is termed as Interrobang - Interrobang - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . It is a way of shoring up tone which is a strict 'no' in professional and business writings. Here in our forum, we generally communicate in a way which is neither overly-colloquial nor formal. I hope you get my point.

I am sure that you must have gone through PSR Sir's post. It is, in all sense, true that English is a vast language and has taken different shapes and structures over a period of time. This is strongly based on factors such as usage, dialects etc. Both the faults that you pointed out are always subjects of controversy in English and are considered informal. But since we both agree that we are not English professors, let us leave the usage at the poster's disposal; we agree, right?

Viewers and readers, please take these posts constructively or ignore at will. The sole aim is still to convey about using the English Right. You do not have to get too technical to communicate - a simple approach is good enough. Reading more and taking cues is a good way of learning before we start writing. While learning is a never-ending process.

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

The forum is in English for a reason. It is the only language that is understood throughout the country. But not everybody knows the language well enough to convey their message clearly.

A lot of arguments start simply because the poster is translating from their mother tongue to english and the reader is translating english back to his mother tongue, which might be a different language. So let is not be a Grammar Nazi, but give the other person the benefit of the doubt and try to understand what he/she is saying.

Also, one should make an effort to THINK before posting.

As for the other complaints. Well this is something that i have repeated a million times. The forum has a REPORT POST feature for a reason. A number of people are complaining about the trash on the forum and rightly so, but for that matter i hardly get any reported posts!

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Something more that you should read before you post again - http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/hard-tor...e-opinion.html

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

As @Divya Sharan said, i too think this thread is just not about making good use of English here, but keeping our lovely and respected xbhp in acme. My suggestions,

1. keep active moderators more and they must warn or ban temporarily.

2. i had made this suggestion in the other thread ( suggestions to make xbhp better). currently we have only 1 option to show our thoughts on one's post, i.e, LIKE THIS. we badly need options like OT ( other topic), LOL (funny), Dislike or Offensive, etc... whenever OT or Offensive is clicked, online mods must do the needful.

3. Add Google custom search engine to get instant results, which would stop members from 1 liners and starting off fire from first.

Recently, I too feel new comers and few others are paving the path to bring in indiscipline here. I admit mistakes from my part and am ready to keep this forum going strong.

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yes indeed,things are not just about grammar. but sir honestly i never knew this REPORT THIS feature. will surely use it. so do repeat this, as morons like me are here even though they use xbhp often.

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

+1. I think as members we have the responsibility to help the mods out. And we definitely will.

I read the 'IMHO' post. To be honest, I think there are simpler ways to convey a message. I have nothing against that post, but many guys wont be able to make the head or tail of it. All they will do is hit the 'like' button and say "wow! very informative". I repeat, I don't mean any offence.

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

Why is everyone so quiet today?! I know. Retirement day of Sachin and Anand suffered another loss.

But seriously, I can already see some improvements! The bullet did hit the target. One particular guy I know of now posts very carefully, with the help of a translator.

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

Although I do use the "Report" button, but sometimes they get overlooked, not blaming mods here. They have loads of things to look into and might have missed those. My point is exactly what B7ACKTHORN wrote. Coming from a language oriented career (ITES), English language can actually be quite confusing if not written in proper way. At the same time, I do understand that not everyone is fluent, but they can take help of MS word, Google to correct them. They might not use it for small replies , but when they post something which is important, I would rather request them to post in proper sentences to avoid OTs/fights.

Another thing, there is a way of putting out your opinion and its not necessary that everyone should have the same point of view as yours, so at that just "Agree to Disagree" and jump out of the topic. Just my two cents.

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

Agree to [MENTION=13887]prateek2210[/MENTION]''s post above. I've reported quite a few posts in the recent past and most of them have been acted upon. A particular report was not looked into at all is what perplexed me then, but then I didn't pursue it further.
Also, how many of us posters use tools for spell checks, leave alone translation?
The point of my reply here is; rather than us jumping to conclusions due to one confusing post, talking garbage in the form of OTs and getting the thread locked, we should have patience and ask the OP/TS to clarify his stand.
I remember certain posts in the ZMR 2014 thread for e.g 70% of posts from both sides (for/against) were downright ridiculous!

One MUST agree to disagree. Its an internet forum after all and thoughts would clash.

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

Okay biker bros, I happen to come across this thread lately and I am up for recruiting some of the content writers. Please come in if and only if you are more or less driven by the passion for writing. Interested ones can PM me any time.

About the thread, can we do something that can improve the English skills of others? The horror side is many people over here do not even realize what/how they write and this is clearly a shame when xbhp sweeps into international audiences. I do have some ideas to come with, but I need to see how many are seriously interested to learn the basics?

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

@Divya Sharan, though you have some valid points, I just want to reiterate just one thought. It's not about I advocating everyone to give their best, everyone to be fluent, or not comparing other forums hand in hand here, and it's not a wise idea to compare x or y or z forums in this forum, that's my kind advice. Though you've used a well reputed forum for a case in point, it won't go well with others in this forum. Chaos Theory.

Plus no one's perfect. All I am trying to enforce is not the rhetoric or the fluence of the language, it's using a little common sense, is all I am advocating for. Yes mods can't watch them all, agreed, yes they have their hands tied, and there are a limited number of mods. But with a growing community like this, the more people come in the day after day It's not just a farm. I just don't want our xBhp forum where you add more swine to merryalong in the same muddy moat.

All I am trying to do is *help* them post in a proper way, whatever it is, they're trying to say. Will you send a resume to a famous company like

Hi...I'm divya....divya sharan.

Resume....lol...I didn't even think I'd be sending a resume to your company....lol...anywayzz

BE Comp Sci.

Experience... Bakwaas.

so and so and then finally... I hope you consider my application and I swear to god everything I typed is true....

so long...lolz

divya sharan

And imagine the above just typed with just proper full stops and capitalization? Got the point, it's that I am asking for Harvard English Literature student fluency. Just basic 3rd grade common sense and to take the time to write what one is intending to say. Of course mods can't see each and every single post, but can bring in a feature where everyone can anonymously post a report feature right below their handle, for any lingos. It might seem illogical now, but one day where you lose interest is not too far, trust me, I am already on that line.

Please I am not a anymore than an average joe, but if a dumb wit like me can do this, why not other people.

Phew!

Cheers!
VJ

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

There is more to a post than the Language used...Content , intent , and Language all maters...Like I reiterated , "Self Discipline" is the need of the hour, and you don't teach it, but practice it.

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

And many new members join xbhp and post here for just mere time pass. Though they have the capability to practice that and advocate self discipline, they do not. It's cause they don't want to. Only way I think to tackle this issue is that there be a proper process for entry of members. Ones not interested would simply back off while the ones who are truly interested would somehow manage it through the process. Filtering is essential.
And that also does not mean that existing members are perfect in their behavior. Including me, we all have to follow what psr sir has said above. And practice to be self disciplined.
Many posts in this thread are shouting out the same message.
Let us all from now try to follow them. And hope some mandatory procedures are introduced for people wishing to join in. It would help in a great way.

Sent from my MT27i using Tapatalk 2

Re: It's All About Using The English Right

IMO, if the people on the other end can understand what a person is saying, we shouldn't interfere. It's when the standard is too low that we should bother doing something. People who deal with vehicles directly often lack linguistic skills. I mean people like mechanics, supervisors etc. We should encourage such people to join the community because they can really contribute a lot. Linguistic skills will improve with experience. The 'other site' we talked about is lenient to a few such members.

Some members express themselves in a very rude manner. We should try and stop that first because I feel that's what triggers most off topic discussions and fights, not misunderstanding.