How long before there are no spelling or grammar rules?

[nateo]

Is it my imagination or is spelling and grammar getting worse? Maybe I'm not remembering correctly. Is the internet making spelling and grammar irrelevant? When almost everyone ignores the rules of language, how long will it take before they no longer matter?

[rjharper]

Is it my imagination or is are spelling and grammar getting worse? Maybe I'm not remembering correctly. Is the internet making spelling and grammar irrelevant? When almost everyone ignores the rules of language, how long will it take before they no longer matter?

Fixed it for you

[nateo]

Fixed it for you

Oh no, I'm part of the problem! GAH!

I'm studying to take the GMAT right now, and there is a large section on "sentence correction." It seemed almost comically easy to me, but then I realized that hardly anyone uses proper grammar, myself included.

[rjharper]

Fixed it for you

Oh no, I'm part of the problem! GAH!

Haha, I couldn't help myself.

[theDarkSide]

Eye reeley haf no ideer wut u r taulkin' 'bout.

Can LOL be used in a sentence and still be considered good grammar? 

[richardt]

Not on a job application.

[nateo]

In college, I got 'A's on essays with very little content, simply because I could write in the proper format. I was always shocked when I read other students' papers during peer-reviews. If even educated people can't keep the rules straight, how can they persist?

My favorite Orwell essay was about how the inability to form cogent sentences will make it impossible to form cogent thoughts. I think he was on to something.

[morticaixavier]

Language evolves. Right now it may be evolving faster than in the past but it does evolve.

that being said, my wife, my english teacher, and myself love the oxford comma!

[bo]

I'm far from perfect, but I do try to spell correctly and use proper grammar. I think the real problem is that many people don't give a S_it anymore.

A public service announcement: There, they're and their cannot be used interchangeably.

[richardt]

That's why I don't hire anyone whose resume and/or interview doesn't reflect the ability to form cogent thoughts.  If you're lazy with your words, you're lazy with everything else--so there's no place for you here.

[nateo]

That's why I don't hire anyone whose resume and/or interview doesn't reflect the ability to form cogent thoughts.  If you're lazy with your words, you're lazy with everything else--so there's no place for you here.

I obviously agree that "proper" English is better than whatever people use on the internet. My biz partner uses "seen" instead of "saw" and generally sounds pretty dumb if you don't know him. He knows a ton about business though, and is probably smarter than I am. I'm sure he's the exception though, and most people are exactly as dumb as they sound.

[gmac]

I failed English in High School and at the time I thought there was little use for it in the real world.  But, I have found since that an ability to form a proper sentence is becoming more and more important.  Maybe I'm just becoming more traditional but I even go back and edit my posts if I find an error.  So yes, I think the rules should apply. 
I wrote my GMAT about 6 years ago and did very well on the written component.  In graduate school, I always got top marks for anything written because I truly don't believe that most people can write anymore.  If you can string together two sentences, you'll do better than 90% of the people out there.

These things bother me:
Irregardless
You guys's (as in "I want you guys's opinion...)
Texting shortforms used in written work

And I will go to my grave defending the double space behind a period. 

[majorvices]

I'm sure drinking has a lot to do with it, assuming you are talking about homebrew forums  Also, I'm often in a hurry and I surf the internets on my iPod via Tap-a-talk and I get lazy. I will try to do better, I am very wary of the internets grammar and spelling gestapo - they scares me! 

[denny]

And I will go to my grave defending the double space behind a period.

I participate in a couple forums where there can be heated political discussions,  I find that I tend to ignore the comments of people who can't spell or write properly, no matter which side of an issue they're on.  I assume that if you can't be bothered with spelling and grammar, it's likely your other thought processes don't work too well, either.

[morticaixavier]

And I will go to my grave defending the double space behind a period.

Why? not to be argumentative, I cringe whenever someone says something is 'very unique' or, even worse, 'Somewhat unique' as the meaning of the word precludes that kind of qualification. but a double space after a period is just an arbitrary rule with no actual practical use. Perhaps it had one in the past but I can't think of what it would be. The full stop is a full stop. to add an extra space is just wasting bits at this point.