I have a peeve....

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2003
I have a peeve....
11
Mon, 02-13-2006 - 8:53am

I contacted this guy who lives in my town, is the right age, seems suitable enough in other ways. But the email he sent back to me was poorly punctuated and had "i" in lower case. Perhaps it's just me -- one of my job functions is copyediting -- but I don't understand why a person wouldn't put their best "foot" forward in an initial email, just like you wouldn't go to meet somebody with bed hair or wrinkled clothes. Or would you? Is it just me? It's been 4 or 5 days now and I just can't get myself to write back to him.

Sposa

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Mon, 02-13-2006 - 9:06am
I have an issue with spelling, grammar and punctuation as well, most people know how to write, failing to do it properly is just laziness. Go ahead and next him.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-16-2003
Mon, 02-13-2006 - 9:10am
Thanks for the thumb up Chamey -- coincidentally I was just reading your blog. How wonderfully liberating to do all those outdoorsy things by yourself. I am planning a big road trip with my 10-yr-old daughter in August, thinking about blogging it but on a time-delay basis for safety reasons...With 2 feet of snow in my backyard, the idea of just strapping on a pack and heading up a mountain sounds like heaven.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Mon, 02-13-2006 - 9:18am
Who knew the blog would have generated so much interest from the opposite sex. I'm half-tempted to be a little more forthcoming about my dating needs with it when I get back into dating in one month.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2005
Mon, 02-13-2006 - 10:09am

He started a sentence with "i" instead of "I" and your going to decline getting to know him?

 
 
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2005
Mon, 02-13-2006 - 11:12am

When I was OLD I tried very hard to keep an open mind and not pass on people who couldn't type, spell, or tell the difference between their, they're, and there. I wasn't able to let go of it, but it was pretty nice to only email with people whose writing didn't make me want to claw my eyes out.

If it's a pet peeve of yours, that's perfectly fine, and I don't think you're being too picky. I don't see any difference between your pet peeve and other bad or annoying habits.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-17-2004
Mon, 02-13-2006 - 11:31am

I know what you mean. I usually proof-read my emails before sending it off, so I am not impressed with people who don't take the time to write seriously, especially if I don't know the person well enough. I think that reflects how much respect you have for a person. The "i"s don't bother me as much though. I could be annoyed by things such as: writing as if you're talking (e.g. using "kinda", "like" frequently), bad grammar (e.g. mixing their/there consistently), using internet short-hands excessively ("c u", "u 2", etc). Perhaps I am too picky, but since intellect is something I look for in a man, I sometimes use emails to filter out those who might not seem good matches on the intellectual level. Also, if an email is full of typos, it'd make me question this person's interest level. That said, I think if using small letter "i"s are his only offense, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and give him a chance.

J

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-01-2005
Mon, 02-13-2006 - 12:52pm
I wouldn't feel bad about writing him off. I'm not a huge bookworm, but I love to read, and I've noticed that men who write poorly don't read enough. It's just a turnoff.







iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2005
Tue, 02-14-2006 - 1:06pm

This is a huge pet peeve for me. I am an editor, and it does matter to me that a man knows how to express himself using the written word. It is also a sign of respect if he puts a little thought into it.

That said, I usually do forgive the occasional typo or misspelled word. I am guilty of those myself, especially in e-mail.

What gets me is the e-mail that looks something like this:

>>hi i red you're profile and ur cute i'd like to know you i also like camping and hiking and i can also cook i hope u right back ciao.<<

I can't tell you how many e-mails I have received that don't even contain complete sentences. I practically need a translator for some of them. :) I have never been a text messager, so it's like a foreign language to me.

AJ, enjoying life with C.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-16-2006
Thu, 02-16-2006 - 9:30pm
Hello? To me that's like not shaving for a date.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 4:53am
Oh yeah.

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