Pardon my French!

T. Riley

French would be better than some of the language I'm thinking! No wonder a lot of the public thinks some of you tradesmen are a class lower than low!

Look at most of the postings on The Wall. You won't find as many misspelled words, unfinished or poorly constructed sentences, poor or no punctuation, lack of paragraphs, etc., than you will in any sixth grade class in public school!

I realize that you want to get it typed as fast as you can, but you are contributing to the creation of a poor business-like impression. Why would I want to click on a link to "Find A Professional" and take a chance on a guy who might run his business the way he posts on The Wall?

Billy March

not fare

i don't think your bein fare about us plmbers not paying attention to some of tha punctuations and spelings in are posts. after all, we are plumbers----- not english teachers. i have a good idea!!!!! next january when you're boiler goes out and your tung is stickin to the ice cold coffee cup, call sister mary rosie ruth from the sixth grade and see if she can get that berler runnin!!!

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Tom

Sorry, Tom. You're out of line.

That's one thing you never, ever do: critize someone for their grammar or spelling. I visit a few bulletin boards, not necessarily all are trades and there's bad grammar everywhere. But you don't flame people for it.

And guys, let's not get nasty with Tom. If we ignore him, he'll go away.



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DanHolohan

Businesslike

is one word, Tom. No hyphen. No worries, though. Everyone makes mistakes. ;-)

hr

Ouch, Tommy

it's not your French, it's your manners that need pardon

hot rod

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R. Kalia

will you, won't you

> You won't find as many misspelled

> words...than you will in any sixth

> grade class in public school!


I will ignore the above bit of garbled syntax as well, since attacking grammar (or spelling punctuation) on the web would make me the lowest of the low.

heatboy

I thought I was doing............

a fairly decent job at this grammar thing, considering I never had the chance to get beyond ninth grade English. I guess if I had feelings, they would be hurt right about now.

Oh, by the way, you wanna' compare 1040s?

Dimly yours,

hb


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Gary Hayden_2

Unbelievable

It takes a lot to get me angry, but this type of post takes me there quickly. Now note that I did not say their but there! If someone is willing to contribute to The Wall, then I am willing to take it anyway they are able to put it out there. I have a mother that cannot spell very well, but she can run a MAC and send me all kinds of great e-mail. I have a mother-in-law that is dyslexic, but she balances her books like her accountant father did, but it is a laborious task for her. And I had a father-in-law that could spell and write anything and had a vocabulary larger than most. To the world, he was probably recognized as the best communicator, but to me, my mother and my mother-in-law have never had any trouble getting their message across. And I have never had any problems with understanding what has been written here on the wall.

I personally have to work hard to write correctly and consider it a work in progress. Spell check saves me all the time. Cutting and pasting from Word helps me out with The Wall. But for anyone to criticize anyone here in my opinion is in the wrong place. I find mistakes and typos all over the Internet at MSNBC, USA Today, Washington Post etc. But I promise you all these papers are read daily from a place that some of the plumbers that contribute great things to this site would love to shut off the water to at your house.

And by the way, if I had to hookup an additional one of these "thrones" in my house, chances are I would screw up the venting unless I had one of these plumbers on The Wall holding my hand.

Dave Yates (PAH)

valid excuse

Tommy can you hear me....... (Sorry, couldn't resist)

I have dyslexia. As a result, I have great difficulty with spelling and grammar. Approximately 25% to 35% of the tradespeople in this country have dyslexia and they are naturally drawn to trades due to an above-average ability to work well with both their minds and their hands. But we can't spell or write worth a diddler's damn.

I'd urge you to look beyond the surface features and read between the lines if you're to see into our hearts and minds. Beauty is truly more than skin deep in this case!

But, we'll forgive you for being ignorant.

I gotta add, my father is a Princeton grad & has spent his life as a CPA. Both of my brothers are college grads too. And then along came me - took a different path, so I did. But never once did any of my family ever chastise me for not traveling the same path they had traveled in life. In fact, all I ever received was encouragement in my journey along this pathway called "The Trades".

Here's something you should read: http://www.contractormag.com/articles/column.cfm?columnid=11



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heatboy

Don't worry, PAH...........

I still love you! Does that make me gay and stupid?

hb

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Mark Eatherton1

If'n ya came here a lookin' fer proper english and spellin'...

you kind sir are in the wrong spot.

If you came here looking for advice on your heating system, you're in the right spot.

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones...

ME

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Dave Yates (PAH)

Maybe

Ahhnnold will preside over the ceremony!?!

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hr

Tom, the tribe has spoken



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Dave Yates (PAH)

Don't vote him off - yet...

he might be trainable!

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Paul Rohrs

And yet.....

We are astute enough to actually read through the installation instructions for thousands of dollars worth of related equipment. After that point,we purchase all of the necessary components, install it, and complete a (previously) un-engineered system that is responsive to indoor, outdoor, zoning, and homeowner input, that has been simplified so that even they, (the homeowners) can control it.

We are on a "Bell-Curve" of hydronic technology that is starting it's vertical ascent. We are not, and cannot be a bunch of silly plummmmmers.

Regards,

PR

Dan, maybe we need a spell-check on each thread because I don't know if ANAL-RETENTIVE is spelled with one "L" or two. (?)

Don Walsh

Mon ami, je vous en prie!

Thomas, your opinion of those on this wall is without merit. There are many of us here, that will gladly engage in a battle of wits with you. Alors, I shall not. I receive no pleasure in dueling with one who so unarmed.

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Dingo

Interesting point Paul

Well said ... (that's an ellipsis, by the way Tom) not to mention that we are routinely trusted with the lives of our customers

Love you all!

Floyd_5

Ya know.......

I can picture that creation that I'm about to build in my mind, I can go through the whole thing and write up a material list and have it be correct almost to the "tee". (is the period after the quotations?) I can go to the wholesaler and spout off the whole material list from memory......
but ya know what???? I sit down to the darn 'puter and can't spell or convey what I'm thinkin' worth a damn!!!!!
Does that make me a bad person or incompetent????

Writin' ain't what I does.... I leave that to Dan the Man or John S. or someone else who can convey the things of thought to the keyboard and ulitmately to the pages of the rags I love to read while I'm creating a stink on my throne every morning......

Why else do you think that Dan and Erin offered the writin' service for us knotheads a while back????

WE AIN'T STINKING WRITERS!!!!!!

WE build creations with our hands that only a few percent of the population would ever be able to dream about!!!!
I have been able to pass that on to my son and I am darn PROUD that he can do what he does and he didn't go to no college and get no freakin' piece of paper that says he BS'd his way past the proff's to get it either!!!! He had to prove his meddle to the one to who it matters most....ME!!!!

Okay I'll shut up now.....MY blood's about boilin'....

Floyd can't write for **** Kolb

oil-2-4-6-gas

..

most of us low folks are in here are giving anyone- insight and Free advice and some trade secrets on our free time --and you are whinning about grammar?? whats wrong with this picture

John@Reliable_9

In the land of the blind,the one eyed man is king!

Uni R

Tom the Academic

That glass house of your's must have terrible heat losses.

"You won't find as many misspelled words, unfinished or poorly constructed sentences, poor or no punctuation, lack of paragraphs, etc., than you will in any sixth grade class in public school!"

Your sentence structure is as bad as your logic. Now kindly stop trolling and leave these fine folks alone so that they can resume more meaningful hydronics discussions.

DanHolohan

Well,

I think you did just fine, Floyd. Thanks! ;-)

Weezbo

) )

Good Lads! Sombollys gotta doit!:)) It may suprise you ,Tom the amount of verbage we add to your particularily astute friends daily in curing thier problems with our amazing, all-seeing eye and crystal ball!I happened to flunk typing as i was breaking bricks in karate while working as an assistant instructor on a military base...so,just tediously plinking at it takes me a long ,long time, to crank out one of these responces. I can speak clearly enough and write clearly enough to convey the information . I have no particular aspirations to write a book,just to be able to communicate certain considerations . I am going to ask what special talents God gave you to assist others and would like to make a suggestion you go do that,because you arent making any points around here today )

hr

hydro-bonics

is something you are born with

hot rod

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T. Riley

Pardon my French!

Are you guys angry with me?

I am thoroughly chastised! You have my thoughts and I have yours.

Thank you all for your comments.

Tom

Mark Eatherton1

Not really angry....

Just kind of shocked and suprised!

Did you have a question you wanted to ask? We'll STILL answer your question, just don't be too critical on us for spelling, grammar etc...

We're only human beans:-)

ME

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Constantin

You get what you pay for

Hey, the folks here are nice enough to share their experience, expertise, etc. for free. They don't have to, they do it out the goodness of their hearts and the desire to learn from each other.

So you want a polished report?

• Then go to a consulting company that will (on average) charge you $1,000 a page to prepare it.

In the meantime, lay off the irrelevant and stick to what the Wall is all about: learning and mutual support. It speaks volumes that people even took your post seriously. Many boards would have simply deleted it as irrelevant flame-bait. Back to the cave, troll.

RB_2

Once you can figure out how the human engine works

There are two axioms in linguistics, which go like this…

The first axiom for Tom: The meaning of your communication is the response you get.

Tom if you consider yourself a bit of a language specialist…you can see, hear and feel what your communication meant to those who have responded above…is that what you intended? Language is more than sentence structure and spelling. What if an individual from Norway signed onto the Wall and used broken English to ask a question and we all chastised him for his inability to communicate in our language. Maybe another person from China joined in on the conversation and used Chinese characters which none of us could interpret - would we attack him? Norwegian, Chinese, English, or Trade talk are all languages just in different forms. If you can reprogram your internal grammar and spelling checks, you could expand your ability to communicate to so many more human beings (or as ME sarcastically put it “beans”).

Likewise your quest to only deal in perfect English must be very frustrating…kind of like the lonely women who wouldn’t let anyone walk on her freshly vacuumed carpet in fear of them leaving footprints…eventually her family refused to visit her. I would find it hard to believe, even sad, if this is what you or anyone would want deep down inside.

The second axiom for the businessperson: It is the responsibility of the transmitter (those talking) to put the message into a form, which the receiver (those listening) understands.

Tom is unique in that he is the only person I can recall after so many years of the Walls existence, which has taken issue with spelling and grammar. Most visit the site for content. Tom may value the content but his reception works better when the message is correctly spelled and grammatically correct. He is not broken…it is just the way he is programmed. Tom (the receiver) is responding to what he sees as a failure to communicate (transmit) to him in his preference. There is a very real possibility, Tom has an actual mechanical problem to deal with but is genuinely worried about asking for help because his information sponge includes decoders like grammar and spelling checks.
When his brain squeezes out what it has absorbed, only the grammatically correct makes sense to him…everything else is frustrating.

There may be an opportunity for a service call or product sale for the businessperson who can figure out what makes unique guys like Tom - tick….so talk – maybe there is some $ at the end of this transmission.

GaryDidier

Spelling & Grammer

Tom, Thanx for your post. I have had more laughs from this thread than most! And a big thankyou to all who replied with your insightfull and humurous responses. I myself used to get hung up on spelling, grammer, etc., but have learned that this does not define the personality, intelligence or business practices of an individual. I think that most of the posters here are very intelligent and the information freely given is a priceless asset to those seeking knowledge and the truth.


P.S. When my wife is around my spelling improves dramatically!

Gary from Granville

GaryDidier

Spelling & Grammer

Tom, Thanx for your post. I have had more laughs from this thread than most! And a big thankyou to all who replied with your insightfull and humurous responses. I myself used to get hung up on spelling, grammer, etc., but have learned that this does not define the personality, intelligence or business practices of an individual. I think that most of the posters here are very intelligent and the information freely given is a priceless asset to those seeking knowledge and the truth.


P.S. When my wife is around my spelling improves dramatically!

Gary from Granville

\"Maine\" doug

I have a spelling chequer,

It came with my PC. It plane lee marks four my revue Miss steaks aye can knot sea. Eye ran this poem threw it, Your sure reel glad two no. Its vary polished in it's weigh. My checker tolled me sew. A checker is a bless sing, It freeze yew lodes of thyme. It helps me right awl stiles two reed, And aides me when eye rime. Each frays come posed up on my screen Eye trussed too bee a joule. The checker pours o'er every word To cheque sum spelling rule. Bee fore a veiling checker's Hour spelling mite decline, And if we're lacks oar have a laps, We wood bee maid too wine. Butt now bee cause my spelling Is checked with such grate flare, Their are know fault's with in my cite, Of nun eye am a wear. Now spelling does knot phase me, It does knot bring a tier. My pay purrs awl due glad den With wrapped word's fare as hear. To rite with care is quite a feet Of witch won should bee proud, And wee mussed dew the best wee can, Sew flaw's are knot aloud. Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays Such soft wear four pea seas, And why eye brake in two averse Buy righting want too pleas

hr

It's not a bad wake up call, however.

I'll try creating a post in Word first just so I learn how to correctly spell the words I currently guess at :0 How else will I improve my spelling? I can butcher a spelling so bad that spell check comes up blank It confuses easily with hydronic terms, also.

My wife reads a ton, she always has a few books going on. She always reads with a dictionary at her side. It's an old Scientology tip. If you read over a word that you don't understand, or know the meanings of, the whole intent or story of the book could be lost to the reader.

Very important when reading technical works also.

In fact tekmar comes to mind when talking about directions, and instructions above the level of lots of customers Although they have gotten much better! If you misunderstand the theory of pulse width modulation, you don't truly know how to program and operate that control.

Makes sense, doesn't it? I need to work on that myself.

hot rod

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JB_2

i go away one day from the wall,and looky what i missed,hey tom i'm doing the bronx cheer in your honnor!! jb

David_5

Thanks

This thread takes me back to the fifth grade all over again.

David

JimGPE_3

Two quick stories

1. A guy who once worked for me was not particularly gifted in the use of the English language. His wife, on the other hand, had an amazing command of the language. So, being a bright guy, when he'd write something he'd give it to his wife to proofread.

She'd always ask, "Do you want it to look like you wrote it, like you wrote it and spent a lot of time on it, or like an English major wrote it?" He got to pick!

2. I once spelled "proofreader" wrongly on a resume. That caused no end of mirth in the office!

ALH_3

Tom's a Troll

"I realize that you want to get it typed as fast as you can, but you ...." That should be "quickly" not "fast". Adverbs modify verbs. Adjectives modify nouns.

Troll: Reference to a person who enters internet chat rooms and forums for the sole purpose of creating havoc, controversy, and discontent. The word stems from the fishing term "trolling," which involves slowing pulling your line behind a boat in hopes of catching some unsuspecting fish as "bait" moves past them. In a similar manner, an internet troll makes posts or comments that he/she hopes will catch the interest of others and create the havoc that they crave.

ScottMP

Once again Robert

proves why he is held in such high esteem on the wall.

Very well written and explained.

My spelling ? I look up alot of words before I type them. I also spell alot of words wrong if I am in a hurry. Took me years to remember how to spell "necessary" ( is that right ?).

Typing on the wall helps my spelling and languge use. I think its important to speak and spell correctly. Posting in the Wall ? Hey sometimes its just a conversation amoung friends.

Scott

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Duncan_2

Perceptive...

Yeah, I think Tom imagines if you spell poorly, you design and install heating systems poorly.

"Why would I want to click on a link to "Find A Professional" and take a chance on a guy who might run his business the way he posts on The Wall?"

He simply associates poor spelling with poor workmanship. The old "dot your "i"s and cross your "t"s metaphor.

A flawed assumption, but probably a valid perception. I think it's fair to say a polished presentation usually makes a more favorable impression, everything else being equal.

I think it's clear that he's obviously a gentleman with sincere concerns, not a troll. After all, he reappeared and explained himself even though he didn't have to. He's alright. Or is that allright? ;-)

Duncan_2

Perceptive...

Yeah, I think Tom imagines if you spell poorly, you design and install heating systems poorly.

>>>"Why would I want to click on a link to "Find A >>>Professional" and take a chance on a guy who might run >>>his business the way he posts on The Wall?"

He simply associates poor spelling with poor workmanship. The old "dot your 'i's and cross your 't's " metaphor.

A flawed assumption, but probably a valid perception. Don't you think it's fair to say a polished presentation usually makes a more favorable impression, everything else being equal?

I also think it's obvious he's a gentleman with sincere concerns, not a troll. After all, he reappeared and explained himself even though he didn't have to. He's alright. Or is that allright? ;-) Well... anyway, he's chillin'... he's cool. Thoughtful and insightful answers, it appears to me.

Duncan_2

Perceptive...

Yeah, I think Tom imagines if you spell poorly, you design and install heating systems poorly.

>>>"Why would I want to click on a link to "Find A Professional" and take >>>a chance on a guy who might run his business the way he posts on The Wall?"

He simply associates poor spelling with poor workmanship. The old "dot your 'i's and cross your 't's " metaphor.

A flawed assumption, but probably a valid perception. Don't you think it's fair to say a polished presentation usually makes a more favorable impression, everything else being equal?

I also think it's obvious he's a gentleman with sincere concerns, not a troll. After all, he reappeared and explained himself even though he didn't have to. He's alright. Or is that allright? ;-) Well... anyway, he's chillin'... he's cool. Thoughtful and insightful answers, it appears to me.

Duncan_2

Perceptive...

Yeah, I think Tom imagines if you spell poorly, you design and install heating systems poorly.

>>>"Why would I want to click on a link to "Find A Professional" and take >>>a chance on a guy who might run his business the way he posts on The >>>Wall?"

He simply associates poor spelling with poor workmanship. The old "dot your 'i's and cross your 't's " metaphor.

A flawed assumption, but probably a valid perception. Don't you think it's fair to say a polished presentation usually makes a more favorable impression, everything else being equal?

I also think it's obvious he's a gentleman with sincere concerns, not a troll. After all, he reappeared and explained himself even though he didn't have to. He's alright. Or is that allright? ;-) Well... anyway, he's chillin'... he's cool. Thoughtful and insightful answers, it appears to me.