Good question! And, since I am a proofreader, I have a good answer…. Typos make me cringe. But, I don’t fix my commenter’s typos. It’s worse though when I see a typo I have made. I have to stop myself from editing every email I send out to people who know I am a proofreader.

I feel deep down, that it doesn’t matter for blogging. Plus, it’s hard to proofread on screen as opposed to a piece of paper.

To me, blogging is all about communication and sharing ideas; not perfection. We’re not perfect when we speak either; we say “um” hundreds of time and use slang but the meaning still gets across.

Having said that, I suppose it depends on the type of blog you are running. If it is a professional blog and you are earning a living with it, then typos would be more of an issue.

Davinas last blog post..The Beauty Path

Hi Linda,

Yes, the “countdown” gives my commenters a chance to change anything they want to in their comment. Pretty cool, hey?

Writing styles are totally different between media sources, and blogs are extremely different. Often paragraphs are one sentence, only because we cater to our visitors and their desire to read quickly and move on.

I wish a blog author would correct my typos. I try to be careful, but often a typo or two will slip by. Reviewing a comment in which I made a typo makes ME cringe. There have been times when I left a second comment and apologized for the lack of proofreading.

Hi Davina,

Proofreader, you say?

Yes, blogging is about sharing ideas and not necessarily perfection, however, our blogs are also our “online resumes”. In the event we are looking to go into freelance writing (or something similar), our blogs become a reflection of us.

Comments are often the casual side of blogging, but like you, I’m a lot harder on myself than I am on others (re: errors).

Hi Bamboo,

Yes, I did correct some typos, and still do occasionally. Hopefully no one minds.

It could be exhaustive, therefore I don’t do it all of the time.

Hi Dr. Cason,

I had to include my friend in Guam.

I’m hoping everyone will like the edit comments plugin. It doesn’t have to be used, but it’s there for those who want an option.

In tomorrow’s post, I’ll be talking more about writing style.

Correcting comments for typos and spelling mistakes sounds like a huge amount of work, Barbara.

I can imagine that you gave up doing it at the first chance you got

I have much respect and admiration for those bloggers for whom English is not their first language, yet who produce quality content written in what, I gather, is regarded as the universal language of the blogosphere.

@ Al at 7P - remember people will still come and read your older posts. I was checking my stats yesterday and I had a lot of hits from Google search which landed people on my older posts. So it might be worth while to fix it.

@ Barbara - I don’t fix commentator’s grammar or spelling, but if I see I made one, I will go back and fix it. Yeah I can see how that would take up a lot of time. I generally proof read everything I type out - from emails to comments on blogs. The problem is, I’m so particular about it that it probably takes me twice as long as it should to comment or send an email, which is bad. I don’t have enough time in the day as it is.

By the way, I’ll have to add the edit plugin to my list
John Hoff - eVentureBizs last blog post..20.4 Ways People Scan Your Website

I sometimes correct typos in someone’s comments if there’s one that jumps out at me, but I don’t make a point of proofreading everything. I think it’s nice to have a little variation…British u’s, non-native English, etc.

Hunter Nuttalls last blog post..From Tragedy To Triumph: Winning Through A Life Crisis

You are really doing fine job by editing your commentator’s comments
But i agree with Davina blogging is all about having fun and meeting people across the world. But if we will insist for proper language then i am afraid we will miss all the fun.

Barbara: It’s so funny that you corrected other people’s typos in your comment section (the only comment I’ve ever edited on my blog is where one gentleman called me “honey”; I took out the word “honey”).

I can see why people make spelling and grammar mistakes in the comments section, just because people tend to visit a lot of blogs so they’re going fast and the brain isn’t that good at picking up your own mistakes on a computer screen.

What annoys me is when a blog post is full of typos. It makes me feel like the writer doesn’t care about their readers. When I find a typo in one of my blog posts I always fix it.

Marelisas last blog post..What is Love?

I try to avoid typos and grammar mistakes.

But I do so much damn proofreading and anal nitpicky technical writing at work, that when I’m off the clock and blogging for fun, I’ll cut myself a bit of slack.

If it’s not a document going out to a client or for peer-review, if it’s not 100% perfect, than so be it. I can live with the odd typo. People know I’m smart…I leave mistakes out of laziness, not out of ignorance.

PS.

That beign said, I did find a little grammar mistake:

“if you’re going to blog and publish your writings world wide, than you should write proper English”

(heh heh heh).

Up til recently I was a foreigner.

I hate when I personally make typos, so if someone sees one in a blog post and tells me about it, I’m very grateful.

But comments seem more casual to me, so typos there don’t really bother me…

Sara with an “h”s last blog post..The Art of Fine Tuning Your Lifestyle.

such a great post. and for me NOT AT ALL with the commenters.
and not so much on blogs which are personal in nature—-but the ones which strive to be more professional (read: sell me stuff :)) I do, indeed, get turned off by misspelled words etc.

now that I ponder it IS kind of judgmental of me….

MizFits last blog post..Viewer Mail. The *some of you are gonna feel ripped off* edition.

I don’t fix typos from other people. And I make my fair share too. I do tend to be particular about what I write, if I catch it. The thing is, I don’t always “fully” proofread everything I write. I just did it there (I didn’t capitalize the I in that last sentence - I fixed it though). But sometimes we miss some of the typos. I think that’s ok.
As far as websites, I’m with MizFit here - the more professional the website is (or appears to be) the more I expect better grammar.

Lances last blog post..The Speed Limit of Your Life

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to edit the comment for the convenience of other readers, those with the edited comments shouldn’t feel any offend though.

AxeCitys last blog post..Successful blog post ideas

Hi Barbara,

I noticed sometimes I spell your name Barbera. I have to be careful. Oh yeah, everyone has their thing. I correct myself but not other people. I was thinking of that today and believe commenters can correct themselves with the email plugin I have.

Ellen Wilsons last blog post..Crossing the Border

Hi Robin,

LOL, I love your comment. It wasn’t until I started blogging that I realized how differently so many words are spelled. In years past I would have thought they were typos, not knowing the person was from a different country.

Hi Scott,

Yes, I gave that idea up, VERY quickly.

Like you, I respect those who blog so well, and English is not their first language.

Hi Al,

If I make a typo or grammatical error in a published post, I will correct it. Even though is has gone live, if someone comes to my site, I prefer to have it right.

Hi John,

I’m very particular on our business correspondence, but when I’m commenting, I’m usually in such a hurry, I mess up.

Yes, the plugin would be a great addition to your list.

Hi Catherine,

That’s very considerate of you to watch for typos in the comments of the freelancers. You’re right. Writing is their bread and butter.

Hi Hunter,

I don’t proofread comments anymore, but if someone transposes two letters, I might correct that.

You are always great at spotting mine.

Hi Leanne

I agree that typos in posts can decrease the author’s credibility. That holds true for not only political blogs but blogs that are written for reference purposes. When I’m researching online, if I find a website or blog that is full of typos or grammatical errors, I don’t rely on that information.

Hi Sunil,

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t edit comments anymore (except for an occasional correction).

Yes, blogging is a lot of fun, but for those who are blogging to educate people or are building an online resume, proper wording is imperative.

Hi Avani,

I know the feeling. Time is of the essence.

Hi Marelisa,

Sometime we do have to take out words. I will either edit out swear words, or will “bleep” (with ***) them.

Yes, posts filled with lots of typos is a definite reflection on the author.

Hi Bamboo,

Thank you!

Hi Friar,

Welcome to the BWAB community! I’ve seen you on Ellen’s blog.

I can imagine when you do a lot of proofreading at work, when you enter blogosphere, you just want to relax and enjoy the process of blogging.

You’re the first to catch that one. I’ll have to fix it!

Hi Irene,

OMG, I can’t believe you used THAT example. I made that exact mistake on Ian Denny’s BUSINESS blog. You can read all about it in my post titled: I Can’t Believe I Said That It was humiliating, to say the least, but Ian chose to leave it up as it caused quite the “stir”. (and laughs)

Hi Sara with an “h”,

Like you, I welcome someone pointing out a typo to me. I will then fix it.

Hi Ricardo,

As of yet, I haven’t gotten any comments I don’t understand, although I have had some that I misunderstood. (Does that make sense?)

Granted, we will get comments just for the sake of someone trying to build SEO. If it’s obvious, I mark those as “spam”.

Hi MizFit,

With blogs that are “selling”, and run AdSense, if words are misspelled, I wonder what ads AdSense will match with the incorrectly spelled content?

I do agree, there is a huge difference between personal and professional blogs.

As a potential buyer (on a “professional” blog), I expect the content to reflect the product. As a visitor to a personal type blog, I totally accept the author’s writing style.

Hi Jay,

That’s kind of you to work with the commenters who “correct” their mistakes in a second comment.

I agree, changing the wording in a comment could totally change the meaning. With some, I know exactly what they’re trying to say, but others, I would only be guessing.

Haha, Your casual “talk” sounds like how some of our friends speak. VERY casual, but a joy to listen to.

Hi Lance,

It’s SO easy to make typos in our own work. That, and using the wrong word (that’s spelled correctly), and even spell checker doesn’t catch it.

Hi Chase,

I have a niece who emails me using texting language. I know she knows proper English, but she’s just learning emailing, so I’m assuming she thinks the two methods of communication are similar. For now, I think it’s cute.

Hi AxeCity,

I know I certainly would not be offended if someone fixed a typo of mine.

Hi Vered,

Haha! Your Hebrew would be miles better than mine, as I don’t know any Hebrew at all, let alone any other foreign language. I could probably count on two hands the number of words I know that aren’t English. But, don’t ask me to spell them.

Hi Ellen,

I’ve noticed that (Barbera), but I don’t mind. I’ve been called worse.

Having a plugin for correcting errors, is probably the best way to go. That way, those that are concerned with their typos, can change them, but if they’re not, they can ignore them.

Hi Urban Panther,

I’m noticing we have a lot of bloggers in the BWAB community who are closely related to the writing “business”.

Isn’t that amazing how we can read and reread, and still make mistakes?

You’re right, most bloggers are racing to visit as many blogs as possible, so mistakes do happen.

Hehe! I like your last line. It’s perfect!

I’ve always considered myself a stickler for typos, but lately I’m losing my edge . . . but I wouldn’t correct a commenter’s errors in any case - even if I knew how LOL!

I do correct my own in my posts, even if I see something after I’ve published.

Ann at One Bag Nations last blog post..Check it Out - I’m Swimming with the Sharks!

Honestly, the thought never even occurred to me. (Oh crap–does that word have one r or two?)

It’s not worth the time, in my opinion. If someone needs every word to spelled correctly, they can take the time and proofread. If they don’t, they won’t, and I’m not going to add it to my pile of stuff. I think my readers would be better served if my time was used elsewhere (in writing, researching, etc).

I think it’s a cool courtesy that you were giving to readers, but most people are pretty forgiving of comment errors.

Content errors, that’s another story. And whenever someone has contacted me to fix an error in their comment, I’m more than happy to do that.

And now I’m totally paranoid about how many comments I’ve left around here and there!
Sara at On Simplicitys last blog post..Weekly Links: Barefoot Stroll

Hey Barbara, that was hilarious! I used that example not because I saw your earlier post, but because I MADE the same mistake a couple of times myself, LOL! Ah well … we just need to learn to laugh at ourselves sometimes. I do love Dave’s sense of humor though.
Irene | Light Beckonss last blog post..Energy Overhaul

It doesn’t bother me when there are errors in comments. As long as the point gets across it’s okay. I don’t mind it even in blog posts. John Chow makes mistakes all the time and that guy pulls down loads of money from his site. He never set his readers expectations for perfect grammar, so they just ignore it and pull out the stuff that will help them succeed online.

Karl Staib - Your Work Happiness Matterss last blog post..Ask the Readers – Redesign of Work Happy Now

I usually don’t mind spelling typos in comments so long I can catch the essence of what is being said. However, if I make a typo say in my article and I became aware of it, I will change it; even more so, if it is in my title or a keyword phrase.

Evelyn

Evelyn Lims last blog post..Guest Post: 7 Steps To Positive Self Talk

Great lesson! I am a doctor so I could care less about grammar or typos. I write mostly in acronyms and sentence fragments. I use writing for communication. Sometimes I think people get so hung up on grammar that they miss the whole point though. I have read enough blogs to know now that I am more interested in reading an interesting idea (that may not be so perfectly written) than a flowery flowing thing that lacks creativity.

Dr. Nicole Sundenes last blog post..Getting “The Big Diagnosis”

Hi Karl,

Most of the time I can tell what a person in trying to say, even if there are errors in their comments and/or post.

Hi Linda,

Israel would be a great place to visit. You’ll have to talk to Vered as that’s where she’s from.

Hi Evelyn,

Like you, I’ll fix my post errors. Although on my OM blog, I misspelled two people’s names and I continue to get hits based on the wrong spellings, so I’ve let them be. It’s mainly because the post is on autism and I have a lot of links to sites that are helpful to parents.

With proper names, often visitors are unsure how to spell them.

Hi Pat,

It’s great to see you here again.

With you having a blogspot blog (like Chase), he said you can only approve or disapprove comments, so editing them apparently isn’t an option. But like you said, you just let them be.

Hi Dr. Nicole,

I do agree that often a great idea can be ruined by a flowery article that takes forever to get to the point. Blogging seems to be changing the way we write as most visitors have a short attention span.

Hi Patricia,

I hear you. I am self taught too. My gremlins are often working overtime when I’m visiting other blogs and leaving comments. Oooops!

Like you and many of the others, I’m a lot harder on myself (with regard to my typos).

Hello world. I am your worst speller.

No kidding, I am. The. worst.

The only reason it’s not more apparent is because the computers I use have built in spell check in all the text boxes I use. So when I’ve spelled “definatly” incorrect yet again, the red line shows up… and I got back and retype it… definitely. Or I right click and bring up the cheat menu and let the computer do the work for me. Though, teacher and beat poet, Taylor Mali has gotten me better at spelling from his performance on YouTube of “What Teachers Make” and “The Impotence of Proofreading.”

I certainly don’t think you should be correcting typos, that would take an insane amount of time to keep up at it. I’ve got other things to do besides correcting typos. Of course… that’s assuming I’d notice them.

I am the worst.

It doesn’t irritate me, because of my own short comings, and I know not everyone has english as native language.

I do get irritated when people use txt-ing words or “|337″ speak in long form writing. Unless they are doing it as a matter of style.

Oh, and I also am a fan of being able to edit my own comments, even for a little while. I like having the option to correct my comment when I leave out a closing html tag, nothing more embarrassing than breaking a page because you forgot a / or completely left out a word.

This new plugin is soooo cool. I love it! I’ve never seen it before. I may have to take a closer look at this.

I correct some comments, but I really don’t see that many that I need to correct.

Jennifers last blog post..A Simple Formula with a Huge Life Impact