Trivial bugbears

[WiredIncorrectly]

My top set English teacher took offence when I politely pointed out that she'd spelt something wrong on the whiteboard. I purposely pointed it out in a way that wouldn't embarrass her or act like I knew more but she still didn't like it. She even told me to grab a dictionary to check for myself and made me out to be a cheeky little sod. Half the class said "she's the teacher, she knows" and half the class agreed with me. I told her I didn't need to check the dictionary and she checked herself and found she was wrong. I don't remember her apologising for trying to embarrass me in front of the class. It's funny the little things we remember isn't it?

Ha! Take that teacher!

When I was at uni I had a web development class. During this time I was already working in web development so it was easy credits. One of the assignments was to develop a website. Easy peasy.

Anyway, after submitting I lost a couple of marks because the tutor required all students write their HTML in uppercase. He required it because he was convinced this is what the HTML specifications stated. This was absurd to me, and incorrect. So I write my HTML in lowercase, like every other sane person.

He refused to give me my marks. So when it came to presenting our work to the class I put in a slide that quoted the HTML specification that showed HTML doesn't require it to be written in uppercase.

And then I showed him the source code to the top 10 websites on the internet. Non used uppercase.

Every student went back and removed the uppercase and to the embarrassment of the tutor I got my marks back.

Did he ever apologize? Did he heck. If you've been following my previous thread on my books you'll notice the book on Operating Systems. I won that book for this project.

[Anglo]

Ha! Take that teacher!

When I was at uni I had a web development class. During this time I was already working in web development so it was easy credits. One of the assignments was to develop a website. Easy peasy.

Anyway, after submitting I lost a couple of marks because the tutor required all students write their HTML in uppercase. He required it because he was convinced this is what the HTML specifications stated. This was absurd to me, and incorrect. So I write my HTML in lowercase, like every other sane person.

He refused to give me my marks. So when it came to presenting our work to the class I put in a slide that quoted the HTML specification that showed HTML doesn't require it to be written in uppercase.

And then I showed him the source code to the top 10 websites on the internet. Non used uppercase.

Every student went back and removed the uppercase and to the embarrassment of the tutor I got my marks back.

Did he ever apologize? Did he heck. If you've been following my previous thread on my books you'll notice the book on Operating Systems. I won that book for this project.

I've not been following your threads but I did see that OS book and I kind of wanted to be cheeky and see if there was a way I could have a peek inside it. I find the idea of designing your own OS fascinating. I assume it's more for bespoke systems like labs, factories, infrastructure rather than teaching you to design an OS to work on home computers. Congrats on winning it. How funny that the two threads have been linked like this.

I wish more people were able to admit and apologise when they are wrong. I don't mean expect people to admit they're wrong when faced with evidence, as they may still believe they're right. But once they understand and agree that they were wrong, why not show a bit of decency and admit to it? Some are too proud I suppose, but never mind. I wonder where your teacher got the idea that HTML had to be in uppercase, I've never heard of that either and surely a look at literally any website would show that it's not the case (pun unintended).

How did your classmates change their code from upper to lowercase? Hopefully not by hand as that would've been a right pain. Good on you for standing your ground on what you knew was right and providing evidence to support it, and good on your teacher for rewarding you your credits as a result.

[WiredIncorrectly]

I shall get some images for you tomorrow and pop them in that book thread

[Pamplemousse]

Spelling and grammar are a big deal for me too. I'm a writer and I'm not that good both. Good proof readers are rare. In casual settings like NPM it's not important, but reading a poorly written document is like listening to nails down a blackboard.

I used to write articles for a collector's society magazine and later, proof read articles for same: I think the highlight for me was learning that one article I wrote was later cited by a German university. Another one won an award for the best article of the year as voted for by the members.

Ive been asked to write for that magazine again; I'm not sure I have the patience any more.

[Lencoboy]

If you haven't already, you might really enjoy Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. Regarding your signwriters grind, the companies that actually make the signs DO know how to spell but will charge a fee for "spell checking" a lot of the time. If you pay them to write "Toilet's" on a sign and don't pay the fee, they'll print Toilet's knowing full well that apostrophe doesn't belong. That might explain it for you. :P

To me that is 'dumbing down' of the highest order!

And of course we will always get those sad cases who assume they have a god-given right to typo and any attempts to correct them or point out their spelling/grammar mistakes amounts to blatant censorship and stifling free expression!

Substituting the letter Z for the letter S at the end of words to indicate plural is another one that has become so trite and hackneyed over time (e.g, 'Boys' vs 'Boyz'), which still luckily hasn't made me act in ways that could cause me to be sectioned!

In order to reassure our American friends on here, I don't have any issue with Americanised (or Americanized) spelling differences in such a fashion though. Nor say, colour vs color either.

Ditto for petroleum vs gasoline, aerial vs antenna, tap vs faucet, etc, though they are transatlantic name differences for the same items/objects rather than spelling differences.

[Lencoboy]

My top set English teacher took offence when I politely pointed out that she'd spelt something wrong on the whiteboard. I purposely pointed it out in a way that wouldn't embarrass her or act like I knew more but she still didn't like it. She even told me to grab a dictionary to check for myself and made me out to be a cheeky little sod. Half the class said "she's the teacher, she knows" and half the class agreed with me. I told her I didn't need to check the dictionary and she checked herself and found she was wrong. I don't remember her apologising for trying to embarrass me in front of the class. It's funny the little things we remember isn't it?

Just shows how some teachers themselves can present as self-righteous, spoilt brats, who are incapable of reasoning and have massive ego problems.

Pretty much every school has always seemed to have at least one such teacher, which in turn often brings down the 'decent majority' of teachers!

[Anglo]

To me that is 'dumbing down' of the highest order!

And of course we will always get those sad cases who assume they have a god-given right to typo and any attempts to correct them or point out their spelling/grammar mistakes amounts to blatant censorship and stifling free expression!

Substituting the letter Z for the letter S at the end of words to indicate plural is another one that has become so trite and hackneyed over time (e.g, 'Boys' vs 'Boyz'), which still luckily hasn't made me act in ways that could cause me to be sectioned!

In order to reassure our American friends on here, I don't have any issue with Americanised (or Americanized) spelling differences in such a fashion though. Nor say, colour vs color either.

Ditto for petroleum vs gasoline, aerial vs antenna, tap vs faucet, etc, though they are transatlantic name differences for the same items/objects rather than spelling differences.

You see, I don't like Americanisation. Hearing Brits refer to the bonnet as a hood or seeing color instead of colour on hair products does wind me up. I'm torn because I know that language naturally evolves and English wasn't always spelt the way we spell now so there's nothing abnormal about our language evolving to use American words and spellings but I can't help but be that little bit irritated when I see it. Hearing the pronunciation of English swear words or place names butchered by an American accent also gets me - of course I understand it's not actually bad or personal and all that sensible stuff. It's just another thing that I pretend to not be bothered by!

Just shows how some teachers themselves can present as self-righteous, spoilt brats, who are incapable of reasoning and have massive ego problems.

Pretty much every school has always seemed to have at least one such teacher, which in turn often brings down the 'decent majority' of teachers!

You find it in a lot of authority figures. So many with authority can't stand to be questioned on anything, not least the thing they're supposed to have authority over. Teachers with education, police with the law, parents with parenting! They almost take it like it's a personal insult to be corrected or challenged.

[Lencoboy]

You see, I don't like Americanisation. Hearing Brits refer to the bonnet as a hood or seeing color instead of colour on hair products does wind me up. I'm torn because I know that language naturally evolves and English wasn't always spelt the way we spell now so there's nothing abnormal about our language evolving to use American words and spellings but I can't help but be that little bit irritated when I see it. Hearing the pronunciation of English swear words or place names butchered by an American accent also gets me - of course I understand it's not actually bad or personal and all that sensible stuff. It's just another thing that I pretend to not be bothered by!




You find it in a lot of authority figures. So many with authority can't stand to be questioned on anything, not least the thing they're supposed to have authority over. Teachers with education, police with the law, parents with parenting! They almost take it like it's a personal insult to be corrected or challenged.

And you forgot doctors and nurses with medical-related stuff?

Typical 'I'm always right and everyone else is always wrong', delusions of grandeur!

[Lencoboy]

Another one for me is a few people I know (or knew) whom I alerted to their shoe laces being undone whilst they were walking around, and they got really touchy and arsy with me as if they didn't even want to know. They all have untouchable 'hard man'-type tendencies anyway, and seem to revel in looking/ acting 'ard!

One of those was a male staff member at my old day centre who would woe betide us service users for breaking rules but he was notorious for breaking rules himself, especially driving their mini-bus like a lunatic, talking on his phone whilst driving, and even smoking whilst driving said vehicle with us service users in the back and other staff members (all of which were/are non-smokers) never even challenged him over it, and this was even as late as 2015!

When I mentioned that staff member's misdemeanours to the manager of said day centre, she said about 'trying to be more forgiving to people as times are hard right now'.

Sorry, but I'm sick to death of people using 'hard times' as a feeble excuse for bending the rules.

A 'cover-up' and 'can't be bothered' instance of the highest order!

[Lencoboy]

Another one for me is a few people I know (or knew) whom I alerted to their shoe laces being undone whilst they were walking around, and they got really touchy and arsy with me as if they didn't even want to know. They all have untouchable 'hard man'-type tendencies anyway, and seem to revel in looking/ acting 'ard!

One of those was a male staff member at my old day centre who would woe betide us service users for breaking rules but he was notorious for breaking rules himself, especially driving their mini-bus like a lunatic, talking on his phone whilst driving, and even smoking whilst driving said vehicle with us service users in the back and other staff members (all of which were/are non-smokers) never even challenged him over it, and this was even as late as 2015!

When I mentioned that staff member's misdemeanours to the manager of said day centre, she said about 'trying to be more forgiving to people as times are hard right now'.

Sorry, but I'm sick to death of people using 'hard times' as a feeble excuse for bending the rules.

A 'cover-up' and 'can't be bothered' instance of the highest order!

I reckon the then-manageress of my old day centre must have had 'shy criticism' tendencies as it never seemed to be in her nature to chastise or reprimand anyone, be they service users or other staff members.

But she did come across as a bit of a softy but still seemed to grant that aforementioned loser of a male staff member carte blanche to chastise and reprimand us service users verbally and sometimes even physically, (disguised as 'physical restraint') sometimes willy-nilly, all in the name of 'zero tolerance'!

Simply because he was the resident 'hard man' of the day centre staff!