Here's an op-ed I wrote for a local magazine just in case anyone wants to read it.

Language Fail

The internet -- it can be an informational tool, a social outlet, and an utter horror.

Prompting the following rant is the complete disregard for (or lack of knowledge of) proper grammar on the internet, specifically on internet journals. Within the past few months alone, I've stumbled upon several errors I consider unforgivable.

1.) "I could/should of known..."

I know that some people defend this homophone confusion, so I'm taking my life in my hands by complaining about it. I know that it is sometimes used as a deliberate choice to indicate accent or dialect, but it has also clearly become a very common grammatical error that drives me crazy!

I understand the history of this error, but it still rattles me.

"Could have, should have, would have," were abbreviated to, "could've, should've, would've," which then became garbled to the ear over time as, "could of, should of, would of," which then started showing up in written form.

It's slowly but surely creeping into many of the internet journals I read, and it seriously jars me when I see an otherwise talented writer using that construction.

2.) "Your stupid."

My stupid what? You're is the contracted form of you are. Your is a possessive adjective that denotes something which belongs to or is associated with a person. Example: Your grammar is horrible. Alternatively, I could say, "You're an idiot."

3.) I before E except after C or when sounding like A like in neighbor and weigh.

Unless it's weird (or protein).

4.) Thru is only a word if you're referring to getting a hamburger in your car.

5.) Per se means "of itself."

Per say is only how you pronounce it.

6.) Et cetera does not abbreviate to ect., ecc., or et.

Etc.

7.) E.G. means "for example." I.E. means "that is."

I.E. Always be use correct abbreviations.

8.) A lot is two words.

To allot means to distribute. Alot is not a word. Period.

Ironically, a study conducted by Oxford University has shown that the use of text-speak has no adverse affect on grammar and/or spelling. In fact, it's been known to improve test scores in those areas.

Given the choice of reading a journal titled "I Had Alot of Fun" and "FOR GRATE LOLZ," guess which one I'm more inclined to read.