Monday, July 18, 2005

Random Internet Ranting

Yesterday I had to go find some HP forums, just to see how other people were dealing. Many people had reactions similar to mine, which was neat.

However, a bunch of things REALLY got on my nerves.

1. All the crazed predictors/spoilers. I really don't understand why people would want to basically ruin their enjoyment of a book by predicting what's going to happen. And then discussing it with other people. And then celebrating when they're right! All, "Ooh, I totally called this one!" Gah, that's pompous.

2. The crazed shippers. These internet folks are really serious about relationships between characters, whether it be on television or in a book. They will go on and on about them. And I root for some ships too, but it's in my head, where it belongs. Good lord, I don't go prancing around forums saying why it's dumb for so-and-so to get together/not get together.

3. THE FUCKING SMILIES. Somebody, please, put gigantor fines on those suckers, they are so irritating! WHY is it necessary to post a mere two paragraphs that include three or more smilies? WE DON'T CARE! USE YOUR WORDS!

4. Signing your posts? WTF? What is this, a high school yearbook? YOUR NAME IS RIGHT THERE AT THE TOP OF YOUR POST, DUMBASS.

5. Clearly I have been all too spoiled by the late Fametracker Forums. RIP, best forums of all time. They strictly outlawed smilies, signing, and other general irritating forum habits. The TWoP forums are pretty good, too, though most of them are too hardcore for my participation.

6. The weirdo fanfic fans. This one poster was babbling on about how the fanfic was better, and that the book should have had scenes like the ones in certain fanfics. Excuse me? What ARE you on about? Last I checked, there is ONE AUTHOR to a book (sure, sometimes two), and there's no reason at all why he/she should give a fuck about what the fans are writing in their own spare time. Like, as much as we feel like the Hogwarts gang are part of our world, Ms Rowling created them all, she's got plans for them all, so holy shit--just let her do her job! Who are you to say that she should have included more scenes of so-and-so, like the fanfic? God, that's annoying. Again, it's really pompous and just out of touch.

7. Misspellings galore. I know, I'm a grammar nazi, and I shouldn't judge, blah blah. But my lord, I just read a post that said something was "DISTILLATED." Can you tell me what the FUCK kind of word that is supposed to be? Why do internet people think they can just make up words, when we have tens of thousands of them that already work just fine?

Not really related to the HP forums, but this particular spelling/pronunciation thing has been bugging me lately. When I talk to New Yorkers about Seattle, they ALL, without exception, say PIKE'S Place Market. Then I READ something online that said Pike's too! IT IS PIKE PLACE MARKET. PIKE. It's a STREET, it's a FISH, it's a thing in GYMNASTICS, and it is NEITHER PLURAL NOR POSSESSIVE. PIKE. PLACE. Get it right!

4 comments:

bobby said...

I agree with most of what you said.

I have never claimed to have any type of superiority over anyone else but I must admit that I browse the blogs sometimes just to see the ignorance of people. I too, am a grammar Nazi, but even more so, I detest people who ramble on without keeping a consistent or concise train of thought.

As for the people who broadcast HP spoilers of any kind, they should be shot.

Lastly, my opinion on fanfics is…if those people think they can do it better, then they should go out and write their own novel or piece of ORIGINAL fiction. 99% can’t, and that is why they do what they do.

-bob (I signed my name because it is the proper etiquette in a correspondence.)

Anonymouph said...

I'm not an HP fan, but I'm right there with you on the ranting. Amen, sister! (How many times have I commented on your blog with those exact words?) I have never even heard of Pike Place Market, but I can understand your frustration. What drives me most crazy is people who pronounce the name of my home state like this: "Illi-noise." It's "Illi-noy," damnit. The s is silent!!

Rebecca said...

I, for one, refuse to believe that Snape is simply evil. There is still more to him than meets the eye.

And hey, I'm a grammar Nazi too... have you ever read the book Eats, Shoots and Leaves?

Jules the Crazy said...

hurrah for grammar nazis! i have not read eats, shoots and leaves, but i just ordered it. i hear it's great. i hope it helps me teach my students to understand and love language...

illinoise? seriously? i like to say ORE-uh-gahn and ca-NAY-dee-ah, but that's just to play. i've never pronounced illinois's (uh, is that right?) final 'S'. crazy, yo.

RE fanfic: EXACTLY, bob!

Re signing in a correspondence...hm. at first i agreed, but that's because i first see it in an email, in which one certainly does sign one's name. however, with a posted comment, i only sign my name if it's not already up there, like if i comment on an LJ, where i have to be anonymous. otherwise, i let my profile header thing announce my identity. but then again, you make a good point.
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