This post is an example of how your posting style directly affects how people perceive you. This post is pedantic and stuck-up so even though it presents valid points, it will virtually force the reader to conclude that I'm an anal netcop bastage.
The point to using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in internet messages, including both email and public forums, is that you will not be taken seriously if readers cringe while reading the message. It is often accepted that messages intended for certain peer groups can typically use the conventions of that group, including a total lack of any punctuation, capitalization, or other alternate spelling/grammar conventions without consequence. It should be kept in mind however that "textbook" grammar and spelling has evolved over many centuries with the specific intent of making written communication easy to read and understand, so intentional or unintentional deviations from those standards will result in the message being difficult and/or somewhat painful for the average person to read and understand regardless of education level.
Irregardless of the reader's interpretation of the writer's level of education or appropriateness of style, spelling and grammar irregularities that are consistently applied throughout an entire message will present a clear barrier to communication.
No, I am not a netcop. If people want to post messages and present their opinions without regard to common spelling and grammar rules, they should feel quite free to do so. They ought to understand however that the manner in which they present themselves will have a direct impact on how they and their points of view are perceived, and in many internet communities, intentional or unintentional spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors are perceived as a sign of a lack of education, lack of intelligence, or lack of attention to detail. That perception can be overcome but the writer is "playing catch-up" from the beginning and earning respect will be more difficult because readers may not take the writer seriously.
Hitech's posts are another example of this phenomenon - He is quite obviously a smart person and he has a great deal of respect from the community, but even after approximately a decade spent developing a fine online simulation, people still give him grief over his spelling. It doesn't bother him and it doesn't bother most people who know him, but it may present a less than favorable first impression to those who do not know him and who are introduced to him via his posts in public forums.
See, wasn't that arrogant and annoying? Carelessness in spelling, grammar, and punctuation is just as annoying to a great number of internet users.
