To be honest, I've sort of come to the conclusion there's no point in fighting it. A bit like C'nut, the tide will wash over us whatever we do. Language is constantly evolving and changing, and there's not real point in fighting too hard to prevent it.

As long as meaning is clear, I'm not actually that fussed by simple errors. It's just occasionally I feel a need to point out common errors. It's not really my place to take over from our glorious edumificerisation system.

He was proving that not even a king could stop the sea.

Yep. That was my point.

I have never been great at writing, so appreciate all the help I can get, I know that others can get a little touchy though

Here here!

This is definately an issue we must tackle.

We can't let the plebs and theyre lack of education get the best of us.

Turn lose the dogs!

Now, you see, that should be "there lack".

Argh!!!

<fx>Zippys head spins round faster and faster and faster until it explodes with a loud Kabooooom!!</fx>

Indeed I definately know wear your coming from on that.
Ive had enough of the tyranny of speling - you all now what I mean when I say 'loose the rules, there only their to restrict you!'

I sense an irony trap well stumbled into.

Whilst in principal I agree with the oldies, I fear I've not been educated to their high standards. The recent thread on the semi-colon, demonstrated this perfectly. I do my best, as I am myself, a pedant. However, I often type with one hand or miss little things.

Perhaps mods/admins could PM offenders with SPAG advice to help improve things?

As the age thread shows, there are a few younguns around here and whilst my standard of education falls short of the older ones amongst us, I suspect the yoof suffered/are suffering an even more dumbed down educational experience.

I went to a comprehensive school, and took an O level in English.

If that's a high standard, then it really does show how poor modern education appears to be.

(Which I don't believe at all, but there you go.)

IMHO, modern education is shash in many respects when compared with what you got. I qualify this opinion on the basis of people I know who are 40+, my own educational experience (which was mediocre to say the least) and that of my sister who is currently 13 and tells me about her school day quite regularly.

If I could achieve 8 As a B and a C at GCSE without any revision and with no effort put in, what does that tell you? And that was in 1998!

well considering how little effort I put into my English GCSE and still managed to pass [Grade B] I'd say the bar was set pretty low...

"its" and "it's" irritate me no end, as do other instances of poor use of the apostrophe, e.g., "DVD's" .