How long before incorrect English becomes standard English?

[Anakin McFly]

Especially regarding "its" vs "it's", "your" vs "you're", and "there" vs "their" vs "they're". -_-

I see those mistakes all over the place, even in professional news publications that should really know better, and by people who are allegedly educated, native English speakers and don't have much of an excuse. It seems to have gotten worse over the past few years. It feels like I'm fighting a losing battle. I don't even know if there's any point in protesting, and if this is something that's just another inevitable part of language evolution.

...even Microsoft Word's spellcheck and iOS's autocorrect get it wrong all the time, which probably contributes hugely to the problem.

Srsly, what is up with the education system? Is the standard of English really dropping, or is it just more visible now as more and more people get access to the internet? is it because kids are reading less, and/or that the books they do read are also full of grammatical mistakes?

Should we even care?

I want to care.

[BruceSmith78]

If I had to guess, than I would probably say less then five years.

See what I did their?

[CashRules]

If there were prison sentences for such offenses they might happen far less often.

[Anakin McFly]

Someone on the internet once said to me, "your a retard". It's both the best and worst insult I've received.

[CashRules]

I would have said "I don't have one of those. Are you volunteering? You seem qualified."

[Dr_Liszt]

I would have said "I don't have one of those. Are you volunteering? You seem qualified."

I want to learn how to comeback like that.

[CashRules]

You just have to work at being more me.

[Anakin McFly]

ALSO, people writing "would of". It hurts my brain. Back when I was young and impressionable and saw so many Americans using it, I thought it was some valid English expression I'd just never heard of.

I blame American accents. 'Would of' sounds weird and obviously wrong in, say, a British accent.

EDIT: what the crap. I was on Reddit and clicked on a thread, and someone wrote 'psychically' instead of 'physically' in the OP. I went to another random thread by a completely different person, and that EXACT SAME MISTAKE popped up.

[phe_de]

Especially regarding "its" vs "it's", "your" vs "you're", and "there" vs "their" vs "they're". -_-

I see those mistakes all over the place, even in professional news publications that should really know better, and by people who are allegedly educated, native English speakers and don't have much of an excuse. It seems to have gotten worse over the past few years. It feels like I'm fighting a losing battle. I don't even know if there's any point in protesting, and if this is something that's just another inevitable part of language evolution.

...even Microsoft Word's spellcheck and iOS's autocorrect get it wrong all the time, which probably contributes hugely to the problem.

Srsly, what is up with the education system? Is the standard of English really dropping, or is it just more visible now as more and more people get access to the internet? is it because kids are reading less, and/or that the books they do read are also full of grammatical mistakes?

Should we even care?

I want to care.

Well then, how about leading by example, and not using words like "Srsly"?
And did you seriously not capitalize the first letter of a new sentence?

Just kidding. Guess sometimes I remember that I once wanted to become a schoolteacher. And one of my favourite bands is called "Wise Guys".

On a more serious note; I believe that the use of spellcheckers is partly responsible. If you want to type fast on a mobile device, you don't want to double-check what you write, and rely on the software. I'm typing this message on a smartphone, and it takes time.
And all the examples you cited would pass a spellcheck.

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

Its going to be a relatively short time before your speaking improper English. It would of still occurred, but the internet has made English it's own.

[phe_de]

Wheel C if U R rite. Y not?

[BruceSmith78]

The would of thing I see a lot, I even replied to an email at work just to correct someone that used that phrase in their title, but the one that I think bothers me the most is the confusion of then and than (hence my previous post). I made a thread about it on the previous board, but really I think getting too worked up about spelling and grammar is kinda silly, and I do think we notice this stuff more now because so many more people are writing, thanks to cell phones and the internet.

[Anakin McFly]

Yeah, I'm hoping that's the case. But the similar trend in journalism is worrying; I saw a compilation somewhere of English mistakes in big-name news publications, where my favourite was the phrase "it's a doggy dog world". Those articles got through multiple editors without anyone noticing anything.

I used to work part time in the English department in a high school, where I helped students with their essays and helped teachers proofread stuff. It was disturbing how many mistakes even the English teachers were making. My English is far from perfect, and I'm still learning new things about grammar all the time, which makes it all the more unsettling that so many people are even worse at it. I didn't even major in English, like some of those people did. I just read a lot of books.

What do they even teach students in English lessons these days? Stuff like the difference between "it's" and "its" is really basic.

And this never gets old: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.sg/20 ... thing.html

I especially love the Alot of Times, as found on Reddit:

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

Yeah, I'm hoping that's the case. But the similar trend in journalism is worrying; I saw a compilation somewhere of English mistakes in big-name news publications, where my favourite was the phrase "it's a doggy dog world". Those articles got through multiple editors without anyone noticing anything.

I used to work part time in the English department in a high school, where I helped students with their essays and helped teachers proofread stuff. It was disturbing how many mistakes even the English teachers were making. My English is far from perfect, and I'm still learning new things about grammar all the time, which makes it all the more unsettling that so many people are even worse at it. I didn't even major in English, like some of those people did. I just read a lot of books.

What do they even teach students in English lessons these days? Stuff like the difference between "it's" and "its" is really basic.

And this never gets old: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.sg/20 ... thing.html

I especially love the Alot of Times, as found on Reddit:

English in America has more focus on reading and writing than on actually learning English, at least once you get past 5th grade (or w/e the equivalent is for 10-11 year olds). Sure, the teachers may correct you for improper usage, but that doesn't mean that correction is going to take.

[Dr_Liszt]

I don't know. But I am waiting for the day Spanglish becomes an official language so everyone can communicate with people my style.

[Pope Bucky]

I'd rather cuddle than/then have sex.

Always choose then.