Grammar

I read a lot of online news, and, as a result, a lot of online message boards attached to the news stories.  As I read all of these posts, I am continually assaulted by poor grammar and spelling.  And I'll admit, it confuses me. 

Grammar is one thing.  I can understand that the vagaries of the English language can be difficult to grasp.  Run on sentences don't bother me that much, but, completely misused apostrophes really kill me.  Didn't we all learn the correct method of using apostrophes when we were in school?

Inappropriate verbiage really drives me  nuts.  If you can't spell the word you're trying to use, don't use that word.  I know that homonymns can be difficult, but, c'mon, at least give it a try.  People don't seem to understand the difference between except and accept; or their, there, and they're.  Really?  Where were you in fourth grade?  You accept a theory, or you take exception to a rule.  But, you don't except a story as true, or include everyone accept those people over there. 

Some folks use words to make themselves sound more intelligent.  My favorite is irregardless.  I don't care that this travesty has been recently listed in some dictionaries, it's not a word.  The prefix ir- means not or without.  The suffix -less means not or without.  So, the summary of the made up word  is, simply without no regard.  What you probably mean is: without regard, which would be the word regardless.  Surely everyone remembers the double negative rule from basic grammar! 

With the preponderance of online reference material available today, there is no excuse for spelling words incorrectly, other than laziness.  Nearly every online forum that I read has a spell checker as a part of the posting form that people fill out.  Hey, those red squiggly lines under the word do not indicate that it's a special word that only you understand, it indicates that you spelled it wrong!  Press the button that says spell check!  If you think that you're spelling a word incorrectly, why don't you look it up.  Go to http://www.dictionary.com/ and type the word in.  You may even read the definition while you're there, and realize that the word your using doesn't even fit into the context of what you're writing!  Of course, that will require that you actually comprehend the definition that you're reading....that's another story.