It constantly makes me laugh how often people will use a single typo or other small mistake on platforms like Facebook to try to completely discredit or look down on someone else. Now I’d love it if everyone was a little more concerned with spelling, grammar, etc., but more often than not, it’s pretty obvious that a small error and / or someone not taking the time to proofread everything does not automatically equate to them being a moron. And (surprise, surprise) being a better writer does not always necessarily mean what you’re actually saying is correct, so in debates, when someone acts as if a single misspelled word instantly negates everything else the other person has said, it just comes across as them having no better points to make or argue against.
We ALL make mistakes from time to time, regardless of how smart we may or may not be. So when it comes to writing, if, as a bloody copy editor, I’m capable of not being a condescending, dismissive asshat to those less proficient than I am, I kinda think the same should go for everyone else. I’m not against noting errors and offering corrections constructively, but please don’t be one of those miserable prats who thinks that simply pointing out that someone else used the wrong form of “they’re / their” in a discussion makes them look superior or really challenges the other person’s position.
