This blog entry about the proper use of Apostrophes on geekzone made me laugh…

Its not the content, its not the blatant laughing at blogs with bad spelling (like this one), its not even the funny cartoon.

What made me laugh was the use of “!=”.

Here is an article about correct grammor, and the link within the article goes as far to say “If you want to be able to communicate with others, you need to wrap that communication up in an easily digested package.”.

I must admit that I am skeptical about this, I mean, have your realy noticed, or cared, that there were three its in the 2nd paragraph when clearly there was ownership implied, not the use of plurars???

But regardless of my own view, the phrase ‘easily digested’ was used. Surely ‘easily digested’ also includes the ability for readers to understand the full content of the communication (not just the meaning of each individual word)?

Which bring us back to “!=”.

How many of you out there in reader land actually know what this means?

It is a coding term that is used in a lot of standard codes like php and sql. Now given that coding of this nature is done by about .05% of the population, this is not the most user friendly term to be using! I’m sure the following sentance would have been more readable…

When an Apostrophe, make sure its used correctly. “Its” does not equal “it’s” (did you notice the missing ‘ ?)

Yes I know that it is geekzone, and that geekyness is allowed, but I think thats going beyond geek and into just plain nerd.

Oh, and no comments about the fact that I do actually know what != is.