[Tuco_Ramírez]

Does it irritate anyone else when folks "broadcast" their state, race, job, etc?

You know that thing certain folks do online in which they'll attempt to spell out their accent, make excessive use of regional slang, or make tons of references to their race or job in pretty much everything they post?

For example, I just came from another forum where everyone was having a discussion, then this guy posts who is just broadcasting his job as a truck driver so hard, making constant use of trucker slang, references to routes he took, and driving. I couldn't make heads or tails of what he was trying to say and had to resist the urge to quote his post and ask him; "Hey buddy, what do you do for a living? I can't quite put my finger on it. Wait, you're a helicopter pilot, right?"

I run into that sort of thing a lot online, and it never ceases to leave me exasperated. It's like, why can't you just write normally? Why must everyone at all times be acutely aware of your state/city of residence, your racial ancestry, what you do for a living, etc?
It's always some sort of stereotype too, some cliched image they're trying to push, because obviously you'll never see someone doing this sort of thing if they live in Seattle, are of Laotian descent, and work as a system analyst. Or live in Los Angeles, are of Turkish descent, and work as a dental assistant. Or live in the suburbs of Wisconsin, are of mixed descent, and work as a divorce lawyer. You'll never see a meter maid online doing everything in their power to convey that they check parking meters and hand out parking tickets for a living.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being proud of where you live, where you came from, and what you do for a living. In fact, that's a healthy way to be, but when you've made it such a huge part of your persona that you've practically become a Muppet, that's just sad. Be an individual, a person, not a walking stereotype.

It's probably just me, but it drives me nuts sometimes, especially when I can't even decipher whatever it is they're trying to say.

 

[GhostHorse]

Well if 34 years of giving shiatsu massages to retired cheerleaders has taught me anything, it's how correct my dear Latvian grandmother was when she said "when you argue with a squirrel, always remember he might be distracting you while his sister tries to steal your nuts." That's why I had St. Roland and St. Francis painted on my massage table.

 

[Rickenbacher39]

No it doesn't bother me.
It might if I paid attention to people.
But I don't. I have my own problems.

 

[Doctordeere]

You know that thing certain folks do online in which they'll attempt to spell out their accent, make excessive use of regional slang, or make tons of references to their race or job in pretty much everything they post?

For example, I just came from another forum where everyone was having a discussion, then this guy posts who is just broadcasting his job as a truck driver so hard, making constant use of trucker slang, references to routes he took, and driving. I couldn't make heads or tails of what he was trying to say and had to resist the urge to quote his post and ask him; "Hey buddy, what do you do for a living? I can't quite put my finger on it. Wait, you're a helicopter pilot, right?"

I run into that sort of thing a lot online, and it never ceases to leave me exasperated. It's like, why can't you just write normally? Why must everyone at all times be acutely aware of your state/city of residence, your racial ancestry, what you do for a living, etc?
It's always some sort of stereotype too, some cliched image they're trying to push, because obviously you'll never see someone doing this sort of thing if they live in Seattle, are of Laotian descent, and work as a system analyst. Or live in Los Angeles, are of Turkish descent, and work as a dental assistant. Or live in the suburbs of Wisconsin, are of mixed descent, and work as a divorce lawyer. You'll never see a meter maid online doing everything in their power to convey that they check parking meters and hand out parking tickets for a living.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being proud of where you live, where you came from, and what you do for a living. In fact, that's a healthy way to be, but when you've made it such a huge part of your persona that you've practically become a Muppet, that's just sad. Be an individual, a person, not a walking stereotype.

It's probably just me, but it drives me nuts sometimes, especially when I can't even decipher whatever it is they're trying to say.

 

[glenwolde]

A lot of times, yes. Of course, Texans are allowed.

 

[cassrh]

It doesn't bother me. I like hearing of other's jobs / professions, and where they're from, etc - that's what makes us all different. As for race, it's immaterial, until it's used as a crutch or to defend illegal actions. I can think of a whole lot of other things to get upset about.

 

[53rdcard]

It depends, if it is informative, i.e. a topic comes up where this persons experience or training would be beneficial, no i dont mind it at all. If it is something they are proud of, and should be because it is a accomplishment, and they want to share, no, doesn't bother me. If however it is someone who thinks that just because they have x education and or qualification that it makes them a expert in all things, regardless of if they actually know anything about it at all, yes, it does bother me at that point.

 

[rhugg]

Less educated people can only talk in their 'slang', it is not intentional.

As a society we are much more public about things our grandparents would have kept quiet We have little discretion even when it makes us look bad and if we think it makes us look good we are sure to be braggarts.

 

[BangBang]

I don't get angry at any of it. As soon as a person identifies himself to me as one of these people you are describing I just move on to another subject. What does bother me is when people that I know are educated insist on trying to convince anyone willing to listen that they are country folks and they think the best way to do that is to spell words like an idiot would and try to sound country in their post.

Don

 

[Jake3501]

A lot of times, yes. Of course, Texans are allowed.

Beat me to it.

If the other person is not a Texan, it is usally fine, providing the other person isn't trying to lord it over the peasants how importatnat or rich he is. If someone gets out of hand about that, I usually do my own moderating.

We rarely run into much of that on this board, just a couple of occasional disidents, who seem proud of what they post. I never run into it on facebook as I have unfriended everyone who manages to bother me. Sadly, maybe not sadly, I have no friends on facebook! !

 

[jtg452]

As long as it's written clearly enough to be understood, then I have no problem with the use of dialect or slang. If I can't understand it, then what's the use of posting it?

Formalized spelling, sentence structure and punctuation has only been around for about 150 years in English anyhow. There are places in Louis and Clark 's journals where the same word is spelled 3 different ways on the same page.

 

[Tuco_Ramírez]

For clarification, it is never informative, helpful, nor does it ever have anything whatsoever to do with the topic of discussion, that's what makes it forced and annoying.

If it were a thread about where you grew up, where you came from, or what you do for a living, then obviously it would be welcome and interesting. Instead it's just obnoxious because it has absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand but is just pointless irrelevant references to something that nobody ever asked about.
Furthermore, as previously stated, it's always stereotypical, so you'll never see it coming from someone employed in a business which isn't manly or exciting. You'll never see a dentist, or a chiropractor, or a cardiologist show up in a thread spouting work-related jargon, yet you'll see plenty of truckers, construction workers, engineers, etc doing so. Oh, and by the way, over the course of my life I've been employed in a bakery, sales, customer service, technical support, and security. I've also trained in a number of vocations, at one point I wanted to be a pilot, at one point I was going for a stationary engineer's license for a job for maintenance/repair of high pressure steam boilers, then I was pursuing a career as a print journalist. Yet how often have I spoke of any of those things outside of context? They were jobs, aspirations, not defining characteristics of my personality which I feel the need to broadcast as if any of them say anything about me that cannot better be expressed by simply being myself.

Don't get me wrong either, if it ever struck me as someone merely being enthusiastic about their work, then it wouldn't annoy me. It's like John Madden likening everything to Football, it's his life, his passion, not forced. But when someone feels the need to constantly reference their state/city, race, or career constantly, especially when they already have all of said information listed publicly on their profile, it's just forced and distracting.

 

[Ickthus]

Oh i can tell by most posts they are in the state of confusion or denial, racing towards a train wreck and can't seem to keep a job.

 

[Peacemakr40]

The only time it bothers me is if they laud their credentials or personal details when it has nothing to offer to the conversation. I mean if you're from NYC and have never even held a real firearm, I really don't care what your position is on gun safety. In the same aspect, If you're a lifetime mechanic and I ask about a recall for my (insert year, make and model of choice) then your commentary is invaluable. It's really no different than the hearsay bashing of Taurus firearms. If you haven't personally have such a failure, your opinion doesn't mean squat to me.

 

[Flash60601]

So it is jargon that is at issue here?

I can see that being a hidrance to normal conversation, especially engaging one who is not conversant with that particular "jargon:.

Then the issue of "persoality" is merged with that, placing the jargon speaker in a much narrower channel of understandability.

Unfortunately, most people have never had the opportunity to view a candid video of themselves taken uaware. A salutary experience for anyone, I should thik.

 

[dice]

that was THE best comeback I've ever read in my 68 years of being white, southern born and bred baby sitter for the thug gang in the peach state.

 

[jtg452]

So it is jargon that is at issue here?

I can see that being a hidrance to normal conversation, especially engaging one who is not conversant with that particular "jargon:.

Then the issue of "persoality" is merged with that, placing the jargon speaker in a much narrower channel of understandability.

Unfortunately, most people have never had the opportunity to view a candid video of themselves taken uaware. A salutary experience for anyone, I should thik.

Jargon has it's place.

Every activity has it's own lexicon. Jobs from tree surgery and sailing to finance and computer programming, sports, even cooking, sewing and baking have their own 'language'. Knowing and using the right words and phrases specific to a certain activity makes the need for clear and concise communication easier.

 

[txgocart111g2]

It’s the internet...

We have the option of click or not click on posts.

If the person making an entry is known to you to have annoying habits I suggest not clicking.

But if you are looking for something to set off your triggers then clicking on them would be the ticket.

Ray

 

[dennisturner]

Well, as a one-legged gopher pest control specialist I know a thing or two about legs and the lack thereof. Most people know nothing of controlling gophers and precious little about missing legs. That makes me better than 99% of all ya'll "normal" folks. I graduated from an ivy league pest control school with a certification in gophers. I'll bet no one else on this board can say that with a straight face.







Okay, neither can I.

 

[NativeTexan]

I don't have an accent....YOU have an accent...