Dumb Question of the day..

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Gil T.Azell, Jan 11, 2013.

  1. Gil T.Azell

    Gil T.Azell Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2005
    Location:
    Gil T.Azell
    I'm wondering why lately I see a lot of people put the $ sign after the Figure?

    EG; For sale Small Fridge 50$ OBO

    When it should be.

    Like For sale Small Fridge $50 OBO.

    Just Curious?
     
  2. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2009
    Location:
    City of the Fallen Angels
    ^^ Same reason people forget to put a comma between a city and state, e.g., "Sarasota Florida" or "Austin Texas." Rampant illiteracy.
     
  3. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2008
    Location:
    Just around the bend.
    Funny, I just read a dime store novel where the main characters were Sarasota Florida and her boyfriend, Austin Texas.
     
  4. ManOnTheWave

    ManOnTheWave Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2005
    Location:
    ManOnTheWave
    Sounds like the sort of novel where a major character disappears halfway through because the author forgot them. Was that, by chance, the fate of Gary Indiana?
     
  5. The Mirrorball Man

    The Mirrorball Man Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 1999
    Location:
    Switzerland
    They do it because we say "fifty dollars", and not "dollars fifty". I'm not sure it's important or a sign of illiteracy.
     
  6. auntiehill

    auntiehill The Blooness Premium Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    Location:
    on the couch

    I often wonder why people randomly capitalize words, or use improper punctuation.
    :biggrin:
     
  7. M'Sharak

    M'Sharak Definitely Herbert. Maybe. Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2002
    Location:
    Terra Inlandia
    I had to stop wondering about those - there are just too many. (Randomly-placed commas which serve no grammatical purpose will still get me shaking my head, though, if I'm not careful.)

    Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana,
    That's the town that knew me when!
     
  8. rhubarbodendron

    rhubarbodendron Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 1, 2011
    Location:
    milky way, outer spiral arm, Sol 3
    I agree with that theory. Plus it might also be a sign of globalisation as in almost every other language the currency is written after the amount
     
  9. spinnerlys

    spinnerlys Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2008
    Location:
    in between
    Now the conversion to Celsius and the metric system, but that should probably take another hundred years.
     
  10. rhubarbodendron

    rhubarbodendron Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 1, 2011
    Location:
    milky way, outer spiral arm, Sol 3
  11. Scout101

    Scout101 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2003
    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    Isn't that the perfect example of the rampant illiteracy he's talking about, though? They're not writing it the way it SHOULD be written, they are writing it they way they've heard it. Fifty Dollars, so 50$, right?

    Would love to blame globalization and international culture, but we're talking about Craigslist, right? How cultured do those folks seem to YOU? Can't spell their way out of a wet paper bag (spell check your ad, maybe?), no pictures of something that obviously requires them, tell them to contact you, but no phone number or email in the ad, etc. Not the jet-setting type.

    This is the fun downward slide of English. txt speak, calling people a looser on forums, repeating 'mute point' to the extent that it's borderline acceptable, etc. People are idiots, and no one cares anymore...
     
  12. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Location:
    Great Britain
    Well here in the UK we still normally put the £ sign before the amount i.e. £50.

    I'm sure the states will get around coverting to metric, you've just got to spend a decade or two dual labelling, a few years teaching bofe in school and towards the end only teach metric in school. You set a deadline i.e. by 2040 we will be using the metric system and stick to it. Yes some people won't like esp. if they grew up using the imperial system, but the change is not about the current generation(s) but the next generation and the one after that, and the one after that and so on.

    Though which ever system a person uses when writing it down they should specifiy which system. i.e 40C.
     
  13. The Mirrorball Man

    The Mirrorball Man Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 1999
    Location:
    Switzerland
    The way things SHOULD be written changes constantly. Language is not a religion, it's more like an ant farm.
     
  14. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2008
    Location:
    Just around the bend.
    They tried it here in the 70's, it didn't take. And "bofe"? Did you just say "bofe"? ;)
     
  15. Gil T.Azell

    Gil T.Azell Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2005
    Location:
    Gil T.Azell
    Being way too tired for one. :lol:

    And not using spell check, as for my initial question I was brought up to write it $50 not 50$, so I guess I can blame my teachers, :shrug: :devil:

    But I'm not writing to the game show produces to tell them they are wrong, I mean they make big $$$, for that.

    Have a great weekend people.
    Bill.
     
  16. Yoda

    Yoda Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2000
    Location:
    San Diego
    Wait, people are trying to complete transactions using dollars on Craigslist? I'm pretty sure that's a tattoo and sex act based economy.
     
  17. Gil T.Azell

    Gil T.Azell Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2005
    Location:
    Gil T.Azell
    The ones that make me laugh on CL are the Whore's who use terms like "Roses" or 'Out Calls" etc.then bitch when they get flagged, :lol:
    like we know what you mean you idiot.
     
  18. rhubarbodendron

    rhubarbodendron Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 1, 2011
    Location:
    milky way, outer spiral arm, Sol 3
    Happens to me a great deal. I tend to capitalize nouns when I don't concentrate. In German, all nouns start with a capital letter (nouns are considered as and treated like names). I guess it's only natural that one slips back into one's own language when one gets tired, as it's the language one is most fluent in (though I do dream in English, occasionally)
     
  19. Flying Spaghetti Monster

    Flying Spaghetti Monster Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2006
    Location:
    Flying Spaghetti Western
    I spend a lot of time wondering why Chewie did not get a medal...