Grammar girl here, Kathleen on twitter asked, when is it appropriate to point out misspellings

by people you don't know?

Is it ever appropriate?

I never know how to answer this kind of question because I don't correct people, but it's a very

common question, so I turned to Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson for an answer, because

they wrote a whole book about traveling around the country correcting errors on signs.

And they wrote, were surrounded by spelling and grammar mistakes.

It's only natural to want to point typos out to those who've made them.

It's the same impulse that leads us to say, hey, you've got a little something in your teeth

when we spot an unwitting friend with half a vegetable hanging out of his mouth.

In some situations, pointing out an error is worthwhile, even altruistic, but in other

situations, you're simply going to tick someone off.

How do you recognize the right time to speak up?

Also, be honest about your motivation.

Are you trying to help someone improve her communication?

Or are you just being snarky?

If the latter do not pass go, thank you for playing.

But if you are trying to be helpful, here's some advice.

First, recognize the big difference between private and public communication.

If someone's written you an email or sent you a text, her message will not be seen by

the world at large.

That communication is private and often fleeting, unless of course news of the world gets

...