I would prefer that peoples' ideas were reflected here regardless of how well they did in English class.

As would I. However, as FerretBoy says, if people are trying to communicate effectively, they should put a certain amount of effort into what they write.

Now, on this BBS, I've rarely had a problem understanding what someone has posted, and when I have, some gentle prompting usually allows me to understand them.

I guess that it simply irritates me when people are willing to excuse poor grammar when it's caused through laziness, rather than through lack of education/experience.

I guess we just interpret it differently.

I guess we do. I've not perceived an appreciable amount of nit-picking. You have. We'll have to agree to disagree on this point.

the rules of English grammar are obscenely complicated to begin with

So are the rules of cricket, but if you want to play...

Hey, I don't know. Maybe I should have been born French, then I could have aspired to the Academie Francais .