I’m a big fan of good grammar – or at least good enough that I can usually tell “who” from “whom” and know my “its” from “it’s”…

So I was quite excited to try the After the Deadline plugin, which helps correct grammar, as well as style.

Interesting, and if you are concerned about your writing as I am, well worth a look – however, I’ve since uninstalled it.

The problem? In a nutshell, it’s a fine line from helping me to nagging me.

Various times, I tried to submit my post, only to have the plugin ask me if I was sure. I was surprised how irritating that interruption was to my workflow, and that single-handedly torpedoed it. Whether there is a setting to change that, or another option, I didn’t bother to check out.

Now don’t get me wrong – it did a great job of checking the grammar, and it picked out some style issues (passive voice, specifically). I haven’t dropped it forever – it’s just until I feel like trying it out again.

It’s also a reminder to me as a programmer to make settings unobtrusive. And if there are different levels, start off gentle, and then add breaks to the workflow.

Nonetheless, if you want your writing improved, give it a shot – after all, just because I didn’t enjoy the interruption doesn’t mean you’ll have a problem with it…