That is a really good suggestion. I would like to add that for me if there are too many smileys it also makes it very hard to concentrate on the post. It is just too much distraction for me.

I fully agree. I won't read any long post that doesn't have breaks, and just rambles on, often incoherently with spelling mistakes.
Also smileys-what is the point of multiples?

It feels a bit rude to reply to those posts with this sort of comment when they may be in real pain or anguish, and a negative comment would just be too much.
But they lose potential replies because of it.

Is there a polite way to suggest breaks, spell checks and shorter sentences?

New members won't read stickies on this, so it is going to reoccur all of the time.

Would be nice to have a standard post that a moderator could put in, saying something like:

We would love to be able to read and respond to your post, but the writing style that you have used is unfortunately a bit difficult to understand.
Would you consider reposting it, applying a spell checker, and using shorter sentences with frequent breaks between them?
Many forum members have limited time and ability to read and respond to hard-to-read posts, so if you make it easier to read you are much more likely to get responses.
Please take this as a compassionate suggestion,and not a criticism.

Having breaks in posts make it so much easier to read. Ones that go on and on without any breaks becomes more difficult to read. I will admit that there are times when I see one of those, I never read the entire post.
Smileys are be a two edged sword. There are times when its a good way to express yourself, but then there are times when each sentence contains one or two smileys, that to me is a bit of an overkill.

I think the message we would like to get across to new members:

1- Use breaks in your posts
2- Refrain from using CAPS unless you want to make a point
3- Limit the amount of smileys used

When I get back from vacation, I will look at making a more formal post like this and place it in Spine-Health Announcements

i 100% agree with this.

I sadly find myself trying to read through a post where the sentences run all together and quickly find that I can no longer pay attention to the posts as it all blurs together in my brain..

On spell checker.
Mozilla will do this as you type.
Some other forms of spell checkers have simply caused me to lose the post

There, only one smiley oops, two

It saves me so many times...
BUT for grammar...

I here that their is times when while spell checkers work, they have no idea what you are really trying to say.
Sow when we do mean to say one word, the checker validates us, but forget about the rest

I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt!

Sorry, I couldn't resist...

Having some reasonable grammar and spelling skills applied to your post does help.

You srue rghit fnnuy! Dno't froegt taht smoe of us hvae to raed tihs stfuf!

Me thinks I just crashed my Mozilla's spellchecker.
it is asking for it's mommy.

Graham, you are right. I managed to read your whole post without a problem,(I can also read upsides down) but, that doesn't mean I want to do it all the time, I think my brain would sieze up and I would just babble incoherently.