Do You Care About Good Spelling?

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Is this important to you ? Why? Why not?

I've long felt that its important for communication, but i have no solid "ethical" grounds for it as yet.

Wondering if i should spend the time i waste on researching the origin of the universe on a good spelling/grammar primer instead. Might be more relevant. I tried to take a elementary grammer course in college , there wasnt one in the catalog. (serously lol)

[Brenda Starrr]

Yes, it's important. To me, anyway. I didn't spend my whole young life in school learning how to spell properly, just to tolerate everyone else's laziness in the matter. It's not hard to spell worrds like "maybe" or "because." I'm dyslexic, and I still can do it. I still make mistakes, but I at least give it a decent attempt. And if I catch a mistake before I hit send/post/lick the envelope, I fix it.

[Fierce Critter]

This subject came up while you were recuperating, Troy. Lots of strong opinions on the subject.

My bottom line differs for myself and for others.

For myself, I'm a former English major, and spelling is important to me. I'm anal about it, but when I'm drinking, like tonight, or otherwise in a frivolous mood, I cut myself some slack.

As for others, while it might make reading posts easier sometimes, I don't judge others for their skills (or lack thereof) in spelling and/or grammar.

My father has very poor spelling skills, yet he's the main person on this planet whom has my unwavering respect, totally. I help him spell things, and never judge him. He appreciates this. And I have never, ever, seen him as a lesser human for his problem in this area. On the contrary, the fact that he keeps spelling aids of all sorts around him often just earns him even more respect from me.

I only wish people would take time to make paragraphs when it comes to message boards. It's so difficult to wade through long posts, particularly of my ilk, if it's not broken up here and there.

And don't get me started on ALL CAPPERS or all lower-case users. That can stick in my craw, badly. I don't look down on people for it, but it gets my hackles up.

By the way, I never use spell checks on message boards. If I'm unsure, I either 1) look it up on some kind of online dictionary like AOL keyword: Dictionary or dictionary.com, or 2) I don't worry about it.

[sass_in_the_pants]

I suppose it all depends on what they're spelling. As soon as I reach a spelling error on a resume, I throw it in the garbage. In anything business related it is CRITICAL that everything is spelled correctly. When I do a search on a file that is supposed to be spelled "Adjustments" and it is instead spelled "adjustmnts" or some such nonsense, that ticks me off. I've got work to do! I don't have time to search through other people's mistakes!

But on things like message boards, text messaging, and handwritten letters (which I LOVE LOVE LOVE to receive I don't care how many spelling errors are in it), spelling errors don't particularly bother me.

Still, I'd spend my time on spelling rather than the origins of the universe. But maybe that's just because I'm a good speller and bad at origins of the universe. Play to my strengths and all.

[Steven]

I'm not real big on correcting my typewritten quick post snafu's.

usually, I post during work and/or late at night in between other projects, so I allow myself the freedom to just say my thing and leave it be. I literally dont have the time to make sure its all "correct".

Add to that a sticky keyboard, an unorthodox typing style, an irreverant attitude, and SERIOUS time management issues and you get my chicken picken oh so NOT aesthetically pleasing style.

But I think y'all catch what I'm trying to say anyway.

I do my best with it, and you guys do what you can with it....I think that's a pretty fair arrangement.

And I know that some people just think that it makes you appear somewhat "less than" refined or educated when your stuff is sloppy.... and in truth all I can offer you is YES, I am uneducated and unrefined.

but I'm no dummy.

[Homicidalheathen]

Yes, but English and language classes were my strong point in school. I hate bad spellers and lazy people who don't care about how stupid they look in type.

[Homicidalheathen]

(all hail the spam master!) I just noticed Dr. Troys title this week.

As you were....

[phee]

Hmmm.... when in a hurry no... but when actually trying to make a point? yes

[Steven]

Yes, but English and language classes were my strong point in school. I hate bad spellers and lazy people who don't care about how stupid they look in type.

well....thats me, Love....

[Troy Spiral (13)]

I guess im looking for a reason to really "care". What is the actual >reasoning

Trying to remain fairly neutral on the subject as i think as soon as i "decide" one way or the other its difficult to allow new info to change that (theoretically) now entrenched opinion. Drawing a line in the sand, while cool sounding, rarely helps get at the truth.

Not saying that anyone is of the above opinion just random addtional thoughts.

Oh and that typo on a resume' comment? Haha im right there with you in that situation.

[TygerLili]

One or two spelling errors/typos in a post don't bother me much. I know I'm guilty of making a few myself.

What I hate is poor grammar or lack of punctuation. I can still understand a post if it has a misspelled word(if it's at least close), but I usually skip posts that are one or two huge run-on sentences or have an abundance of grammar errors.

"Your" refers to something belonging to you, as in "your car" or "your dog".

"You're" is an abbreviation of you are, as in "You're late!"

Please learn the difference!

Edited because I used the word "spelling" too many times in the first sentence.

Edited August 30, 2006 by TygerLili

[kellygrrrrrl]

I really could care less.

I usually will try to read it and understand it regardless of spelling.

I usually will get it.

If I don't, I ask.

Some people really just cannot spell. Or just type too fast?

I don't care. As long as it makes some sense, and gets the point across....Who gives a boo...

(some.......is the answer)

It's just not that important to me.

Not in this environment.

Spelling and grammer should however, be important in a legal or professional documents/e-mails/letters/advertisment....or in books....etc...

[Steven]

i find this stuff fascinating.

because so far i've yet to see a statement made about any difficulty UNDERSTANDING that which ahs been written.

the difficulty it seems, stems from something within you saying "that's not right! Look at that!! its just wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong!!!

and we use words such as "HATE" to describe our revulsion for these errors - it seems that our responses are rather strong. I trip on that. Here are some things I hate:

Anchovies

Being bashed in the forehead with a brick

liars

theives

drug dealers

pimps

gang bangers

pickled eggs

indecision

gas prices.

those things, have a tendency to affect me directly. But to HATE or otherwise be disturbed by that which seems to still be clearly communicated......I find that hard to grasp.

[Gauge]

i try to care but it just wont let me. ive never ever ever been good at spelling. if i have a resume or aplication to do im usually looking up every other word because i dont trust myself

[Dubh Aingeal]

In general nope, could care less about spelling. Very rarely is there something I can not read due to spell. Now if its a resume or documentation for work. Thats a diffrent story. Those I will spell check.

[BrassFusion]

FC said something about hating all caps and all lower case. Now, I have a really weird pecadillo about that. I usually type in mostly lower case, but usually I'll capitalize names, and sometimes I. I tend to capitalize more on a message board, and less in IM. if i'm using exact grammar and spelling everything correctly AND capitalizing as i should, it almost always means I'm really pissed off at you and trying to prove a point. i don't like consistently capitalizing when i'm not pissed off because it seems too formal and pissed off for me.

But spelling, yeah, I spell as well as I can all the time. sometimes even in IM if there's a word I want to use that I don't know how to spell, I'll look it up just so i remember how it's spelled in the future.

for now, of course, i'm using the DGN spellchecker to pick up "pecadillo" if i got that one wrong.

*spellchecks*

wtf? it's wrong, but no suggestions??? *googles*

ok. so pecadillo is the original spanish but it got successfully coopted to "peccadillo" in english. so there it is. =( it's not in our dictionary, apparently. i actually overheard shade use it at city club a few weeks ago and i'm like, "wow! awesome! no one ever uses that word anymore!"

Edited August 30, 2006 by BrassFusion

[Onyx]

I care.

I probably care a little too much, but it's hard to get past my background as an English major and my profession as a proofreader.

I used to really let it affect how I felt about people until I realized that my hangup with grammar and correct spoken and written language was cutting me off from some valuable, fascinating friendships with some awesome people.

There are a few people that I have a really hard time understanding though. It can be very frustrating.

[Fierce Critter]

so far i've yet to see a statement made about any difficulty UNDERSTANDING that which ahs been written.

Me: As for others, while it might make reading posts easier sometimes, I don't judge others for their skills (or lack thereof) in spelling and/or grammar.

In a way, what I was saying there is when things are spelled wrong or wrong grammar used, it makes reading & understanding posts difficult.

And I love pickled eggs.

[Shade Everdark]

I will admit to being a spelling and grammar Nazi (oops, I just broke Godwin's Law). As a language major (even if it wasn't English), it's important to me to use the language properly, as it has grown and been defined for centuries prior to our existence. Thus, when one intentionally creates an 'error,' or in other words uses creative spelling and grammar, it stands out, and people can (hopefully) recognize that there is a reason behind it.

That said, one or two typos have never bothered me. It's only when a post is completely littered with them that my ire gets up.

[Anathema]

i used to but my husband can't spell worth a damn so i have just given up being a spelling nazi

[Rayne]

Yes. When I first started out in college I was an English majour.

Not for long ... but yeah, I'm big on spelling and grammar.

However, I come from a family who can't spell ... or talk correctly. I've gotten used to bad spelling and grammar and usually don't even notice it anymore.

*giggle* Also, though, if I notice I make an error, even months after the fact ... I have to fix it. It's compulsion. I HAVE to.

[jadnifer]

I consider myself a good speller. However, some people are not. That's just the facts.

People that can't spell, Im fine with. The reason for that is the fact that if I wasnt good at something I wouldnt want that person to look down on me because I couldnt do that particular thing.

I do notice though that when I am getting into a topic that I tend to type too fast and misspell and leave out words. Thats why I go back and proofread.

As for having a spellchecker/grammar check on the site, its a good idea. Especially for people that arent sure of whether or not they have it right and just want to make sure.

[Reaper]

I noticed that there are a lot of english majors in the thread. I too, could have been one as it was my strong point in high school and college. What nags me, is the way people spell the words with the wrong meanings, i.e. using "there" when it should be "their," or using "hear" instead of "here."

I will give some slack if they had a bad teacher who didn't care how people used the words. But I tend to think, after so many others have spelled it a certain way that they would have picked up on it. I think in general that people have gotten lazy. When I see someone spelling words wrong and misplacing their meanings, it tends to make me think that they weren't that smart, though it may actually be the opposite. But that is my first thought and sometimes the first impression is what counts.

Edited August 31, 2006 by Reaper

[cptdeath]

i'm sure there could be an option to select when you make a profile to turn on a spell check program for every thing you post before it's submitted. that would be up to the staff and would surley recieve much criticism for it's ineffectiveness. i personelly feel it would be to much work with out recognition from the people you would be trying to do something nice for. but a spell chek is an idea to look into

[Steven]

I do notice though that when I am getting into a topic that I tend to type too fast and misspell and leave out words. Thats why I go back and proofread.

thats exactly why my chit comes out like it does. especially when I'm in a hurry.

but I never go back and correct. no time and no desire.....