SpellMaster

[NickleArse]

Why does Smellmaster get so offended by bad spelling?

[sft42]

cawse he's not got much else to do wif his tyme. No in all fairness it's more grammatical errors and americanisms that seem to annoy ol' spelly......which statred out as a "Did you know that you got that wrong.....Here's the right way" which was help on occasion then it all got to be overly nit picking (80's....80s) and some to offence....He does provide a useful if sometimes unwanted service.

[sft42]

Gawd before anyone gets on at me....helpful and some took offence......that'll teach me to use the phone and type answers at the same time.

[Spellmaster]

As sft has pointed out, I do not correct most spelling mistakes, as we all make those easily enough; most of the errors I correct fall into two categories - the use of Americanisms instead of British English (ie color instead of colour - one a county abandons its language then it abandons its culture) and the misuse of the apostrophe, which is a highly valuable grammatical tool with a specific purpose, but a tool which few answerbank visitors (they would doubtless say visitor's) seem to know how to use. That said, I do sometimes correct words that are so badly spelt (I believe the word of yours I corrected was 'interergating') that a correction will help the writer to avoid embarrassing themselves in future. After all, if you spelt interrogate as interergate in, say, a job application, it could easily have an adverse effect on your chances of success. Like it or not, employers like to see good spelling. Good spelling and grammar also help people to express their questions more clearly and make themselves better understood; bad spelling and grammar can make questions ambiguous. Finally, I would add that the AB editors often correct spelling, presumably for these very reasons - I have yet to see anyone have a go at them for so doing.

[Spellmaster]

And to prove my point that we all make mistakes, and to show that I am quite happy to admit to my own mistakes, I should of course have said 'once a country', not 'one a county'. :)

[treaclefight]

It can be very important this knowing how to spell stuff. My mother relies heavily on the spellcheck facility on her pc when doing her degree. In a recent essay she had to discuss the painting "Monarch of the Glen" (famous painting of a stag), she wanted to point out the wildness of the subject but unfortunately handed in an essay stating that the artist had "captured the true spirit of Widnes". I have to admit that even though i'm pretty good with spelling, it can all go pear shaped when i'm trying to type quickly and i don't always spot the mistakes. :-)

[Jacob]

Speaking personally, I foind that 'aving someone correct me spelling is a lot less offensive than that word that youve got in your name. And Jacob dont mean nickle, either.

[woofgang]

Having read elsewhere on the site today that this place is starting to get like the home of a bunch of spoiled whiney bored kids, I think we should start by laying off Spellmaster. This estimable person may have quirks, we all do. If poor spelling yanks Spellmaster's chain, we should not mock or complain, we should be sympathetic. Spellmaster, from now on, you may make any comments you like about my posts, I will not reply or retaliate. Shantih....

[BenDToy]

Spellmaster. In the same spirit as your corrections (which I fully support - especially the apostrophes) I would like to point out that your use of "ie" was I believe incorrect. I think you should have used "eg" which indicates your use of an example. Your sentence implies that "color" is the only Americanism you are referring to, which I suspect is not the case. If it is then I apologise. (or maybe apologize!!!)

[BenDToy]

This may raise a smile. I saw a sign by the roadside near where I live - "Builders Lock Up's For Rent"

[NickleArse]

Ok then, enough said. When I next apply for a job I shall get Smellmaster to proof read the application first. I wasn't criticising, I was merely wondering why he / she felt the need. (Was he bullied by spelling mistakes as a child for instance?).

[brawburd]

We are a terribly limited culture when we do not recognise the worth of a person simply due to their spelling, grammar or other "word" abilities. Spellchecks don't help in many situations because people generally check for spelling rather than context. In a document sent to me yesterday "policies and procedures" became "policies and processors" due to an amalgimation of poor spelling and inadequate spellchecker use. How do we accommodate differing abilities without discrimination?