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Thanks Lindy. I for one should be able to put it to good use, if I happen to remember it...

Once installed and running I realized I already had a spell checker in my Google tool bar. I´ll try to remember using them and compare which one is the better.

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So here I am once more...

Hi All,
Cool... It works!

Now whats my excuse...

Frank




-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I think there's a real difference between minor errors, or genuine, understandable errors, and pure laziness. I am a professional editor, and I'm sure even I don't use perfect grammar or spelling all the time when posting on this site. Not capitalising or using punctuation, or using text language, is being lazy IMO. A spelling mistake here or there, small grammatical errors - these things don't really matter. But if you know that you are a bad speller, you may get a lot more help if you do use a spell checker beforehand and make it easier for people to read your posts. I think that's mainly the point that Lindy is trying to make here!

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

Frank, download the spell checker, write up a post, when finished right click your mouse in the text box and look for 'Check Spelling' in the menu. It will do its thing and voila! all done.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Install it restart ie and it will be on the back forward home stop refresh bar

Hi,
OK... If I download this spell checker, how do I use it
when writing a reply to say, this post?
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Heck I will be the first to come forward and admit that my posts are probably riddled with so many mistakes that they are illegible. However, I accept my faults and move on with life. Thanks for the utility though I will be sure to use it in the future.

Most of my problem comes from rambling when I don't have someone to talk to directly I tend to go on and on

I have no problem with minor mistake here and there. I also think that even the most illegible posts can have good content. However, I have seen many posts(here and elsewhere) that are so illegible, I can barely read them. I guess I just don't understand why you would want to go to all the trouble of posting your opinion and make it as complicated to read as possible. Part of growing up is developing better writing skills. Why go back to the way you wrote when you were a little kid?

ETA: I know this site has many young kids, but i think the youngest Ive seen her was 10 or 11 and was pretty good at posting coherently. I have also posted on communities with people who did not speak english well and obviously no one was rude enough to attack their writing skills. However there are posters here, who speak english as a first language and are old enough to write coherently. I truely doubt the other posters were attacking people who have good reason not to have perfect grammar.

Last edited by katieb at 29-Nov-2005 14:29

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

Yup , standards are dropping, and people should be encouraged to do better. However, I'm still gonna respond to people who ask questions even if their spelling , punctuation and grammar isnt spot-on.

I hold a masters degree and was educated privately to much higher standards than most people on this site, I am not however going to pick people up every time they make a spelling mistake or contextual error.

Personally I believe that a great many people have a huge amount to offer to both this field and many others.Not all of them have great achievements in literary sciences but that is the diverse nature and gift of the human psyche. I know a great many people who barely made it through school and yet became EXCEPTIONAL animal keepers. Their experience is well-earned and valid, and I am not going to allow a sense of minor educational elitism to stand in the way of their contributions, or indeed, of mine.

Don't forget a great many people worldwide suffer at least some form of partial dysleksia, many people are imperfectly multilingual, and it is not for us to insult their efforts, or assume a lack of knowledge on their part.This site, (as I am constantly reminded by perhaps an over eager administration) has to remain suitable for children. A five year old may keep a fish and yet not have a great grasp of the english language or be especially literate, are we really going to withold aid and assistance to a young mind until they have graduated? Of course not.

The internet is by its very nature of use- a brief almost purile form of communication, most sites , email conversations, text formats, and forums and chats are rarely authoritative or well written. I too find it frustrating that we are experiencing a culturally retrograde step in terms of correct english language usage. Certainly the "chav" or "asbo" culture experienced throughout the UK at the moment could hardly be considered beneficial, but I appreciate the need to be swift in a subject wherein it is of positive advantage to be brief, and where our time to contribute may be limited.

I think the point is that we are looking for content, rather than poetry, and if we find ourselves criticising spelling and grammar more than we do helping and contributing our fellow members then perhaps we should be looking at education in a much wider context, the emphasis perhaps a little more on maturity and self development.

The evolution of language is continuous and constantly applied, after all, it was not so long ago that UK citizens considered the Americanisation of the english language ( you say color, I say colour) to be an unacceptable bastardisation of a perfectly good, non inflected indo-european language.
Theres elitism, and then there are true elitists, and we cannot be counted among them, you would think that we would be more understanding in our approach. The whole degree of arguement is fairly purile. Im fairly content to say, that if I understand someone, they have successfully communicated. Beyond that I'm not going to criticize.

You could spend the next 10 minutes correcting every error in this text, but ultimately I could do the same if not a great deal more back to yours. The point is - I wouldnt.Clearly its a communication aimed with a purpose at a specific target . To over-embibe the principles of english diction would be fatuous. Necessity is the mother of invention and people will draw on only the essentials they require.Sometimes that people choose to write in a particular style (or the lack thereof) can actually lead to a sense of familiarity, to a nuance or an understanding of their being.If you are able to read between the lines with any degree of intuition such experiences of communication can tell you a great deal about a person, the things they need from you, and how to get what you want from them, perhaps even encourage them.


To write illegibly : a problem.
To criticize rather than contribute - moreso.
To forgive is divine.

I think it was Marcus Aurelius who first said to correct mistakes in others, it is only required that you lead by example.

I am far more frustrated by people who say "My fish is sick- HELP!" then add no water perameters or symptoms.That IS bloody frustrating. Its all about content, and having common sense enough to help others to help you..




Last edited by longhairedgit at 29-Nov-2005 09:34

hmm, i know it was around here somewhere i do know that i always turn my spell check off when i install programs that use it cause i have no need for it [img src='/images/forums/halo.gif' border=0] i could be thinking of netscape though and not firefox...

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

rob, I am glad you find it useful.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Ok, after three posts the verdict is already in, and the winner is... ieSpell. The one in the Google toolbar is totally meaningless except when you have forgotten a letter here and there. The "Lindy-check" as it will now be known as seems to do it a lot better and also makes suggestions but unfortunately it can&#180;t handle grammatic issues. Then, who can?

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So here I am once more...

I cannot find any spell checker in firefox spacepoodle. Are you making this up to annoy people?

-- Gomer

I found a free spell checker that is an add on to IE.
If you are anything like me you sometimes need to check your spelling. :%)

[link=http://www.iespell.com/]http://www.iespell.com/" style="COLOR: #004040[/link]

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

*agrees with matty* I can't find a spellc hecker anywhere in firefox

What we really need is a spell checker built into the site, but Adam keeps sayin' that it isn't possible. How do other boards do it? I'm confused, but that's normal

Most people that write in stuff that's published Try to spell things correctly and use proper grammar, but they still miss a lot of mistakes. I find typos in newspapers, magazines and books all the time

I know that I have frequent spelling errors and don't capitalize everything and stuff. It's kinda hard to keep up with 20 different people in different chat rooms and IM's and stuff when yer doin' proper grammar. Hey, atleast I don't do txt spk

Some possible reasons that I think people might ditch grammar online -
1. "I can't type very fast, so why waist time finding keys and correcting errors?"
-Learn to type

2. "every1 can read txt spk, so y not use it"
-Uh huh. I hate having to translate stuff and then try to understand it...

3. "Nobody cares about what I have to say anyway "
- People would care more if they could read what you were writing.

4. "Why waste my time being more precise, just so other people can read what I say more easily?"
-Because people will ignore you if they can't read what you're saying (refer to #3)

*licks txt spkrs*

anyone who uses firefox gets a spell checker installed automatically

We do? Where?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Lol gram0rs. Serious business.

anyone who uses firefox gets a spell checker installed automatically

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Heh, I don't think most people here write for any major publications or publishers.

A very nice little download, Lindy.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Thanks for that Lindy

What I don't understand is why spelling and grammar go out the window when online. You wouldn't buy a book or a newspaper that was riddled with mistakes, because it makes the writers look uneducated. So why would you present yourself online like that?




I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.