Why correct spelling is important...

[astro744]

...because it makes searching through the posts a lot easier.

I know there could be typo's but once spotted these should be corrected.

Recent examples:

observitory (observatory)
add - advertisment (ad)
neglar (Nagler)
looses (loses)

If I want to search the posts for a Nagler or observatory I would never think to also search for Neglar or observitory.

Although it may seem I've singled out the above it is only because they are recent. The forum is littered with spelling errors in post titles and message contents.

Note I am not talking grammatical errors, only spelling errors which if corrected would make searching for specific text a lot easier.

Thank you for understanding.

[FlashDrive]

Fairy Nuff ( say it quickly ) .....! or should it be ... Fair Enough. :lol:

I know what your saying .... I saw them to ..:rofl:

[MrB]

Agreed.
Not such a problem in the body of the post, but correct spelling in the thread title is vital for searching.
It would be nice to have the mods correct spelling errors in titles when noticed.

[wasyoungonce]

I'm really bad at good grammar and spelling..so I blame it all on my spiel checker!:lol:

[ballaratdragons]

Some days I wish I could get into posts and fix the spelling.
Some are just soooo painful to read :lol:

[Suzy]

That in itself is poor grammar - shouldn't use the word "good".
:P :lol::lol:

Yes, agreed Astro744 - a point well made. :thumbsup:

[astroron]

It will be interesting to see where this thread goes:question:
A couple of years ago World War Three nearly started on iceinspace over this very topic;)
I hate it when people leave words out of a sentence and expect you to understand what they are trying to say:mad2:
I wish they would fix the offending article as the mistakes are so glaringly obvious:rolleyes:
Cheers

[shelltree]

Terrible spelling and grammar infuriates me to no end. I can't help but notice spelling and grammar errors and want to correct them but alas I cannot! I understand that everyone gets it wrong once in awhile but when a post title is clearly spelt incorrectly, it makes me wonder whether they have thought about what they are posting before actually posting it if they are being that hasty that they don't even realise their mistake.

[mithrandir]

Firefox points out spelling errors in the body of a message but not in the title.

Preferences (or Options depending on the release) -> General -> Browsing -> Check my spelling as I type

Some IE user might know how to do the same with it.

[Red Nine]

Nice Swan ;) (Again, say it...)

Spelling errors seriously irk me, but grammar I think tops it in terms of annoyance.

There, their, they're. Effect or affect. And so on...

[bartman]

I have the same set up and it works a treat, except of course when you get there and their mixed up.

By the way I will fix my LOOSES to LOSES...on my recent post;)

Bartman

[jjjnettie]

Oh, don't be so mean and try to be more understanding.
Some people on the forum don't have English as their first language.
While others, through no fault of their own just have trouble with their spelling.
Would you prefer these people don't post on the forum because their spelling and grammar isn't up to your own high standards?

[bartman]

I dont think its being mean, just correct spelling would help people find posts and people sell stuff as well.

Bartman

[jjjnettie]

If you knew how much it can cut someone, having their failings pointed out like this. They'll keep quiet about it, but I know a couple of people on this forum who will be hurting.

[[1ponders]]

I agree jjj. Being dyslexic is not easy at times. Many times I have posted only to have to go back into the post and change grammar or spelling. And then come back later after someone has replied only to find I still didn't get it right.

I can appreciate where people are coming from when wanting correct spelling and grammar, but for some of us it literally is impossible.

I agree correct thread titles are important, but in the body of the text I can't see the critical importance if someone spells a word wrong. If someone is talking about their observatory its hardly likely the word is only going to come up once in a thread about that topic.

[ballaratdragons]

Yep, I agree too, it's only the thread title that is really important.

As much as bad spelling happens (and it is becoming more prevalent throughout society) there are more and more posts appearing with words totally left out turning a sentence into guesswork.

Not to be nasty, or make it even harder on Dyslexics or Non-English speaking members, or even bad spellers, but it's not hard for us English speakers to re-read a post before clicking 'Submit Reply'.

I miss the occasional one of mine too :P :help:

[shelltree]

JJJ I honestly didn't think about this fact when I made my post, so I really hope what I said didn't offend anyone.

[bloodhound31]

Such a cruel word don't you think? It's right up there with, "Lisp." :shrug:

Baz.

[Paul Haese]

Aahh this little bug bare!

Firstly, let me just say I like many others make errors both grammatically and in spelling, but I do try to keep my posts legible. However, I really hate and I know this is a strong word; but I hate bad grammar and poor spelling. Some rules I like to go by in general in this regard are as follows:

Never end a sentence with a preposition. It shows a distinct lack of understanding of the language we speak and just looks tardy. Putting aside that some people are using English as a second language, I believe these people often have better English written skills than those whom are educated in this country from birth. Making excuses for mediocrity and alllowing it to be rewarded are part of the problem. My father and mother had a fairly ordinary education as were many of their time and yet their written skills are exemplary. Literacy was important once it does not seem so now.

Next, try to limit each sentence to just 50 words and use a comma when you need to take a breath. It makes for easier reading and helps one to make sense of what is being said.

With spelling if you are unsure of the spelling of a particular word try searching for it on the web. There are now many sites that can give you the Oxford spelling of a particular word. Some spelling mistakes are normal when typing but there have been several instances on Australian forums where the spelling is so bad word after word that I wonder why this person has taken up an intellectual pursuit when literacy is not their strong suit.

Literacy is the best tool we are given as children. With it we can learn and teach. Without it we appear as savages.

[JethroB76]

:lol:

[dannat]

One of the problems I have is that I use the iPad for most posts, unfortunately it changes some words while I type fast..eg Televue always gets changed to Televise. And I have to go back & correct it....sometimes I get frustrated and can't be bothered going back to fix up all the corrections it has made for me

[Octane]

The funniest is when people who complain about poor spelling and grammar, commit the same CRIME they are posting about. I love it! :D

H

[CraigS]

From my perspective, spelling and grammatical errors probably rate amongst the least of our worries here at IIS.

Where are those thought Police when ya need 'em ?
:lol: :)
Cheers

[Barrykgerdes]

I too get annoyed by poor spelling and grammar but there is little that can be done about it. I am not the best when it comes to spelling and grammar and a dyslexic keyboard that seems to interchange letters as I type does not help matters.

I suppose I am one of the better spellers however because spelling and grammar were very important parts of early schooling and you got punishment for errors. These language basics need to be learnt at an early age for best results and as spelling and grammar became unimportant to schooling some years ago it is no wonder we have such poor spelling and grammar today.

As a moderator on the Unwired forum I do make corrections to obvious spelling errors (and remove nasty words) but you can't make some corrections without changing the meaning of a post.

Barry

[astro744]

Hmm.. Touchy subject!

A typo is common and I make them all the time. The same typo repeated in a sentance or paragraph is no longer a typo but possibly a genuine sense that the word has been spelt correctly because that is how one has always spelled it and unless someone else tells one otherwise, one will never know the difference.

Yes it could also be dyslexia and for those affected may I suggest the Irlen Dyslexia Centre. My son has a form of dyslexia which has been greatly helped by wearing coloured glasses. Forgive me though if you have already done so and still suffer. I meant no disrespect.

Any critism offered here is constructive and I'm sure anyone with English as a second language would welcome such feedback. My country of origin is a non english speaking country but I now live here and although English was my least favourite subject in school I have always strived to improve my writing and speaking skills. If I'm not sure of a word, I'll look it up in a dictionary for both spelling and meaning.

My initial post was to merely ask people to take a little more time to correct significant spelling errors in both title and message body that would assist when searching through the forum. The reason I also say message body is that some titles are simply meaningless, like "Look at this", "Another question" etc. Significant words are those which directly refer to the topic of the thread.

Note I also mentioned in my initial post that I was not concerned about the poor use of grammar but this is from the standpoint that it generally will not affect a search whereas incorrect spelling will. You may have noticed in my first paragpraph I used spelt and spelled. Perhaps someone with a better understanding of correct grammar usage can advise me which is correct?

Thanks again for understanding.

[jjjnettie]

Touchy subject indeed.
I had my say and am over it now.

[TrevorW]

Sum websites have grammer and lspel sheckerc build into them thus enabling pists like mine to be checkled beforehand

but

DILIRGAF

[mithrandir]

Both are. One is more common in British English, the other in American English. "The USA and the UK. Two countries separated by a common language."

"paragpraph" however is wrong, by one typo.

I think I also have several of Barry's dyslectic keyboards. About one per computer. This forces me to proof read everything before clicking "Submit Reply", and "Preview Message" is a good idea too. I just had to edit another post twice for silly typos I had missed after even doing both of those.

Andrew

[multiweb]

Oui :P

[[1ponders]]

Zigactly Andrew

[jjjnettie]

And sometimes your fingers end up with a life of their own. The message getting garbled somewhere between the brain and the keyboard. :screwy:

[torana68]

my personal peeve is the grandiose writer, those who , for some unknown reason, need to use words no one understands. I know people are not instructed to write in this fashion but some seem to think the use of these words makes them more important. If a writer gets his point across and its not in SMS speak Im fine with it, if I see words similar to "antidisestablishmentarianism"" I believe the writer to be an idiot :)

[Rick Petrie]

I agree with your first post on this thread Jeanette.
The English language is hard enough, especially when so many words have different meanings and spelt the same (or not the same). Unfortunately, it seems grammar is not taught at school like it used to be.

[sasup]

is this whole thing over me spelling nagler (neglar). OMG people my spelling sucks but im a nice guy just the same. I will try to use the spell check more. Oh, if its not about me never mind>>>>>

[GeoffW1]

:rofl:It wasn't

Cheers :)

[Barrykgerdes]

Because of the derivation of words in the english language stolen from the rest of the world's languages, context is a very important part of suitable spelling (notice I said suitable not correct).

Let us take the example already put forward "spelt" this normally refers to the sequence of letters in a word and how they are put together. But if you are in the agriculture field it can mean something entirely different. It is a kind of wheat anciently cultivated.

and the other spelling:

"Spelled" this is normally interpreted also as the order of letters in a word, but it can also refer to an animal put out to rest as being spelled or if you are into the supernatural something that has been done to someone or something, usually adverse.

English is a difficult language. Especially if you come from a society that has a more ordered form of language.

Barry

PS1 my dyslectic keyboard had a real field day in this post. I had to write about 25% of the words a second time.

PS2 I take great delight in contradicting my "Word" spell checker with words like centre, neighbour, colour etc.

[gary]

Just a tip for searching here on IceInspace.

Apart from IceInSpace's own "Search" feature, consider using Google.
For example, Barry's post previous to this one was made only 12 minutes earlier to when I type now.

Yet if I go to Google and type : iceinspace derivation
I already get Barry's Post as first hit.
In fact, if I make a typo and type: iceinspace derevation
Google reports "Showing results for iceinspace derivation" and it still shows Barry's post.

As one more example, try typing iceinspace negler.

Google appears to be currently crawling IceInSpace so regularly that new posts typically can be
found in a search on it within minutes of them appearing on IceInSpace. Plus it cuts some slack
with regards spelling and offers close matching alternatives.

[Barrykgerdes]

Disturbing isn't it how big brother watches over us.

Barry

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

Yes, if you Google yourself by your username :astron:, you will get all sorts of interesting hits, some not really you !

Cheers

[marki]

Not this again :rolleyes:, Be very careful what you say folks as there are a million reasons why people may make errors. For all you know the poster may be using a stick in their mouth to type the post whilst bound to a wheelchair. If you are so concerned about it the best you can do is ensure your own posts never contain errors (yet to see anyone achieve that). Do not discourage others from posting by trying to enforce unrealistic standards based on your own experience of life. Last time this came up a lot of people stopped contributing and that is a real shame. I think the general population needs to understand that learning disabilities are real and affect a large number of people. As an Educator I often have up to 50% of my students in any given class unable to attain basic standards through no fault of their own. They are made to feel inadequate throughout their schooling, it would be cruel to do the same here.


Mark

[gary]

Hi Barry,

It would not surprise me if the clever people at Google are working on
predictive algorithms that will attempt to guess the contents of our posts
even before we type them ... or mistype them. :lol:

[TrevorW]

I respite sum websites have grammer and lspel sheckerc build into them thus enabling pists like mine to be checkled beforehand but I doth thinkest we have more imputant thinks to worries about, no

[astroron]

Hi Gary
I just saw your post terrestrial Photography,in reply to Dennis's pictures, you used the word Triptych, I had never heard or seen that word before :shrug: so where did I go to find out what it meant:question: Google:lol: what would we do without it:rolleyes::lol:
Cheers

[BakerStreet]

It really pings me to see people misuse the English language by restricting it with spelling and gramma. This was inflicted on us a little over 100 years ago by printers and editors. Before the mass media the language was still living and flexible.

The undisputed king of the English language is William Shakespeare. Despite the thousands of new words he introduced to the language and the new ways of using them and constructing sentences. Most of which are now considered bad grammar. There are 96 references to his name written by contemporaries and 12 signatures by his own hand and none are spelled the same and none are spelled the way we spell his name today.

I quick look through any old books or documents will show the flexibility that the English language used to have. The modern view that everything has to conform to the rules that we have been given has reduced the English language to a dead language like Latin and has lost the fluidity and fun that it once had.

By the way, the original definition of Dictionary was the history of words and their use.

[gary]

Hi Ron,

It is incredible, isn't it! Plus you have a new word for the day. :) I use it that way myself.

To demonstrate one more time how often Google must be crawling IceInSpace,
consider that post I made less than two hours ago remarking on Dennis's
wonderful pictures.

Go to Google and enter -
vibrant narrative triptych

Amazing, isn't it! :thumbsup:

[tlgerdes]

My problem is that my fingers don't type as fast as I'm thinking, then suffer from buffer overrun.

[sasup]

here- here.
I vixed my words so does thou tear out my lips so I may not speak. No he does open the window and spring forth bringing mery thoughts. or something like that. hehehe

[jjjnettie]

:rofl:

[ballaratdragons]

Just tried that. :lol:

1st one is our Ballarat Dragons Rugby League Club (the one my username comes from),

2nd one is my You Tube Channel,

3rd one is and old post in IIS from 2005

4th and 5th are both my Astrophotography galleries I'd forgotten all about, in the DSI group

5, 6, &7th are my Photobucket account

8th is our Rugby League Club again

etc etc

:rofl:

[mithrandir]

"If a thing's worth doing, it's worth overdoing" - attributed to R E Heinlein.

According to aspell:

I respite sum websites have grammar and spell checkers build into them thus enabling posts like mine to be checked beforehand but I doth thinkest we have more important thinks to worries about, no

It did not like thinkest but offered no alternatives. At this point all the words are spelt/spelled correctly but some are semantically wrong, and sneaking a bit of Middle English into the mix confuses things. English has adopted words from just about every other language, together will all the related spelling idiosyncrasies.

Can we agree that aggrievous/overstated/hyperbolic/extravagant* misuse of the language is wrong/bad/evil/wicked/sinful/iniquitous/reprehensible/erroneous/incorrect* and that a reasonable/judicious/fair/sober* effort/attempt/trial/endeavor/venture* is sufficient/enough/adequate/adequate/satisfactory*.

Imagine reading it aloud. It should read the way you would say it - politely - to the person next to you.

Andrew

* - Roget's Thesaurus offers a few more synonyms for those "grandiose" words.

[TrevorW]

I concur Andrew, in that one should always try and be polite, as if you were talking to someone next to you.

When in that tone, to me spelling and grammer are secondary, as long as the reader can comprehend the meaning and intent of your text.

Regards

Trevor

[Barrykgerdes]

Much of our language comes from the government of the day and the politicians in it. That will of course will now mean that Yes can now be interpreted as no and I said the same as I did not say.:shrug:;):lol:

Barry

[JimmyH155]

If I hear anybody say "an historic...." I will scream:sadeyes::sadeyes::sadeyes:

[sasup]

I say if one pays more tax then most others make in a year, you can spell how ever the hell you want!!!!

[Octane]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCHN3YPZv1g

H

[White Rabbit]

Whilst I've never been formally diagnosed with dyslexia, I strongly suspect I suffer from it. My spelling would be closer to that of an early primary school kid than that of an adult. (spell check has already picked up 6 spelling mistakes lol).
I particularly struggle with numbers, constantly writing/typing them back to front or in the wrong order. I spell check, a lot, as I''m fully aware of my inadequateness in this area, however, I work very long hours and sometimes I'll snatch a few seconds out of my day to post something so please accept my apologies if I don't have the time to correct my spelling.

If it offends you, I think you need to take a look at yourself and see what it is about bad spelling that annoys you so much, because lets be honest here, it's only spelling.

From the tone of some the posts in this thread, some people seem to be equating the ability to spell with intelligence....
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/../vbiis/images/smilies/tongue05.gif

[ballaratdragons]

It has nothing to do with lower intelligence.

Several (and not just 2 or 3, but quite a few) CEO's of major U.S. and British Companies and Corporations were found to be not only dyslexic, but often totally illiterate!

[bartman]

I really think that the ORIGINAL poster of this post did not have ANY intention of OFFENDING. He simply wanted to convey that " correct spelling is important" for certain situations......as he described.
Fair enough .... we can use google to find certain posts within IIS rather than using the IIS search.


I would like to quote post #25 to reinforce this....

by astro744:

"Hmm.. Touchy subject!

A typo is common and I make them all the time. The same typo repeated in a sentence or paragraph is no longer a typo but possibly a genuine sense that the word has been spelt correctly because that is how one has always spelled it and unless someone else tells one otherwise, one will never know the difference.-------. Forgive me though if you have already done so and still suffer. I meant no disrespect.

Any criticism offered here is constructive and I'm sure anyone with English as a second language would welcome such feedback. My country of origin is a non English speaking country but I now live here and although English was my least favorite subject in school I have always strived to improve my writing and speaking skills. If I'm not sure of a word, I'll look it up in a dictionary for both spelling and meaning.

My initial post was to merely ask people to take a little more time to correct significant spelling errors in both title and message body that would assist when searching through the forum. The reason I also say message body is that some titles are simply meaningless, like "Look at this", "Another question" etc. Significant words are those which directly refer to the topic of the thread.

Note I also mentioned in my initial post that I was not concerned about the poor use of grammar but this is from the standpoint that it generally will not affect a search whereas incorrect spelling will.

Thanks again for understanding. "

[KenNo2658]

Yeah, well, I'm one of those blokes who lives in one of them glass dongas. Some bludger telled me not to chuck rocks a while back!

So I'm not going to. Just going to suggest that Paul re-read his post a couple of times.

I will go out on a limb and say that the use of correct grammar and spelling is important. However, these skills should not be used as a measure of a persons intelligence, or abilities.

On another forum, I corresponded with a person whom I judged to be of lower intelligence, based purely on the wording of his posts. I then had the privilege of meeting him in person. A more intelligent and articulate person you could not hope to find!

Unfortunately, he was also dyslexic. A lesson learned.

So, to be a bit on the blunt side, I ain't gonna change the way I post to suit some toffee nosed bludgers. If ya' don't like what I write, don't read it!! And if some bloke can't spell or put his words together right, well, I'm gonna do my best to work out what he's trying to say, 'cause he might just be far smarter than me!!!

So, you lot can pick the heck out of this post if ya' wanta. Like I said, I live in one of those glass dongas!

Ken

[TrevorW]

So many things go through ones mind before transferring ones thoughts to a permanent medium. Will the words be of interest to anyone or will anyone even believe them?

Are you writing these words for your own benefit, will they really make a difference? You wonder will the words you have written even make sense, will they flow, will they sound plausible, will your words be written in an intelligent manner, with spelling and grammar that does not offend, alas you even lament that before they are written will they even be read.

Will the message you are trying to convey transcend the void between the medium in which it is published to those that read it, so that they may enter the mind of the person reading your words or in your vain attempt to carve your piece of history will that bridge never be crossed because of your inability to convey the message you so strongly desire to convey to the uneducated yes uneducated not ineducable.

Will you receive any feedback , if so what kind, if ridiculed, are you strong enough to endue the barbs of your critics and if applauded not so vain that you boast of your accolades.

All these doubts and so many more interfere with your ability to record your thoughts.

[CraigS]

.. or do they improve the quality of what you have to say ?

.. Great words, Trevor … they encapsulate it all for me, also.

Thanks for such a well considered post (regardless of any doubts you may have had about it, beforehand).
:)
Cheers