Poll Is our spilling going down the drain?

[ryan]

With the introduction of Spell Check and all that fun stuff is the worlds spelling skills reduced?
Especially with these young ones (who i'm apart of, go generation Y!)
Along with the text language the u and lol words.

 

[fireballs619]

I sincerely hope that the misspelling in the title was intended :lol:

 

[Unstung]

I'm too lazy to learn how to spell words correctly; Firefox underlines my errors to give me less of an incentive.

I didn't understand what you meant when I read the title. Yeah, you spill stuff and it can go down the drain.

 

[orb]

With the introduction of Spell Check and all that fun stuff is the worlds spelling skills reduced?

Actually, spell checkers aid my spelling skills. Without them I'd make typos in words like "simultaneous", or some similar, where 'e', 'o', and 'u' are next to each other, but I'm not a native speaker, so I don't think it was targeted to me.

 

[Quick_Nick]

I think it depends on motivation for education. Regardless of what tools are available, those who want to learn will, and those who don't care won't. Certain people are unmotivated in learning to spell correctly or just prefer to shorthand things and no one will stop them.

 

[jinglesassy]

I said yes because of the title .

 

[ryan]

Yes i did put the word purposly incorrect (shock of the century right). This is directed to everyone no matter what your native tongue is aswell, incorrect spelling isn't unique to the thing we call the english language.
Also with the title i was deciding to do or dont with the spilling thing i think i might of read somewhere that you must have a appropriate title, so if any moderators seem fit to change do it, but i really don't have any choice in the manner anywho.

 

[Pyromaniac605]

I'm only 14, but I try to spell correctly, it makes it more convinient for people who aren't as fluent in English for a start. :thumbup:

Darren

 

[Xyon]

Yes i did put the word purposly incorrect (shock of the century right). This is directed to everyone no matter what your native tongue is aswell, incorrect spelling isn't unique to the thing we call the english language.
Also with the title i was deciding to do or dont with the spilling thing i think i might of read somewhere that you must have a appropriate title, so if any moderators seem fit to change do it, but i really don't have any choice in the manner anywho.

It made me chuckle, so I think it's fine. If you want it changed then contact staff - you can report your own posts.

I do agree with you, and I congratulate your posts on being the prime example of this - May I suggest running them through a spellchecker yourself?

We have a PSA thread about the English language started by our very own dbeachy1, which highlights common misconceptions about the language, including the great "Should of, Could of, Would of, Must of" mistake. Misspelling isn't unique to English, but since it's such a widely used language with only slight variations from place to place, people tend to focus more intently on it.

 

[Artlav]

Spellcheckers are useful learning tools - it shows you that you spelled a word wrong, so you look at it, and fix it. Three-four times later you stop making that mistake at all.

Of course, you can simply let spellchecker to do the job of fixing, in which case it would be an anti-learning tool, ruining your spelling.

As with anything, it's the person who matters, not his tools.

spelling isn't unique to the thing we call the english language.

It isn't, but neither is it common. Some languages have a tight bound between their alphabets and their sounds, making spelling a one-to-one mapping with little exceptions.

 

[jedidia]

I remember a similiar argument about wheather the use of digital calculators in schools would diminish the ability of doing math in your head or on paper. The answer was more or less: Of course it does, but it doesn't matter. The chances of anyone ever finding himself in a situation where he has to do complicated math and not having a calculator in reach are converging towards zero.

Similiarly, I think it can be said: Yes, spell checkers reduce the ability of children to correct their own writing, but the chances that they'll ever have to write anything (other than *maybe* a love letter, but I hear even those you may do electronically today, a thing that was still a no-go in my youth) without having a spellchecker around are virtually non-existant.

Which reminds me, it might be a good thing if I would finally install one. I never used one in my entire life, and the results clearly show. Then again, I'm regularly writing in 3 different languages, and it's kind of a pain to always switch the thing...

 

[Artlav]

The chances of anyone ever finding himself in a situation where he has to do complicated math and not having a calculator in reach are converging towards zero.

Imagine yourself being face-faced by a salesman, who offer you either to get 3 for the price of 2 with 10% discount or 4 for the price of 3 with 20% discount, and the angry queue behind. Where will you get the calculator?

but the chances that they'll ever have to write anything (other than *maybe* a love letter, but I hear even those you may do electronically today, a thing that was still a no-go in my youth) without having a spellchecker around are virtually non-existant.

And all the forms you have to fill for everything from visa and passport applications up to proverbial pencil request forms? Where are the spellcheckers there?

Finally, are you aware that spellcheckers are on average only correct 80% of times?

 

[jedidia]

Where will you get the calculator?

In my cell-phone? Besides, I won't take four if I only need three, even if I might come out cheaper per piece with four (which in this case I don't, obviously, because three quarters are a lot more than two thirds even if I get double discount. Although I did need the calculator to verify the second assumption).

And all the forms you have to fill for everything from visa and passport applications up to proverbial pencil request forms? Where are the spellcheckers there?

Nowhere, but you rarely have to fill in full sentences. I'm aplying for my visa here in bosnia every year, and so far I only had to fill in single words. And they'll still understand them if there's a slight spelling error, especially considering I'm a foreigner having to fill in the form in the local language.

Finally, are you aware that spellcheckers are on average only correct 80% of times?

No, that I didn't know. How comes? all they have to do is compare strings almost one by one. Or, do you mean Spellcheckers that try to correct your mistakes automatically? I'd never use those anyways, it's much too anoying when switching language with every piece of writing...

 

[orb]

Or, do you mean Spellcheckers that try to correct your mistakes automatically? I'd never use those anyways, it's much too annoying when switching language with every piece of writing...

I hate them. Spell checker should simply underline a word that is spelled wrong, and leave correcting to a spell corrector (which should be disabled by default).

 

[Artlav]

In my cell-phone? Besides, I won't take four if I only need three, even if I might come out cheaper per piece with four (which in this case I don't, obviously, because three quarters are a lot more than two thirds even if I get double discount. Although I did need the calculator to verify the second assumption).

That assumes you can slow down and have time to figure it out. Sometimes you have to get the numbers in the right area at speed, and it's not a question of quantity of occasions, but the quality at each of the few.

Besides, how exactly would a cell phone/calculator help someone who, for example, don't know that discount on each item is the same as discount on the sum.

Nowhere, but you rarely have to fill in full sentences.

Well, lucky bureaucracy then. Never ask to fill in a few pages of reasons for why do you want this done?

No, that I didn't know. How comes? all they have to do is compare strings almost one by one. Or, do you mean Spellcheckers that try to correct your mistakes automatically? I'd never use those anyways, it's much too anoying when switching language with every piece of writing...

Correcting ones mostly. Spellchecker would usually present you the options of proper spelling, but ambigious could be ambiguous or could be ambitious. If you rely on it, you're anti-learning, if you fix it yourself, you're learning.

Then, there are ambiguous errors, like latter instead of later, that it can't pick up at all.

 

[jedidia]

Besides, how exactly would a cell phone/calculator help someone who, for example, don't know that discount on each item is the same as discount on the sum.

Not sure what you mean there. Of course I know that the discount on the sum is the same as discount on a single item (in percent, anyways), but I wasn't sure how much more 20% of 3/4 are than 10% of 2/3 and if it might aleviate the difference. It would require quite a good training to resolve the ensuing fraction-madness faster in your head than getting out your cellphone and running it through the calculator. Much more than any training we had in school before we were allowed to use calculators, anyway. And too much training to just outsmart your occasional not quite honest salesman.

In case you were refering to people that indeed don't know that 20% of the whole also means 20% of every piece, I guess there's no help for them any way you turn it...

Apart from that, if you find yourself in such situations regularly, you guys have some mean salesmen up there.

Well, lucky bureaucracy then. Never ask to fill in a few pages of reasons for why do you want this done?

Hardly lucky. For such things you don't fill in forms here, for such things you bring a machine written declaration that bears your officially verified signature... :facepalm:

annoying

Oh well, as I said... I'm currently not using any spellchecker at all, and am not typing in my mother tongue either, so I guess I can be forgiven :lol: (not that my german orthography is especially sophisticated, mind you, although there were no spellcheckers around when I learned it.)

 

[garyw]

I hate them. Spell checker should simply underline a word that is spelled wrong, and leave correcting to a spell corrector (which should be disabled by default).

Agreed totally. I use them to help me learn how to spell correctly. I will not and do not rely on them because all too often they will reset themselves to US rather than UK which annoys the hell out of me.

I don't think spelling is so much the issue though, those that use spell check, even with auto-correction, are at least attempting to use clear English.
What I absolutely hate is 'txt' speak, those people who think it's acceptable to drop half the letters from a word.

Now, this may be wrong but I can't help it, if someone asks for help and uses 'txt' speak I'll ignore it. If someone, especially a non-English speaker, makes a couple of typo's it's no big deal.

One other thing and I said this to Orb on IRC. It does worry me when a non-native speaker like Orb has far superior English skills compared to those born here.

 

[Artlav]

Not sure what you mean there. Of course I know that the discount on the sum is the same as discount on a single item

Sorry, i didn't meant you specifically, but an example of necessity of structured education.

Apart from that, if you find yourself in such situations regularly, you guys have some mean salesmen up there.

Salesmen here try to sell you a fridge with discount of half of the overprice, and in credit for 99 years with 0% yearly stated, but 50% monthly in fine print.
They also love selling free stuff.

 

[Urwumpe]

If you can't keep track of your super market shopping in your head, you should be deeply scared... if you can solve logarithms in your head, you should be scared as well.

 

[Notebook]

There's one log I can solve in my head, should I be scared?
Just thought of two, should I be twice as scared, or log(2) scared?

N.