Spell checker misery.

[CRB]

Principally in response to the comments of MattF, which I am in total agreement with, in this thread, http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=36590

Do not read this as a criticism of your grasp of English, but do so in the belief that it will point out the shortcomings of a reliance on technology. You do need to know the basics to use the spellchecker, otherwise you will end up with this..

Eye halve a spelling check her;
It came with my pea sea.
It plane lee Marques four my revue
Miss steaks aye kin knot sea.

Eye ran this poem threw it
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.

A check her is a bless sing;
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.

Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule;
The checker pours o'er every word
To check some spelling rule.

Bee fore wee rote with checkers
Hour spelling was inn deck line,
Butt now when wee dew have a laps,
Wee are knot maid too wine.

Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know faults with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.

Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier;
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped words fare as hear.

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud;
And wee mused dew de best wee can
Sew flaws are knot aloud.
That's why eye brake in two averse
Cuss eye dew want too please.
Sow glad eye yam that aye did bye
This soft wear four pea seas.


I have tweaked that verse to put in more mistakes than were originally present, and it does not read smoothly, but it does highlight the inadequacy of the spellchecker, which incidentally is the only word showing as incorrectly spelled.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I have tweaked that verse to put in more mistakes than were originally present, and it does not read smoothly, but it does highlight the inadequacy of the spellchecker, which incidentally is the only word showing as incorrectly spelled.

Also worth bearing in mind is that many spellchecks are based on that peculiar American language rather than English. Never a substitute for proof reading in my opinion.

OT..

Had an issue with Photoshop help, where you can sort a series of pictures based on "uniqueness". Whatever that means. I did respond by pointing out that the word "unique" is digital, something is either unique or it isn't. There are do degrees of unique.

 

[rtbcomp]

He he.

If you want to really make someone mad, write a document up full of spelling mistakes on his computer and add them all to the dictionary.

If there's 1 of something in the world then it's unique, if there's 2 or 2 million then it isn't, but surely in the case of only 2 then it is nearly unique?

My English teacher would be turning in his grave at the last point!

In that verse there aren't any spelling mistakes that I can see, it's a case of the wrong words being used, so why should a spellchecker find any?

 

[neilarmo]

He he.

If you want to really make someone mad, write a document up full of spelling mistakes on his computer and add them all to the dictionary.

?

Where can I download such a document?

 

[rtbcomp]

Go onto any forum at random and pick the longest post. A teacher's forum might be a good start.

 

[ajlelectronics]

If there's 1 of something in the world then it's unique, if there's 2 or 2 million then it isn't, but surely in the case of only 2 then it is nearly unique?

My English teacher would be turning in his grave at the last point!

Something CAN be nearly unique, or almost unique. What it can't be is FAIRLY unique or QUITE unique. Yanks seem to use the word interchangeably with "unusual". That and the horrible Twenty four seven, are two of my main irritations with the Merkins.

 

[CRB]

He he.

In that verse there aren't any spelling mistakes that I can see, it's a case of the wrong words being used, so why should a spellchecker find any?

Actually that is a valid point RTB, I stand corrected in my orthopaedic shoes. I had not looked at in that way.

I suppose it is more to show that technology cannot, nor indeed should not, be relied upon to correct basic errors in the written word. There are no spelling mistakes, but the fact that the checker does not indicate any does not mean that the piece of writing is without errors.

Those of us of a certain age will remember spelling tests at school, before the 'content' became more important.

 

[mike os]

no it cant... it is "digital" ( like that one :-))... it is unique or it is not, just as it can never ever ever be almost exactly.... it either is exact or it is not

 

[Drains]

Go onto any forum at random and pick the longest post. A teacher's forum might be a good start.

I can remember my parent's amused reaction to a school report I got where the teacher made a spelling mistake in a section where she criticised my poor spelling.

 

[CRB]

Littl'un spotted one in one of TyneMets' forms. Naturally they had just printed a new batch.

Do not know where she gets it from though.

When I was first looking for work, 1980, I found more spelling mistakes and gramatical errors in the Evening Chronicle than I found suitable employment.

It is much better now of course due to computerisation....

 

[MattF]

Those of us of a certain age will remember spelling tests at school, before the 'content' became more important.

Could never forget those. Even to this day, I can still remember a potentially perfect score at junior school being ruined by one moment of numptiness; adding a b to the end of plum.

 

[CRB]

Could never forget those. Even to this day, I can still remember a potentially perfect score at junior school being ruined by one moment on numptiness; adding a b to the end of plum.

That was your future shouting in your subconscious.

Note sub... not un....

 

[Premiershipman]

I think having a spell checker does help but most times a grammar checker would be better !!.

At least in the office where I work, the letters that we send to customers are based on fixed templates, as the spelling, grammar and overall education of some of our staff is unbelievable.

Personally, I wonder how some of them got the job !

They are a friendly bunch though !!

Shady

 

[ajlelectronics]

Could never forget those. Even to this day, I can still remember a potentially perfect score at junior school being ruined by one moment of numptiness; adding a b to the end of plum.

Oh you and me both! I got 99/100 because the teacher failed to specify which "canvas" she required to be written down. Always stuck in my mind that one!

 

[CRB]

No comment my Manx companion.

The memos from upper management made my production manager and I wince. He went to the same school as I had, but fifteen years earlier.

?How do they get to hand out such tosh, and feel the standard is acceptable?

 

[mike os]

i really dont know... but I have sent documents back to senior management (of a higher education establishment) with a note to the effect that they are uninteligible gibberish and suggest they employ someone who could speak and write in english in the future.....

 

[pedrobedro]

Something CAN be nearly unique, or almost unique. What it can't be is FAIRLY unique or QUITE unique.

I thought unique meant existing as the sole example or having no like or equal which means it can have no qualifiers attached to it.

 

[ouchmyfinger]

doug

if the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.
Doug Larson

 

[piman]

Hello AJL,

"are two of my main irritations with the Merkins. "

My biggest criticism is that the British seem to be using more and more American expressions, presumably because the television commentators seem to have picked them up. Right to precede 'now' and 'here' are two of my pet hates, and there are many more! I find it strange that our spelling is too complicated for them (Americans) but they make work for themselves using unnecessary words and extending others?

Alec

 

[ajlelectronics]

I thought unique meant existing as the sole example or having no like or equal which means it can have no qualifiers attached to it.

That's correct. The give away is "UNI" meaning one. So almost unique, clearly means that it isn't, because there are two of them, but if there were one less, then it would be unique! The same applies to nearly unique.