X-Message-Number: 27915
References: <>
From: Kennita Watson <>
Subject: meta-post on spell-checking (was: Re: CryoNet #27909 - #27913)
Date: Fri, 5 May 2006 12:32:25 -0700

Like a certain neurotransmitter density triggers a
neuron firing, a certain error density triggers a
rant. :-)

Incorrect spelling can distract from your point, and
is recorded in perpetuity along with that idea as a
sign of lack of attention to detail.

What mailers are people using?  And what settings?
I'm using the vanilla Apple Mail program, and all I
had to do is to go into the Preferences for Composing
and tell it to "Check spelling as I type", and I
never make simple errors like the two so close together
here.  Mind you, it won't catch errors that make other
legal English words, but many/most don't.  It also
won't catch grammar errors like the two in the two
complete sentences below, but my version of Word only
catches one of them, and arguably grammar is sacrificed
even more often than spelling in email.

Yes, some neologisms will be flagged, but they are
easily learned (right-clicking on the flagged word
allows learning it (be sure your spelling is correct,
first, and don't necessarily take the suggested
spelling if you're not sure _it's_ correct).  If you
make that mistake, you can Forget it, using
right-click and the "Spelling..." dialog.

If your mailer has this facility and you haven't been
using it, please do.  If it doesn't, and you've been
thinking of changing mailers, please consider this an
impetus to do so.  Note that AFAICT many people here
either already have excellent spelling and typing or
already use spell checkers.

Enough -- I've probably also earned a lot of negative
scores for this post.  I hope it will be helpful to a
few people, though.

Live long and prosper,
Kennita

On May 5, 2006, at 2:00 AM, CryoNet wrote:

> ... when curriousity is supported, and
> ideas are explored.  Anything less is just "idea killing", and  
> bullying.
> Citations, would be better.  Also, when one constructs a defense of a
> position (however inflammed) ...

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