Wot not How.

[WillowTheWhisp]

You can't, which is why we should just accept that people on here do their best, but there are some situations where people really should make the extra effort, maybe to the extent of asking someone else to proofread what has been written.

I'm referring to situations such as the shop signs I mentioned earlier but it can also apply to people who create websites. I find I am totally put off a site if it is full of spelling mistakes. I know it takes time and effort to create a website. If the person knows they cannot spell would it be too much to expect them to take just a little longer to get someone else to give it the once over before publication?

It's all a question of clarity and there's no two ways about it. If something isn't grammatical or accurate it is open to misinterpretation.

[PurpleLass]

A pet peeve of mine is when people misuse 'is' and 'are' after the letter 's' when the letter 's' isn't a plural. It's a common mistake in business when the company name ends in 's'.

[vorlon24]

I am not sure if this has been mentioned as I have only quickly scanned some of the posts, but if someone applies for a job interview and there are spelling mistakes, that application will go in the bin, no questions asked.

For all I know the applicant could be the best thing to ever happen to the company, but if the letter has any spelling mistakes, then tough luck.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Are you talking about your company there vorlon?

I'm sure many others must be the same. If they have to start whittling down the applicants those who cannot express themselves adequately on paper are probably the first to be eliminated.

[Bazf]

Just two quick thoughts for you all. First, language is a constantly evolving organism. Therefore, the standards of fifty years ago are not the same as those of today. This is not due to the "deterioration" of the mother tongue, but the natural process of language evolution. Second, as a Brit living across the pond, I have learned that "Yank-speak" is often what is correctly described as American English. Funnily enough, dictionaries such as Webster's, etc., have the open-mindedness to include both British and American standard English. So, before you go jumping to conclusions about what is correct or incorrect, (as in hyphenating certain words or not), pull out an American dictionary and check.
I hope this adds some more food for thought on "two countries, divided by a common language".

[paulthepony]

i to am sligtly dyslexic and have many problems with words,it makes me feel alot better to know that the majority of you dont mind about spelling
but on QUICK REPLY there is no spell check so i have to use the COLLINS CONCISE ENGLISH DICTIONARY to help me on my way
i do my best and the book also helps me in the future for remembering some words

[mez]

paul if your quick at spotting a spelling mistake, you can click on the edit button & rectify it ,(i do it all the time ) ha ha ha.

[vorlon24]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Are you talking about your company there vorlon?

I'm sure many others must be the same. If they have to start whittling down the applicants those who cannot express themselves adequately on paper are probably the first to be eliminated.

I think I am talking for quite a few companies out there.

And subsequent posts from dyslexic people pretty much proves that they could overcome this sort of thing by using things like dictionaries or spell checks, and probably even getting someone to check it for them.

Poor spelling on a job application/letter suggests that they don't care.

I am guilty of the odd typo here and there, and have been known to miss the odd letter, but I would fully expect to be treated in the same way.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Not sure about language being an organism Bazf but yes it is constantly changeing. You only have to look at the first ever English dictionary to see how the meanings of words have changed over the years. We have aquired new words too for things which didn't previously exist. We import words from other languages and export some of our own. Those of us who have lived long enough will even be aware of words which have come and gone in our own lifetime.

We have adopted a lot of US alternatives. Nobody listens to a "wireless" any more but lots of us have radios. Have any of us got a "trannie"?

When it comes to theose hyphenated words I find it difficult to recognise "cooperative" as being "co-operative" because the hyphen tells me that the "o"s are not both in the same syllable. A lot of Americanisms simplify the language such as "color" rather than "colour" but those words mimic the pronunciation whereas "cooperative" doesn't.

To get back to the point - there's nothing wrong with languages evolving but when it leads to the meaning being ambiguous then we need to think twice about whether what we are saying is actually what we mean. Earlier today I had to re-read a very informative post several times before I fully understood what was being said.

[-pixie]

Originally Posted by vorlon24

I think I am talking for quite a few companies out there.

And subsequent posts from dyslexic people pretty much proves that they could overcome this sort of thing by using things like dictionaries or spell checks, and probably even getting someone to check it for them.

Poor spelling on a job application/letter suggests that they don't care.

I am guilty of the odd typo here and there, and have been known to miss the odd letter, but I would fully expect to be treated in the same way.

At Christmas time when we were hiring temps, some of the first things we looked at were spelling and presentation. If a CV looked tatty, words misspelled etc, then that reflected badly on the applicant and they didn't usually get an interview.
Then again CV's seem to have changed in the past few years. Quite a number of applicants now include "Life Ambitions" and "Hopes and Dreams" sections which I find quite strange.

[MUMMIBOO]

Wow, Ive just sat here and read through 7 pages of posts on about the right and the wrong way of spelling and grammar, I have to say that i don't mind either way wether what is written is legible or not, as long as its understood, as for the dyslexic thing how can you tell if someone is dyslexic or just bad at spelling? unless you asked them which you would'nt do because its not right.

Beats me!!!

I could find lots of other things in life to get het up about and someones spelling or lack of it certainly aint one of them.

[Tealeaf]

I've just been thinking.....its a good job we don't have anyone on here with Tourette's syndrome!!!!!

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

I've just been thinking.....its a good job we don't have anyone on here with Tourette's syndrome!!!!!

**** me i ain't ******* got the *******.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by garinda

In response to an issue raised in another thread.

Does it really matter about spelling/grammar/punctuation?

Tru txt spk is v agrv8ng.

But surely heart felt sentiments outweigh beautifully written empty rhetoric?

Sorry for getting personal, but Chav never uses capitals but always manages to make his point very well, even if I usually disagree with him about lots of things!

I know it's not just one person who thinks this is an important issue, as Less also told me that bad spelling annoys him as well.

l would much rather read a badly written interesting post, than a clever wordy passage with little or no point.

Please feel free to chastise me if you see l've edited this because of spelling!

Boo-Hoo, have been off line ever since posting this at Friday lunchtime.

Looking forward reading whaT you've had to say.
I've sneaked on to my Nephew's computer at his birthday tea, and hope to be back on line tomorrow BT willing, if they find the under ground fault, that is just affecting me!


Coincidence or sabotage?

[Margaret Pilkington]

Now Garinda...don't get paranoid....... I think it might just be coincidence........and it looks a bit like the opinions are evenly divided anyway. Your absence had been noted.