While spelling`s important, we should forgive spelling mistakes and typos (However I still hold that those who can`t use apostrophes should be strung up). What really REALLY gets to me is that daft "text speak" like "wassup ppl? I luv my m8s lololol". That`s just the worst bastardisation of language!

On a similar note. Spelling errors are only a small part of the way that we are judged. My college professor told me an anecdote about a person being interviewed for a teaching job at a university. Bring mealtime, they decided to take the person out for dinner at a restaurant. When the person made the unfortunate mistake of seasoning their food without tasting it first, they lost the job interview.

It may be OK to spell badly around here but what are you teaching yourself in doing so.

~Bilbo

MrsCarbohydrate wrote:
However I still hold that those who can`t use apostrophes should be strung up.

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Snot replies:
I do graphic design for advertising and a lot of proofreading in the process. It`s amazing the spelling and apostrophic (it`s a word now) errors you see in professional work. In school they taught us to always have your designs proofread by multiple eyes. Advertising is a deliberate and contemplative act that demands attention to such things.

Some of my big peeves right now (since it`s basically the topic):

• There`s a local music and movie retailer whose logo reads "Slacker`s CD`s and DVD`s", but should be "Slacker`s CDs and DVDs". You`d think a logo would have been checked by a few eyes.

http://www.slackerscdsandgames.com/

• I also see phrases like "hits from the 70`s", which should read "hits from the `70s".

• Of late, I`ve been particularly sensitive to the misuse of the word "literally". I`m not sure what people think it means when they say something like, "I was so scared I literally jumped out of my skin." They never seem to offer an explanation of how they got back into it.

Another common misuse goes something like, "My roof was leaking so I literally had to climb up and fix it." Is it likely that we thought they only figuratively fixed it?

hey al yu pepl wats up? I cant barlee undirstand wat yu al ar goeing on abot!!!! cumon yall nedee to slacen up a bit.

"Slacker`s CD`s and DVD`s", but should be "Slacker`s CDs and DVDs".

MS Outlook and Word are to blame for the use of apostrophes at at the end of all capitol letter words. The second to last letter will be automatically changed to lower case if you don`t use the apostrophe... so you get used to using it. It will soon be standard English...

who gives a sh1t

People actively participating in the thread. There are other threads more pertinent and interesting to children such as you.

good point, I concede my former stance in apology

Bilbo said: "On a similar note. Spelling errors are only a small part of the way that we are judged. My college professor told me an anecdote about a person being interviewed for a teaching job at a university. Bring mealtime, they decided to take the person out for dinner at a restaurant. When the person made the unfortunate mistake of seasoning their food without tasting it first, they lost the job interview."

My dad told me that story years ago! He referenced it to old J.C of "J.C. Penney" (string of department stores often found in USA malls) fame. There definitely is a lesson there.

Piko said: "MS Outlook and Word are to blame for the use of apostrophes at at the end of all capitol letter words. The second to last letter will be automatically changed to lower case if you don`t use the apostrophe... so you get used to using it. It will soon be standard English..."

Oh I certainly hope not!! That little apostrophe has a lot of power and it shouldn`t be abused!!

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn`t mttaer
in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht
the frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm.

Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

actauly I remember my Father telling me that a while back, and you just proved it right.

In art, we call that persistence of vision. The mind tends to associate and fill in where familiar relationships are suggested. The problem with that in reading is that it`s a natureal tendancy, not a technique. Relying on it is surely responsible for many people reading the wrong word because it looks very much like one they`re expecting or more familiar with. Whole word identification is a great foundation for reading, but I don`t think it should be relied on entirely.

I meant "natural".

Aaaaargh!

That`s okay snotjello, we understand typos! I do however, still have a hard time typing your name. Very interesting.