in the real world, spelling counts.

at the risk of sounding like a school marm, i want to put this out there because there seems to be a lot of young people here who think it doesn't matter (i'm not going to beat up on older folks who can't spell, because i know it's a hard thing to learn).  but here's the truth: more and more, we communicate electronically.  we apply for jobs on-line; we meet friends and partners on-line.  my initial contacts--and most of my ongoing contacts--with the people running my graduate program are by email. 

if you can't/don't bother to spell and put sentences together correctly, you look dumb.  you might be a genius, but you look dumb.

and--incidentally--i do capitalize, when my audience demands it.

Without spellcheck...the world would be doomed :)

not only do I notice that spelling is going down the pan, vocabulary of a lot of younger people is atrocious also, I especially notice this at work when someone will say something and the 19 and 20 year olds don't have a clue what some of the words mean

I wouldn't rely on spellcheck too much as it isn't infallible. A dictionary is sometime much better if anyone still owns one. Again though there are hundereds of on-line dictionaries available. Sometimes though I think the spelling on this site is to do with people typing quickly and also the differences between many english words and the american versions

TOTALLY agree! I worked in publishing; plus I'm just a naturally good speller. haha (Watch me spell something wrong now!) I find that MOST people are TERRIBLE spellers. I am so in awe over that. I just finished an online English course (for college) and I COULDN'T believe the stuff people turned in. It was OBVIOUS they didn't read it over a second time. There are some highly educated people that can't spell worth a crap. My friend and I were talking about this and she suggested it's like how the "math people" probably say about people like us (my friend and me) ... that they "can't believe" people can't do math. haha

Little words of wisdom. Some people have learning handicaps such as dyslexia which certainly hinders ones spelling.

I have to agree with you,
I'm 18 years old, I find I am reasonable at spelling and have a fairly good vocabulary.
This is mainly because (no word of a lie) I chose to use dictionary when texting on my phone,
I believe technology is the downfall of anyone who was born in the 1990's, the youth of today are getting lazier.
All you have to do is hold a conversation with someone and realise they cannot spell/have a good vocab cause they cannot talk properly, internet speak and texting has made peoples minds lazy..

But what can we do to help?
Not alot, you cannot teach someone to spell, you can however teach them general rules of how spelling works, if they do not use "big" worlds daily then they have no hope of ever learning to spell!

I agree... My little sister and my b/f's mom are naturally bad spellers. I'm not sure if it something you're born with or what but I am pretty good at spelling.

I also want to add that spell check doesn't catch mistakes when the wrong word is used, but spelled right..

common example in this website-

loose and lose

also, (not necessarily around here) there, their and they're... I get mildly annoyed when these are used in the wrong context...

I agree with you.  But I do think if you are going to criticize you should have used proper grammer by capitalizing.   The no capitals bothers me more than incorrect spelling.

My old journalism teacher taught us to read our submissions in reverse.  By reading if from end to beginning, it's far easier to see a misspelled word because you are not reading it in context. 

And spellcheck is by no means a catch all.  I tend to type "nay" rather than "any" if I am typing quickly and spell check recognizes "nay" as a word.  Even the grammar checks that exist are not foolproof.  Your best bet is always to read it yourself.  This takes effort and that is something that not everyone will do.

When I went to school in the old days, Teachers took off points on any paper for spelling mistakes. I work at a school and it drives me crazy when I hear teachers say don't worry about the spelling sound it out. I tell students to get a dictionary.  I also have 5 th graders going into middle school that can write or read cursive writting. We don't have time to teach it in our schedules, and give them a piece of paper to learn themselves.  No child left behind - need I say more?

Owed to a Spell Checker

with apologies to Percy Dovetonsils

I have a spelling checquer
It came with my pea sea
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea

Eye ran this poem threw it
Your sure real glad two no
It's vary polished in it's weigh
My checker tolled me sew

A checker is a bless sing
It freeze yew lodes of thyme
It helps me awl stiles two reed
And aides me when aye rime

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud
And wee mussed dew the best wee can
Sew flaws are knot aloud

And now bee cause my spelling
is checked with such grate flare
Their are know faults with in my site
Of nun eye am a wear

Each frays comes posed up on my screen
Eye trussed to be a joule
The checker poured o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule

That's why aye brake in two averse
By righting wants too pleas
Sow now ewe sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear for pea seas

Even though I am a "young" person, I completely agree that we can't spell. I can spell just fine...but most people my age cannot. I am always proofreading my friend's essays and papers because they cannot spell (or use grammar, I swear to you if you ask most young people to tell you what a pronoun, or a verb is, or how to use a semi-colon, they cannot) and the mistakes they make are appalling. I think the only reason I learned how to spell was because I read ALOT as a child, instead of playing video games. Now, my friends and family poke fun at me for not being able to complete Mario in record time...but they can't even write a college entrance essay, or an application for a grant (unless they get me to check it after lol). That's just fine with me lol. They never taught us in school how to spell, sorta just assumed we would learn I guess. It is laziness (and lack of wanting to learn) as well I suspect, if I don't know what something is (or how to spell it) I pick up a dictionary and look it up, but most people wouldn't bother. I guess not everyone is so lucky though as I am, because most people I meet truly have no clue that what they do is wrong. Bad spelling and grammar are blasphemous to me, I am very tyrannical about it (ask my friends lol). Most mistakes I make are typos, but I usually make the effort to read it over (even emails and board posts lol), something people also do not usually bother to do. I really do think it is the technological culture we live in now that is doing it though. Children now do not read and learn how the language works, they just sit in front of the TV and play games. They have no development of verbal or written skills. The literacy of the nation is truly in great jeopardy...

I demand you capitalize.  :)

Lol clairelaine, I love that poem (I have seen it before). It is sooo difficult to read! Same with those posts that use all acronyms or abbreviations for everything...boggles my brain...

Spell check will not check grammatical errors... our HR person sent out an e-mail, and the last line said "sorry for the incontinence" when she meant to say inconvenience.

Spelling and Grammar are still very important in order to accurately communicate, "you know what I mean" doesn't quite cover it.

I totally and whole-heartedly agree.  Although I do spell a lot of things wrong, the whole "internet speak" thing drives me INSANE.  I coach 14 year olds and every time they send me an email or write on facebook/myspace etc.... It's like reading hieroglyphics! It is certainly intellectually lazy. Spelling is important in the working world, and I'm sure the majority of people who do things like this do not have dyslexia or another disability. I know none of my players do, and they ALL write like that.

ugh.

I think it depends, really, on the environment and purpose of writing. I'll occasionally make spelling/grammar mistakes on here, and if they aren't too big, I leave them. But, then again, I know I can spell and can use proper grammar.

It bothers me when people can't. It bothers me when I can't understand what people are writing. It bothers me when the title of a thread is misspelled like "controvercial" instead of "controversial".

It really bothers me when I get reports or resumes from friends that are full of spelling errors and grammar mistakes. There is a time and place for formalities.

The purpose of language is for communication. In a lax environment (like a board on a website), I have no problem using all lower-case or leaving in misspellings or having run-on sentences or excessively using elipses...

Of course I would never do those things in a formal setting.

It is an ode not owed.

If anyone wants to read a great, sophisticated, humerous book on the topic at hand check out Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynne Truss.  It's hilarious!!!  It focuses on the lack of grammar and spelling in society today and how IRCs, Text messaging, and technology in general have contributed to the decline.

And if you end up liking the book (and her writing style), try Talk to the Hand.  Her second book is a well-needed cry for the re-establishment of once-revered manners!

And spellcheck? -- It is a useful tool even if it doesn't recognize the word.  I write a great deal; however, I write science proposal where spellcheck fails to recognize the majority of the words.  The tool has allowed me to add words and then determine if the word from that point on is spelled correctly.  It has also allowed me to catch typos.  Nevertheless, I will admit, spellcheck should never replace a good couple thorough read-throughs!

Lastly, I am certain that the above poem is supposed to be "Owed" and not "Ode".  It loses the humor otherwise.

It could be but I have seen it both ways. I guess ode would be better than owed when related to the poem.