Spell checker.......

[Gunner B12]

I don’t know if this has been brought up here before but I keep reading people complain about the lack of a spell checker on these pages. I earlier posted a reply to Twinkletoes suggesting poor spelling didn’t give the right impression. He took it as an attack on his education but it was not intended that way. My point was that whilst the education systems in many countries may have failed to provide many with as in-depth a knowledge of the English language, Microsoft and others have compensated for that by providing spell checkers in such programs as Word or Outlook.

For those that have not picked up on it yet the best way I know of to get it right is to type my post in one of these programs, spell check it then cut and paste it into the post. This has the added advantage of giving you the ability to keep flicking between what you are typing and the post you are answering. This however is not foolproof and a good thread to visit would be the one on “Dunnunda & Godzone” posted by Woomera titled “Going where angels fear to tread”.

I’m sure there are many of you out there who know better ways or already use the technique but this is for those who have not yet clicked. My apologies if I have wasted your time but in future you will be judged on how well you come over on paper if only in your CV.

I will try and post the URL for Woomera’s thread below, but as I am relatively new to this forum it may be a big ask.

Here for Woomera (http://www.pprune.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=007796) :D :D :D

(Edited because the URL read "null")

[ 29 November 2001: Message edited by: gunner b 1 2 ]

[sanjosebaz]

Woomera's thread makes good reading! Though I am unconvinced that a spell-checker is necessary on a forum! As long as posters get their point across, who really cares about absolute correctness?

Your point about your CV being the first point of contact is extremely valid though. I have been involved in many short-listing exercises and when you are looking for a manageable number of interviewees from hundreds of applicants, the CV is all you have to work with.

Often, the first pass rejects CVs which just look untidy! Yes, without reading one word. Sounds harsh, but this is how it is in the real world. This is probably why there are many organisations which will "wordsmith" a CV for you. I strongly advise applicants employ one of these agencies if you have any doubts about how a CV should look.

[ 29 November 2001: Message edited by: sanjosebaz ]

[tugtishu]

Gunner b 1 2 ,
I have to totally agree with you, prior to every posting I find it best to jot a rough idea of what I wish to say on a piece of scrap paper. I find using different coloured pens for differing levels of importance of points helps should I need to reduce the content at the review stage. Having made a rough outline I then make a draft copy. This I read (twice) to ensure the content is substantial, poignant and concise (no time for drivel or inefficacy here). I then run every word through www.thesaurus.com (http://www.thesaurus.com) and if there is another word with more letters I change them.
Having completed the Planning stage I then move on to the Review stage. Here my draft is sent to my secretary who will type it up on her computer and forward it to me via e-mail as a word document, I always insist however that she returns to me via internal mail my original draft and a hardcopy of the word document .I then open the document and run Microsoft spell checker and grammar check, cut and paste it, then run it through www.spellcheck.net (http://www.spellcheck.net) just in case Microsoft should miss anything.
Then the execution stage, I cut the document and place it as the pprune posting, all I then need to do is sit back for the review stage in absolute confidence that nobody would be able to criticize my grammar or spelling. This makes me feel not only smug but quite superior to mere mortals who type recklessly and express themselves in their own words.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

:)

[Gunner B12]

All… I started this thread not because I am concerned with anyone’s spelling I simply put it out in the hope that it would reduce the number of complaints we see about spelling.
I agree this is an informal forum and leeway should be given as some of the people who use this bulletin board do not even have English as their first language. I was trying to be constructive and helpful but seem to have started a whole outbreak of threads on the topic. The subject is obviously important to some and I believe the point about being able to hop back to the thread to check details whilst composing a reply is useful.
In another thread one person said they were rushed in posting replies because they do so at work and don’t want the boss to catch them (or words to that effect). The point is if the boss caught you typing a letter in word it would not raise an eyebrow and it then takes only a minute to cut and paste it across. I won’t comment on the moral issue of doing something you wouldn’t want the boss to catch you doing.
I will attempt to refrain from further comment on this one as it seems to have stirred up a hornet’s nest.
:( :( :(