What about grammar kings?! [Note: I acknowledge that Iâm being a total hypocrite here, having made a terrible gaff earlier in this thread! ]
Spelling and grammar checkers can only go sew far. Nothing beats a proper check by a person who is good at spotting mistakes (an editor or proofreader).
Back in the old days when I used to work on printed books (Google it, young 'uns), we used to print our pages out to proofread them because it was much easier to spot the errors on paper than on screen.
During shooting of the first Star Wars movie, Mark Hamil was talking to Harrison Ford about a continuity error.
As the story goes, Hamil was complaining that in the scene after the trash compactor, everyone had dry hair. Hamil explained to Ford this could distract and annoy moviegoers.
Ford is said to have replied, as only Harrison Ford could; âKid, if the audience notices that, then weâve got bigger problems.â
Sure, typos matter because they can be annoying. But it might not be all that bad to introduce a few to see if thatâs all people notice and comment on. Because, if people are reading the typos, thatâs the most interesting part of the article.
In other words, you can focus too much on least little thing the editor role provides article writing. Editors arenât spell check for journalists. Learning about the role the editor plays may be a step up in your writing career.
An editor can shape or change story focus, suggest human interest angles, and much more than what youâve been trained to believe. For example, an editor can go beyond keyword selection to keyword analysis. Knowing the user psychology behind why certain keywords were chosen can totally change the article you write. The editor role provides that. The editing functions in software do not.
There is a big difference in applying a software function upon a text string and editing articles.
A well written content is the key to success of your WebsiteâŠ
Um âŠnevermind.
Before posting content to site anyone should check the errors in MS word or by some specialist then the final check will be done at time of posting (spell check) then post it.
A well written content is the key to success of your WebsiteâŠ
Use a spell checker.
does anyone actually care?
Watch CNN or read your local newspaper, apparently not seeing as they are full of typos.
sooo weâve acknowleged that we all suck at spelling sometimes while writing online. what can we do to fix it? does anyone actually care?
Well thanks to you, it was good for two laughs instead of one!
[ot]
Spelling is generally my Achilles heel, but âappallsâ is an accepted US spelling, and I follow that system generally. [/ot]
I agree entirely, although there are many very popular and highly respected sites that are packed with typographical and grammatical errors. I appalls me, but the masses seem not to care or notice. (I can only assume as much, because, if people were complaining, I suspect the situation would improve.)
lol:
Ooops! (I wish those trees would get out of the way so I could see the wood.)
I appalls meself every time I make such a blunder.
EDIT: itâs not the first time Iâve fallen prey to Muphryâs Law, as Raena pointed out not long ago.
ralph, the funny part was your âIâ typo, in a thread about correct spelling
i guess you missed it the second time, too
Why is writing online any different to writing on a printed page? If youâre writing a website, treat it just as you would a brochure or leaflet or letter. Yes, spelling and grammar is important. The best case scenario is that people who do care about language (and there are a lot of us about!) will think a little bit less of you, and will have less confidence in what you are saying. The worst case scenario is that your writing is so bad that it doesnât make sense and people canât understand it, or they misinterpret it because youâve used the wrong word, poor sentence construction or incorrect punctuation.
When youâre writing online, just as when youâre writing for a printed page, the answer is to check, check and check again. First up, run the text through the spelling and grammar checker of your choice (eg MS Word) - this will pick up some of the bigger mistakes, although obviously it wonât get anywhere near all of them. Then read your text again, carefully. Try to forget what you wrote, and read what it actually says. If youâre not sure about the spelling of a particular word, or the correct usage of a phrase, look it up on the web. And after all that, if you really arenât all that hot at spelling, punctuation and grammar, get someone else who is to proof-read it.
But finally, donât get too hung up about odd mistakes. Mistakes will creep in. Most people are pretty good at telling the difference between a âslip of the fingerâ typo and the writing of someone who neither knows nor cares about making it right. If you find a mistake, or if a customer points one out, go back and correct it!
If you donât have someone else to proofread for you, the best thing you can do is to read your article out loud yourself. Youâll probably catch most errors.