Quote: Michael Everett @ March 18 2009, 7:11 PM GMTMaybe Henry's dyslexic
Unless his spellchecker is similarly afflicted, there is no excuse. 
Cheers, Henry, for your patience with me. 
Bad spelling in my scripts is a form of protest Page 4
Sometimes my spellchecker is set to American or that's what it claims.
(I'm probably talking to myself here but someone might have a genuine literacy problem - and it's something I have many opinions on So I apologise in advance for sounding pompous!)
I've had training to help those with literacy issues and I know how difficult and frustrating it can be. Possibly enough to drive them to the first post!
There are classes available for anyone who wants to improve their skills (or their maths or computer skills for that matter). I think those who attend are pretty brave because there's still such a stigma attached to it, but it's a very supportive atmosphere. I saw a real mixture of people at the classes who maybe slipped through the net at school or missed out through illness or struggled with dyslexia. Whatever the reason, it had plagued some of them for many years. But those who persevered with classes really did improve and you could see how it also helped their self confidence (eg a lovely older lady who wanted to be able to read to her grandchildren and can now ).
So I can see why someone might actually feel quite bitter about the whole thing and if you do genuinely feel that way why not go on your crusade? But I expect this forum isn't going to get you very far - in fact ironically - how would you go about getting together a group of people who possibly shun this kind of communication in the first place? Although as others have said there are no doubt groups who want to take the English Language forward and it really is a mish mash of origins. It's hard to learn or teach as an adult when there are so many conflicting rules!
On the other hand if you're serious about wanting to get work accepted why not go for the help on offer, or use spellcheck which is great!? I doubt many would reject a good work with the occasional error but it's such a tough market why are you making it worse!? You may well have written some real gems which no-one will get to see.
Unless of course you like a challenge in which case good luck finding someone who'll even read it in this literacy-ist world.
Jx
ps I'm almost guaranteed to have made a grammatical error in this thread. Please forgive me. Although I do argue you can start a sentence with And or But!
Quote: Jane Perrin @ March 20 2009, 7:44 AM GMT(I'm probably talking to myself here but someone might have a genuine literacy problem - and it's something I have many opinions on
ps I'm almost guaranteed to have made a grammatical error in this thread. Please forgive me. Although I do argue you can start a sentence with And or But!
But not with an although.
BTW, I am very thankful to Thordox as his crit of my stand up routine was something I used in a presentation I made at a staff meeting when I was talking about my writing.
"I would suggest, and I'm no expert or anything, that next time you get an urge to try your hand at stand-up, you should in fact bury both your hands in as much quick-setting cement as you can find in your area, as that outburst was quite simply the worst thing I've ever heard.
Have you ever thought about commentating at funerals?"
It got the biggest laugh I've ever had.
Quote: SlagA @ March 18 2009, 7:14 PM GMTUnless his spellchecker is similarly afflicted, there is no excuse.
Cheers, Henry, for your patience with me.
SlaggA for once I am a little disapointed in you. As some one with a piece of paper that says I'm dyslexic (At least that's what I think it says). There's alot of errors that spell checkers don't pick up and even when they do it's a laborious process. And grammar checkers are next to useless.
"No excuse?" Is your prejudice checker functioning?
Quote: Marc P @ March 20 2009, 9:30 AM GMTBut not with an although.
Although Marc P is generally correct on matters grammatical, on this occasion he may have strayed from the path of rectitude.
*crosses fingers and hopes he's right*
Quote: Rob H @ March 20 2009, 10:07 AM GMTAlthough Marc P is generally correct on matters grammatical, on this occasion he may have strayed from the path of rectitude.
*crosses fingers and hopes he's right*
If you read the exchange again Rob, although deadpan, you might see my tongue was in my cheek!
Quote: Marc P @ March 20 2009, 9:30 AM GMTBut not with an although.
Darn it! This writing business isn't as easy as it looks.
Quote: Marc P @ March 20 2009, 10:13 AM GMTIf you read the exchange again Rob, although deadpan, you might see my tongue was in my cheek!
That would be an ecumenical matter, surely.
Quote: Jane Perrin @ March 20 2009, 11:17 AM GMT
Darn it, nor is reading.
Sorry Marc P... 
Quote: Jane Perrin @ March 20 2009, 7:44 AM GMTI've had training to help literacy issues and know how frustrating it can be. Possibly enough to drive them to the first post! There are classes for anyone who wants to improve their skills.
I suspect, if you offered Henry literacy lessons, he'd reject them on revolutionary principles. His thread said he was protesting, not bemoaning.
Quote: sootyj @ March 20 2009, 9:41 AM GMTThere's alot of errors that spell checkers don't pick up and even when they do it's a laborious process. And grammar checkers are next to useless.
"No excuse?" Is your prejudice checker functioning?
SootyJ: 
Agreed, but anyone can use a spell-checker to filter out basic cac, dyslexic or otherwise. You're dyslexic but you're aware of that and you do make effort when it comes to the finished work, if I remember some of your posts on this subject, way back.
Henry isn't dyslexic (or hasn't made the claim, unless it was in a later post that I couldn't manage to wade through). Henry's attitude was that although these aids exist, he would wilfull misspell words as a form of protest.
While aware of the tools of the trade, Henry tried to legitimise sheer laziness, although I think he wasn't really being 100% candid with us.
Quote: sootyj @ March 20 2009, 9:41 AM GMT"No excuse?" Is your prejudice checker functioning?
Quote: sootyj @ March 20 2009, 9:41 AM GMTprejudice checker
Good skit for next year's RFTP, soots!
Dan
Quote: SlagA @ March 20 2009, 3:16 PM GMTI suspect, if you offered Henry literacy lessons, he'd reject them on revolutionary principles. His thread said he was protesting, not bemoaning.
You're right - I got carried away. I just know it's a real problem for some and not necessarily any indicator of intelligence or effort on their part. However, as I can be as pedantic as anyone at times and I can't even write 'necessarily' now without thinking 'One collar two socks' I'll quit while I'm behind. 
Two collars one sock? Not necessarily.