To not understand why people correct spelling

[Lockeddownagain]

Just reading a thread on here and someone felt the need to correct the spelling of another then put sorry in brackets. They aren't sorry or they just wouldn't have done it. I'm super dyslexic and spell stuff wrong all the time but why do people need to correct it. If you are a spelling corrector would you tell me why you do it?? Thanks

I know it's not the majority, but there is surely a small number of people who celebrate ignorance.

The same ones who think it's proper not to do your schoolwork, and not to "grass" on people, no matter how egregious the crime.

In that sense, the internet can be self-policing in illustrating that not everyone shares these values; not everyone regards ignorance as a virtue.

Not everyone who mentions SPAG is jumped-up twerp.

@daimbarsatemydogsbone

I know it's not the majority, but there is surely a small number of people who celebrate ignorance.

The same ones who think it's proper not to do your schoolwork, and not to "grass" on people, no matter how egregious the crime.

In that sense, the internet can be self-policing in illustrating that not everyone shares these values; not everyone regards ignorance as a virtue.

Not everyone who mentions SPAG is jumped-up twerp.

People are not correcting the spag of others to show them that ignorance is not a virtue though are they? I have never seen anyone be corrected after expressing pride in their inability to spell. Posters simply ask for help or comment on threads and make an error, and someone takes it upon themselves to point it out.

Absolutely, @thepeopleversuswork - great post. Why do people insist on believing that SPAG errors mean you're either dyslexic, lazy or thick? It's just so obviously untrue. Compassion for people finding things difficult costs nothing. And has the advantage of not making people think you're a twat.

Also I think maybe many believe that there was a golden age when people left school having learned and remembered all or most of what they had been taught, and that people's written English was of a high standard, regardless of their intelligence, background and disadvantages

There was a time in the 90s when correcting a child's spelling or grammar was frowned upon, though. I do wonder what effect that has had on that generation.

There was a time in the 90s when correcting a child's spelling or grammar was frowned upon, though. I do wonder what effect that has had on that generation.

Was there really though? It is true that it began to be realised that SPAG shouldn't always the main focus for marking a piece of work, and that a wall of red pen can be discouraging and off-putting and distract from the other specific skills the teacher is trying to encourage in that particular assignment. That doesn't mean that SPAG wasn't still being worked on.

An insistence on constantly and persistently correcting SPAG errors can be counter-productive and is often just an exercise for the teacher, not the student. Teacher correction is not a good tool for improving SPAG. Students flick through the piece of work and just look at the grade, then carry on making the same mistakes as before.

If anyone wants to A/S me, they will find very few occasions when I've pointed out mistakes. I just answered the original question, which asked why people might correct things.

Not a stealth boast at all - I actually wish I'd gone into better paid work! A suggestion was made by a PP that anyone who corrects spelling doesn't have much to contribute to the world. I was simply explaining that I enjoy my job and backing up my answer by saying what it entails. What do you all do that's so much more worthy? I hope no one works for a tobacco company!

Does everything have to be a race to the bottom? Do you sneer at your child's teacher for knowing about maths or history? Do you sneer at your plumber for knowing how to fix a leak? Or at your doctor for giving you a correct diagnosis? They have learned a trade and are using it to make a living, just like me.

If books/magazines/school material for your kids were full of mistakes, would you buy further books from that author/publisher? If the list of ingredients on food packaging was unidentifiable because of spelling mistakes and your child suffered an allergic reaction, would you be doing a Daily Fail sad face about the manufacturer's mistake or posting about it on Facebook? Bet you would! If all road signs were written in gobbledygook and you ended up in Scotland for your holiday when you'd booked accommodation in Wales, would you be looking for someone to blame?

Does everything have to be a race to the bottom? Do you sneer at your child's teacher for knowing about maths or history?

Literally nobody is sneering at people for knowing things. It is a teacher's job to teach what they know... to their students. If anyone is sneery, it's the people doing the correcting.

It's my job too. I don't let it 'spill over into my social life'. I'm sure you can resist if you try.