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’m pretty average at maths - does this mean I no longer have to worry about my incorrect calculations? Are people rude to point out my errors?

Incorrect calculations can't be compared to incorrect spelling/grammar. Maths has a definite answer and if you tell me the answer is 7 there is no room for me to think you mean 6. If you say their is no food left I know you mean 'there is no food left'

I do it because if I spelled something incorrectly, I’d want someone to let me know.

Assuming you're being genuine... are you generally a pretty good speller? I'm guessing yes, since you feel qualified to correct other people. Well it's very easy to be unoffended by being corrected, and not to take it personally, if it's not a weakness you've struggled with and been criticised for all your life. Does it not even occur to you that other people don't feel the way you do? That many will feel ashamed and embarrassed to have their mistakes pointed out? Or do you just not care?

@underneaththeash

It underlines in red if not spelt correctly. My spelling isn't great, but I just google the word and correct the spelling.

Same with apostrophes - just google it if you're not sure. You just come across as a bit think and lazy and it make your point appear less pertinent.

The irony is wrong on this one...

Strong

There seems a lot of defensive anger on this thread, from people who apparently want to continue mangling their grammar and spelling, and assume anyone correcting them must only be doing it out of a feeling of superiority.
When I correct someone’s post, I do it from a feeling of sympathy, and a wish to explain the grammar or spelling that they manifestly do not understand, so that they will not embarrass themselves in future - perhaps in a more important context, such as at their work or on a CV.
If you saw a woman walking in the street with her skirt caught up in her knickers, surely it is kinder to point it out and let her fix it, than to let her continue embarrassing herself all the way home?

@underneaththeash

It underlines in red if not spelt correctly. My spelling isn't great, but I just google the word and correct the spelling.

Same with apostrophes - just google it if you're not sure. You just come across as a bit think and lazy and it make your point appear less pertinent.

It doesn't underline on my phone only the predictive text options. I am lazy on forums, I'm here to socialise, with important documents it takes me ages and grammarly and lots of stress. I'm not going to do that on a forum. Also autocorrect causes issues, as seen in your post.

I did, just once, see a post where someone asked what was the difference between its and it’s, and maybe there/they’re/their (can’t remember) because they genuinely didn’t understand and wanted to know.

One of the replies stated that ‘it’s’ is always short for ‘it is’ which is incorrect, since it’s also short for ‘it has’ in e.g. ‘It’s been snowing’.

Someone else had to correct them!

But it does make you (or me, anyway) despair at our schools, where such relatively simple things should have been sorted out at the primary school stage. (SEN/dyslexia excepted of course.)

I am dyslexic. Dyslexics can often have extremely high ability in other areas, such as problem solving and critical thinking, but issues with spelling. It's called a "spiky" profile. (I have an Oxbridge PhD, for example).

Putting it bluntly, there are some quite unremarkable people who are excellent spellers, and I wouldn't want to trade places with them. However, this site is riddled with people who seem to think they are getting one over on an OP by pointing out a minor spelling or grammar blip. Usually, the post in question is perfectly intelligible, despite the error, which is a sign that the person making a "helpful" correction is being pathetic.

@underneaththeash

It underlines in red if not spelt correctly. My spelling isn't great, but I just google the word and correct the spelling.

Same with apostrophes - just google it if you're not sure. You just come across as a bit think and lazy and it make your point appear less pertinent.

A bit what? Maybe check next time before posting.

I’m pretty average at maths - does this mean I no longer have to worry about my incorrect calculations? Are people rude to point out my errors?

It's up to you whether you worry about your maths. If you use it as part of your job, then yes it should be corrected. If you pay someone the wrong amount as a result of it, then yes it needs to be corrected. Should someone on a chat forum needlessly point out that your maths isn't good in a post where the mistake makes no difference to the point you're making and does not impede anyone else's understanding of what you're saying? No.

Obviously maths doesn't get used or corrected often in the course of general conversation, whereas we all have to use language all the time. But poor spelling and grammar need to be pretty extreme to impede communication, so correcting it usually serves no purpose other than to make the corrector feel smug.

I'll put my hand up and admit I do correct spelling mistakes on here sometimes. It is because I'm being petty and a dick, in reply to someone who was being high and mighty/superior, "here I come with my opinion,bow down to me " types themselves.

What really bugs me is when a serious issue is posted and half of the replies is sneering at lack of paragraphs and punctuation and moaning about bad grammar and how they couldn't possibly understand what the thread is about. If I can get the gist as a non native speaker,they definitely can.

I’m a good speller but now again can make a mistake. We can all very easily spell a word wrong without realising even though we do know the correct spelling. I remember on here years ago someone told me to “at least learn how to spell before you post on here.”

Sometimes, it's the kindest thing to do. Admittedly, there is no place for it on a post where someone is dreadfully upset. When someone writes that they have 'sent of alot of job apllications but got no where', then I wouldn't hesitate to say something.

@Babdoc

There seems a lot of defensive anger on this thread, from people who apparently want to continue mangling their grammar and spelling, and assume anyone correcting them must only be doing it out of a feeling of superiority. When I correct someone’s post, I do it from a feeling of sympathy, and a wish to explain the grammar or spelling that they manifestly do not understand, so that they will not embarrass themselves in future - perhaps in a more important context, such as at their work or on a CV. If you saw a woman walking in the street with her skirt caught up in her knickers, surely it is kinder to point it out and let her fix it, than to let her continue embarrassing herself all the way home?

Urgh; but the reason your skirt gets tucked into your knickers isn't comparable with the reasons people may not have perfect spelling and grammar, and those reasons are usually why you should not be pointing it out to them.

I don't see why it's necessarily a 'dick move' or 'superior'. Why do people have to take it so personally? Often when I see people write 'would of' instead of 'would have' for example I feel an urge to correct it, not because I'm feeling superior, but because I think if that person got told and noticed this mistake going forward they would avoid coming across uneducated in the future. So it would help them?

I don't ever actually point it out because I know people feel strongly about it but I know that whenever I first realised I repeatedly got some spelling wrong or misused a phrase or something I was glad when I did learn the correct way.

I've made the odd comment if a poster is being an arse/racist/superior and the rant is full of errors, otherwise I wouldn't correct anyone's post.

However I must admit to irritation with constant

Should/would of
Myself and DP
Loose/lose... I think the battle is lost on this one!

Why do people have to take it so personally?

You don't think that having your spelling or grammar corrected is personal?

Well it's very easy to be unoffended by being corrected, and not to take it personally, if it's not a weakness you've struggled with and been criticised for all your life.

Okay, this is a fair point. But is it not helpful then to have it pointed out on an anonymous online forum? Where you're not losing face towards anyone but might then actually avoid being criticised further eg in a work context, or feel judged by an actual friend? Genuine question

@SoupDragon

Why do people have to take it so personally?

You don't think that having your spelling or grammar corrected is personal?

No, I genuinely don't. Fwiw I'm a non-native speaker so I know that learning a language comes with making mistakes and then correcting them over time. Doesn't reflect in any way on the worth of the person- why would it. I guess as a PP said though I have never struggled with it and so maybe that's easy for me to say/feel.

I very rarely do this and only if the OP is a total wanker (like an anti vaxxer) who is fair game. It does irritate me though and the lose/loose thing makes me cringe. I wouldn't dream of correcting someone genuine though, it's just rude.

Why do people have to take it so personally?

Probably to do with being disadvantaged in some way, it's not just the spelling and grammar for many. Imaging struggling your whole life, for whatever reason, and not quite being able to 'get' it, just not being good enough for Mumsnet? It's taken personally because it is personal.

Because for years teachers ingrained it into you to not only check your own spelling but to spot errors and point them out. Correct spelling and grammar is given huge priority in the school years. Many adults are still trying to get those gold stars or desperately crave being teacher's pet still

Often on here it’s just a chance to make themselves feel superior.

Especially if they can throw in failing to understand what the person is trying to say first, and then shoeing their intelligence by working it out.

Despite the fact the vast, vast majority of the time it’s very obvious what the OP means and it’s not the time or place. I’ll never forget the nasty posters who felt the need to pick up a brought/bought error on a post from an obviously upset woman whose husband had got violent the night before. Just absolutely no need whatsoever

@sevensleeps

I don't see why it's necessarily a 'dick move' or 'superior'. Why do people have to take it so personally? Often when I see people write 'would of' instead of 'would have' for example I feel an urge to correct it, not because I'm feeling superior, but because I think if that person got told and noticed this mistake going forward they would avoid coming across uneducated in the future. So it would help them?

I don't ever actually point it out because I know people feel strongly about it but I know that whenever I first realised I repeatedly got some spelling wrong or misused a phrase or something I was glad when I did learn the correct way.

It does not actually help though. Well not if the person has dyslexia/SEN. If it was as simple as just pointing out the error then no one would have dyslexia/SEN . It would all be fixed just by pointing out their spelling /grammar mistakes.

I personally don't like the word uneducated it seems a way of putting somone down to me.

I would really like to correct people's spelling, but I know it's rude, so just do it in my head.