Spell Checker, You Are a JERK! (No…I Didn’t Mean “J-U-R-K,” You “More On!”) Want Accurate Writing? Check It Yourself!

 

Spell Checker (and Grammar Checker), You Are a JERK!

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(No…I Didn’t Mean "J-U-R-K," You "More On!")

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Want Accurate Writing? Check It Yourself!

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If ewe donut want to make a miss steak use spell checker and gram marr checker four in creased accuracy when u right. It’s grate for your blog two.

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What a nightmare! Spell Checker (and your alter-ego Grammar Checker), you truly are stupid, out-of-date or asleep-at-the-wheel…that, or your inventors need to send you back to school for a refresher course! Millions upon millions rely on you every single day, yet you have the potential and capacity to let people down, look like idiots and, in extreme cases, lose their jobs or get passed over for jobs for which they apply!

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A Sentence or Two Dissected:

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"Nurse, scalpel.." Yes, back to those two sentences I constructed which you saw at the top of this article:

"If ewe donut want to make a miss steak use spell checker and gram marr checker four in creased accuracy when u right. It’s grate for your blog two."

Two sentences that I, yes, ran through WORD‘s Spell Checker and its "partner in crime," Grammar Checker. It indeed passed the test. The results:

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 1) "You" is what was called for. A "Ewe" is a female sheep. Out of context, but not caught.

 2) "Donut" has been mistakenly substituted for "don’t." Obviously out of context, it is missed by Spell Checker/Grammar Checker.

 3) "Miss Steak" has been erroneously substituted for "mistake." Missed by Spell Checker/Grammar Checker.

 4) "Four" is a number. "For" is quite obviously the intended word. Again, missed by the system.

 5) The word "blog," in our modern lexicon for the better part of a decade now, is still not recognized by Spell Checker as being a word.

Okay, enough examples to make my point.

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Conclusion:

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Spell Checker/Grammar Checker is a great tool for a superficial, cursory check of your work. It can pick up glaring, blatant errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

But when you are writing in a framework of establishing credibility, reputation and expertise, arenas in which precision, image and presentation are just as important as content, it is not enough!

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Oh, the fun in testing the system! It doesn’t know the difference between "stationary" and "stationery." "Prescribe" and "proscribe." "Formally" and "formerly." I type "He is definitely right"…it tells me I’m wrong and suggests I use "He is defiantly right." "She surprised me with a party?" Nope…"She surpassed me with a party." While writing an article recently, I entered: "He earned fifteen dollars." No. Try "He. Earned fifteen dollars." the system prompted me. What???

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When it comes to blog articles, resumes, letters of correspondence, official emails, job inquiries, cover letters, portfolios, white papers, business plans and the like, accuracy is essential. Just one error can bring down the level of the writing. Two or three can completely and utterly destroy it!

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Be sure, after using Spell Checker, to go over the work again with an eagle-eye and a fine-tooth comb. Give a human being the chance to catch what a machine is inclined, or in this case…programmed, to miss!

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Deer Humane Resources Manager,

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It is with grate pleasure that I am apple eyeing for the jobe.

I fell that I can bee a great ass set to yore company!

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Dear Spell Checker/Grammar Checker Designers,

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Continuing Education is a hallmark of our educational system and our society.

It allows for the periodic and systematic opportunity for one to return to Academia, expand one’s knowledge base and acquire the additional skills necessary for survival in the modern world.

I believe it is high time that you send Spell Checker back to school to learn to correct long-standing misconceptions, re–learn basic spelling and grammatical rules and add words which have come into existence and the current lexicon since its creation.

Then, and only then, will it become a tool that we as businesspeople can rely on.

Sincerely,

Yonatan Maisel

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Dear Reader: Thanks for stopping by! If you’ve enjoyed this original article, please consider giving it a "Retweet." I’d be most appreciative!

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_____________________

Looking for a writer  yonatan@executive-penmanship.com

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Yonatan Maisel is a business blogger, history buff and author.

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If you’re looking for a "lap-dog," look elsewhere; if you’re looking for a writer who will "kick ass and take names," he might be for you! 

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Yoni started a business blog one year ago. 90% of his new clients now find their way to him as a direct result of having read one or more posts. He is a regular contributor here at www.jobshuk.com.

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Image Credits: Alphabet: babygadget.net; Doctor with Scalpel: mcv.ganewsnetwork.com;  Woman with Magnifying Glass: thinkbda.com; Back to School: brookings.k12.org; Advice: htmlgiant.com; Thumb Down: onsecurities.com; This Is Only a Test: macmillanusa.com; Quill and ink: picsicio.us