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From: McGuire_Ed@GRINNELL.MAILNET.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax
Subject: RE: Spelling...
Message-ID: <8703030026.AA24289@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Mon, 2-Mar-87 14:36:00 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8703030026.AA24289
Posted: Mon Mar  2 14:36:00 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 3-Mar-87 21:40:40 EST
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>Sorry to be pedantic, but may I respectfully suggest that contributors to
>this bulletin board take care with spelling. There have been a number of
>words repeatedly misspelled in recent missives, [. . .]

I sympathize.  Spelling errors always grate on me.  I'm also a musician, and
fumbled notes or bad intonation grates on me too.

Typically, I also keep it to myself.  I believe that correcting others is only
justified if it is clearly my responsibility.  For example, I might correct
someone's intonation if I were their vocal instructor.

I will, however, make two additional nonjudgemental comments, squarely on both
sides of the issue:

1.  Typically, people who use English well are more highly respected by their
    English-using peers.  Their opinions carry more weight; their questions are
    taken more seriously.

2.  Numerous contributors to this newsgroup use English as a second language.
    I would certainly make numerous spelling and grammatical errors if the
    language of the newsgroup were German.

Ed McGuire
Grinnell College
MCGUIRE@GRIN2.BITNET