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Microsoft Word, in all its pragmatic glory, has a feature that automatically corrects the spelling of most words as you create a document. This is extremely helpful for the professional who may be too busy to proof read every single memo they may type, but I do not appreciate it one bit. It isn’t the assistance I dislike but the manner in which that assistance is given. If you are even remotely close in your spelling attempt, the program immediately transposes the backwards letters or adds the missing letter to make you seem less ignorant. As a former spelling bee champion (not nationally, but I was king for a day in my fourth grade class), I would prefer the opportunity to learn from my mistakes before making corrections.
A better system would give you a little shock on the wrist and call your attention to your mistake, at least for an instant so you might learn from it and not appear a complete idiot when you are replying to an important email (I cannot speak for Gmail, but Yahoo will let your misspelling through as if it were a text message). We are all familiar with the little red, green, and blue squiggly lines that represent a misspelled word, a questionable grammar usage, or improper verb agreement. Sometimes I feel I am being deprived of my artistic license, but I pause, and ultimately am thankful for the helpful hints. Beef Jerkey, for example, is one of those words where the misspelled version is just as commonly used as the correct version (much like potato and potatoe). Google at least has the decency to ask, did you mean Beef Jerky? I appreciate this polite version of spell check, as it alerts me of my mistake but will also provide me with the website I need in order to further educate myself. Poor spelling is just as common in this country as high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels. But bad spellers, dyslexics, and people who have sausage fingers and have trouble pressing one key at a time should not be deprived the joy of ordering Beef Jerkey online.
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