h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Spell Checkers - A Warning - A51397383
Author: Alex Tufty Ashman [!] - U566116


This is my latest entry for 's The Stretcher.

Alex

It would be funny if it weren't true...

And it took me until the last paragraph to notice that every header had 'like' in it... Reminds me of that play by Shakespeare: 'Like You Like It'

Well done!

and for mentioning my favourite institution of higher learning.

I spend most of my time ignoring spell checkers...all the words in my document are underlined in red, either because I'm writing British English or German.

'American English, whatever that is', in very deed.

Must go and look at the competition now

Excellent. *y'know* is my pet hate. players and fans are some of the worst offenders.

Websailor

Funny *ahem* in places. Certainly adhering to the stretcher prompt in other places

A fine entry, really.

I'm beginning to think I may have alienated half my readership.

Thanks guys

Only those with no sense of humour My computer still insists on American English sometimes no matter how hard I try to tell it British English.

Websailor

Are you highlighting your work before changing the language?

I fixed it in email but Pages still uses American English, and I haven't yet figured out how to change it. I have a Mac. It doesn't bother me, my spelling is pretty good most of the time, it's just my fingers that are a problem!

No I haven't highlighted it before changing?

Websailor

I just assumed you were using Word or something similar, in which case you can give different bits of text a different language, but you've got to highlight them first

Oh, I will have a look. This computer is full of surprises. If I want it to do anything it usually can, I just have to find it Thanks for tip.

Websailor

Ms GB

Sorry for going a bit.

Websailor

I shouldn't worry - it's pretty relevant compared to some thread drifts I've seen

So true

As soon as I install any wp software, I disable all the infuriating, interfering "intuitive" bits of "help" and make sure it's switched to British English in all the places where the language switches lurk. Then it still manages to sneak something into American English when an automatic update (by that helpful MS company) happens

Nice one, Alex.
I use the spell checker add-on in Firefox. It certainly helps to find obviously misspelt words, but if you write a wrong word correct Like the instead of then), its of no use, like you say.

I'm stuck in Germanland and it hates British-English. But, like, y'know, I like my squiggly lines and miss them if I ever write in German.



(I'm totally ignorant of the stretcher thing, but I like this a lot)

"To err is human. To *really* screw-up you need a computer"

Nice one Alex

Thanks everyone

Now, how's about some corrections for the entry?