What do you think about this article?

[capthek]

On the one hand I realize that words do change through time in meaning and sometimes in spelling, but I also think that in our time of spell checking, there is no real reason to suddenly accept these mistakes when they can be more easily corrected than ever before. Also, when I am reading and I come across a misspelling like this, it completely

Comments

[pirate_eggie]

No, I agree that this is pure insanity. Or inanity.

[frecklestars]

Your icon is apt for any response to this post. Well done.

*feeling like I should be translating this response into awful AOLer 12 year old spelling*

[pirate_eggie]

Thank you!

Or should I say "lolol tnx omg iawtc!!!"

It's a perfectly cromulent word!

[cpt_babypants]

Sure. Why bother with silly things like standards?

[xuande]

Bwaha. Oregon Trail icon love.

[max_ambiguity]

Without a baseline standard I suspect we won't have a shared phonetic concept of words, eventually. To some extent, we already don't. Regional accents result in different words being pronounced differently - it was a minor problem when I was studying linguistics in a foreign country and we were asked to transcribe words into the phonetic alphabet. My answers we often different from my classmates'. I suspect, though, that if we stopped enforcing the current rules we'd simply end up with another set of rules. Standardization seems to happen naturally.

[skepoet]

Standardization seems to happen naturally.

And to fall apart naturally, honestly. I don't think the above suggestions matter are anything other than vapid, but I also think many of our colleagues here are having essentially emotive reactions as to what language is.... its much more organic than codification of words and much of modern grammar was superimposed from Latin in a somewhat nonsensical way.

[brittdreams]

And to fall apart naturally, honestly.
This makes me think of the French government's efforts to standardize the language. It isn't that successful, afaik.

[twilit]

Eh. We have to understand that while we can adopt whatever standards we want, but they're meaningless unless adhered to by the majority. A bunch of academics? Not the majority. People who can't spell? Also not the majority... yet. I don't look forward to the day when they are though.

The idea of a phonetic system doesn't really work either. In a language with more dialects than letters, it would get out of hand right quick.

[skepoet]

Exactly. That is my problem with it, not some adherence to "truth"--I find it amusing, however, that many here who are taking such umbrage to this are not typing in standard English ;)

[twilit]

iawtc

[frecklestars]

Catering to ignorance? One more reason the next generation will be lazy. Really intelligent decision there buddy...seriously, I'm sorry, this bothers me to hell and gone. Because there's a perception that the students can't learn (maybe try teaching them first?), we should just cater to them and make them feel better about themselves for their mistakes. GAH.

thier - really?!?

I hope this proposal's shot down in gales of laughter. Errr, lafder.

[capthek]

Plus, my students never spell thier, instead they write there for their or they're and if they mean "they are" should we accept thier? Plus plus, my students have started to incorporate texting lingo like b/c which I believe means because? Once you let standards drop a little, students will just push the next level down, you know? Bee4-2long...

[frecklestars]

Everything you said.

On an essay test, I would continually circle words that weren't spelled correctly or used in the wrong context. They didn't get it, apparently, since the next test was just as bad. :-/

I just don't understand how someone could get into college but not understand the difference between to and too...I mean, unless their parents wrote their entrance essays, they spell like elementary school kids.

(Obviously this is one of my huge pet peeves.)