queerbychoice | Can You Tell I'm a Former Two-Time Schoolwide Spelling Bee Winner?

Okay, that's it. No more suffering in silence for me. It's high time I call your attention to an urgent social issue - the dangerous epidemic of spelling errors in LJ interests lists, which is threatening to render the entire neat little hyperlinked interests system worthless, because whenever you click on the links in your interests list, all you'll really find is the people who made the same spelling errors as you.

More to the point, if you're on my friends list or I'm on yours or I know you at all, and you have a spelling error in your interests list, then you should be aware: I am obsessed with this spelling error of yours. I'm so obsessed by it that if only you really knew how obsessed I am with it, you'd start worrying about getting a restraining order to keep me away from it. You need to realize that every other day for the entire time I've known you, I've been clicking on your userinfo page just to stare in obsessed exasperation at that spelling error for an hour or more, debating in my head again and yet again as to whether I know you well enough to get away with informing you that you can't spell, whether now is the right moment to do so, whether I'll come across as rude or petty or condescending, whether you won't like me anymore once you find out what a shallow, surface-oriented, spelling-obsessed person I secretly am. But I can't keep it quiet any longer. I'm coming out of the closet to plead with all of you to relieve me of my spelling-error-induced agony!!

The following is not necessarily a comprehensive list of all spelling errors occurring in the LJ interests lists of everyone I know. It's merely a small collection of the ones that I'm sufficiently obsessed with that they came to mind when I sat down to make my list. These spelling errors keep me awake at night. I have nightmares about these spelling errors.

abstracted misspelled "Emily Dickinson"

allyx misspelled "narcissism"

asrai_d mistyped "intuition" (but she/they also list(s) "incorrect spelling" as an interest so, um, it's fitting . . .)

dlfke misspelled "Paul Cézanne"

eeek mistyped "electronica")

frankepi had previously misspelled "civil disobedience" and "first amendment," but he has obligingly corrected them already because I pleaded with him to relieve me of the extreme mental distress they were causing me. You can observe the extent of my former distress, however, by the fact that I still remember the exact spelling mistakes he had previously made, even though three or four months have now passed since the time when he obligingly corrected them for me.

khudirambose misspelled "Howard Zinn"

lentrot mistyped "atheism"

moistgrrluk misspelled "weird people"

ohandrea mistyped "reservoir dogs"

theobscure misspelled "existentialism"

tikarass and transientdyke both misspelled "Audre Lorde" in an identical manner to each other, and to five other people plus a community, though in a different manner from the manner in which arapahoe_centro and one other person misspelled "Audre Lorde."

Again, I plead with all of you: Relieve me of this agony, for I cannot endure it another second!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Lots of people out there can't spell, but they are nice people, and they're trying to communicate, and the communication's clear even if the spelling's not quite making the grade, so show a bit of tolerance and don't go rubbing their noses in it, huh?"

At the risk of speaking for Gayle (when she's perfectly capable of doing so herself), I'll reiterate: comments are made only to those with whom a level of comfort has been achieved. I don't go into random journals and patronize the owners, pointing out all their mistakes. I also don't base my opinion of any person or their abilities based on their syntax. I can't say the same for Gayle - you'll have to ask her about that - but I'd be willing to bet she's of the same mind. I point out mistakes to my friends, and they graciously accept my advice, with no hard feelings. I also have my own mistakes pointed out to me, and it's no big thing.

If you'll notice, someone else actually asked her to check over theirs...and so far, none of the listed individuals have indicated that they've felt hurt or belittled by her advice. I may be proven wrong on that later, but for now, no one really seems to have taken offense.

I can see how you would feel upset or agitated about this. I also think it's really cool you're standing up for the countless LJers whose intentions are far better than their spelling or grammar skills. Honestly, had I felt the same about the issue, I would've just rolled my eyes, cussed under my breath, and moved along to the next journal. But this, I think, is nothing more than friendly criticism...kind of like when you tell a friend that a certain outfit makes her look fat, or something like that. I'm sure Gayle didn't mean to come across as superior to anyone...and if she did, I shall proceed to beat her savagely about the head and shoulders with a large trout until she's good again. ;)

Also, part of me wonders if the whole thing wasn't done more or less tongue-in-cheek...?

I was both serious, and also making fun of myself for being serious. It does bother me, but I'm also aware it's not the most important thing in the world to worry about . . . but still, spelling things correctly does serve a purpose, particularly in the internet world where we search for things and if you spell them wrong then they won't show up in searches unless the person searching spelled them wrong too.

And I listed the errors all together in my journal because it seemed more polite, so everyone would know they weren't the only one, and wouldn't feel singled out.

Well, I felt just the same as you when I found LJs.

I thought, I can't believe some of these people: the spelling is really atrocious.

But then I realised that I was being a snob, and I realised that I was missing the point.

I'm just trying to pass on my own enlightenment in a way. Live and let live.

Emm

Yes, yes yes,... but you are missing the point, surely.

These LJs are peoples' journals. They are not intended to be works of literature, they are only intended to be peoples' records of themselves.

Many of the people who write them are at school or on a learning curve. Many others who write them can play numerous musical instruments (I can't), take an engine out of a car, repair it, put it back (I can't), rewire a house (I can't), run a farm (I can't), and so on and so on.

Merely because the medium they are using to record their lives is the written word (this is the only medium on offer for practicable purposes on LJ), and they may not actually be particularly adept at the use of the written word is NO reason to criticise them. The logical conclusion of the critic who says, "God, these people...they can't even SPELL" is to say that they have no right to have an LJ at all.

The point you are missing is that people are perfectly entitled to have an LJ even if their spelling is atrocious, and you should be delighted that they have LJs, not concentrating on the fact that their spelling is atrocious. Am I making sense? Or are we only purists, here?

It's like watching some guy finishing in six hours in the Boston Marathon and saying, "God, that guy shouldn't be in that event" -- surely that's his choice, not yours, and if he gets something out of it, then all is well.

Emm

I see what you mean, and I totally agree. But I think we're trying to make different points...the first thing I was trying to point out is that criticism, in this case and in mine, is only made toward those with whom the critic feels comfortable. While I'm can't say for certain that no one on Gayle's list of "spelling villians" falls into the groups you're championing, I can say that no one has complained about her corrections, so, in this case, no harm done.

My second point kinda falls in line with what you're talking about (and, to be honest, I haven't really raised it until now). If your main problem is with the very principle of nit-picking over spelling and grammar, I think you should remember one important thing: not everyone is going to take these things you've mentioned into consideration. In order to really appreciate any of those special cases, you have to know that person's story. Unfortunately, most people aren't going to write in their journal that they're on a learning curve, but they are a maestro on piano. The majority of people present themselves at their best possible in their journals, and the majority of people who read their journals aren't going to take the time to consider everything you've pointed out. Trust me, I'm a social worker...I know all about standing up for the underdog. I also know that as much as you try to get people to see and understand all sides of the picture, people are only going to see and understand what they want to see and understand. If that's your goal here, to make us all more aware of the small, unsung victories that are certain journals, more power to you. However, I can say for myself that just because I have a problem with any particular person's spelling or grammar absolutely does not mean I don't think they're entitled to their own journal and/or opinions. It doesn't mean I think I'm superior to them in any respect. It's the part of me that has always noticed spelling and grammar errors simply doing its job. Also, since Gayle kept her remarks in her own journal, directed towards people I'm sure she believed could handle the criticism, I don't see where there's been any travesty of justice. As Gayle said, she was making fun of herself for being serious about it. I think any air of superiority on her part wouldn't have allowed that.

"The logical conclusion of the critic who says, 'God, these people...they can't even SPELL' is to say that they have no right to have an LJ at all."

How in the hell do you figure I was saying anything like that? Two of my three closest friends were on that list of people who made spelling errors. I very, very deeply respect their intelligence. They do, however, spell words wrong, and when they do so in a place that interferes with the purpose of the hyperlinked interest system, I am going to occasionally inform them of the correct spellings.

I don't figure you were saying anything like that. I said the logical conclusion of...

The main focus of all my comments is that I think that all spelling errors in LJs, whether they are contained in the interests lists or in the comments, should be tactfully overlooked. People should be encouraged to express themselves. If they are trying to express themselves and what they are generating is not complete nonsense, then great: whether the product is the Queen's English or some remote corruption of it, ought not to be considered so important amongst LJournalists as letting just people be themselves.

I don't see how that's the logical conclusion of this argument AT ALL. BIG leap in logic.

Can You Tell I'm a Former Two-Time Schoolwide Spelling Bee Winner?

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