Wouldn't it be a nice feature to have the possiblity to do a spellcheck before you post?

For all those non native english speaking persons (and those who use their memory to memorize sparepart-numbers instead of basic spelling rules).

I don't want to offence anyone, and strictly speaking for myself I find it sometimes very difficult to translate the message I want to say in a way that I think anyone will understand what I'm trying to say (If that make any sense to you).
In fact it even keeps me from posting sometimes because I first have to search for the proper words and phrases (well, maybe that isn't too bad) and rephrase it if I get stuck, even feel embarresd/uncomfortable not knowing how to spell a word or verb correctly.

I know I can first write my post in Word or such and put a spellcheck but I'm dutch, my spellchecker is in dutch, if I want to change that it takes a few actions and I've got to take those actions again to put it back in Dutch.

Susan and Grant, I don't know if you are familiar with http://www.CoolHomepages.com , years ago (when I liked computers more than playing in the dunes) they already had a basic spellcheck on their forums and they still do.
I really don't know if the program you use to maintain this forum/hubb is capable to implament such a module but it would/could be very practical (maybe even educational )
Take a look at their forum and press reply or post topic, you can see the button at the botom (between 'submit' and 'clear').

regards!

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bart & sophie

On the list!

In the meantime, I use Firefox (IE sucks) and Spellbound spell checker - awesome. Even underlines misspelled words in an edit box.

Idea! Use Firefox for English sites and set it's spell checker for English and use IE for Dutch ones! But then you have no Dutch spell checker in your browser... hmmm....

Hope that helps a little...

http://www.CoolHomepages.com uses www.SpellChecker.net's spell checker - VERY nice, and I'd love it, but we're going to have to find something a little cheaper:

"The base price for a licensed version on a single server is $3,500 the first year, which includes the license to the SpellChecker.net engine, maintenance, upgrades and support. Each additional year is $750 for continued maintenance, support and upgrades, if desired."

NOTE: Firefox and Spellbound does exactly the same thing.

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Oops...$3,500... such a amount can be spend much better (even if every member donate/pay a small fee) You can buy alot of dictionaries then...

Firefox...yeah, everybody keeps telling me, but there are also people going around the world on a Vespa scooter instead of a BMW/YAMAHA/HONDA/KAWA/ETCETERA or a 2cv instead of a TOYOTA/LANDROVER/UNIMOG, even when money isn't a issue.
But I'll give it a try..... (BTW most cybercafe's I've been to are still using IE)

Another small detail:
When somebody wants to fill in their profile, they can only fill in what kind of bike they are riding/own, what model, where they have been (on their bike) .... I only own a pushbike/bicycle and I'm not intended to go further than citylimits on it !!
I know this site is majorly orrientated about 2 wheel travel so it's really a small detail.


BTW I must admit that reading on this hubb grows a urge in me to start riding a ... motorcycle... Yeah, I'm really considering of getting my licence and try some bug-eating experience myself (don't know if I would like to go outside citylimits or even RTW tho).

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bart & sophie

Hi Bart

Don't worry about your spelling, it's already better than most of the english speaking world. Spellcheck's OK, except that it can't distinguish between their/there, brakes/breaks, rows/rose/roes etc so you end up with mis-spellings anyway. The main thing is that you get your message across (as you did perfectly above).

Regards, Mick

p.s. Q. What do you all someone who speaks two languages? A=Bilingual.
Q. What do you call someone who speaks three languages? A=Trilingual.
Q. What do you call someone who speaks only one language? A=English.

dont bother..with the spelling. Miss spelled words are much easier to deal with that wrong worms put in by a spell chequeur.
when someone sees a word miss spelt, he will work out what it should have been much easier than trying to work out what the spell checker saw in the first place, and then working out what it means.

please accept my deliberate miss steaks as a means of illustration.

Spellcheckers can be abused. I’ve had business reports handed in about ‘whorehouses’ instead of ‘warehouses’ and ‘floppy discs’ are often described as something else. However, why not use a spellchecker and a thesaurus?

Just as it’s appreciated when English speakers make an effort to learn a foreign language, it’s also appreciated when the English language is used well* by non-native speakers.


(*I won’t say used ‘correctly’ because that’s another debate.)

Stephan

In Elngsih, it deos not mtaetr waht odrer the lteetrs are in as lnog as the frsit and lsat lteetrs are croerct.

John

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BTO APAW
One day I'm gunna......

I agree with Squid, Old and Steph. Don't worry, just do it. Its nice that you take the trouble to communicate in English. Some of our American cousins, native speakers, really struggle to write clearly, so you're doing just fine.

Billakks yaare tiiking shot.

Yeah......my wife tells me that too.

John

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BTO APAW
One day I'm gunna......

Likewise, I agree with Squid, Old, Steph and with Denis' comment above. Whilst my English is in definite need of improvement, I am often amazed at effort put in by non-native speakers of English, and the lack of effort (and consequent silly mistakes) by many native English speakers.

Compared to my foreign language skills (Vietnamese with a very heavy Oz accent) and so far all of you beat me hands down.

John

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BTO APAW
One day I'm gunna......

Wel...hm... thank you for the compliments (I take them humble and on behalf of all those non native english speaking persons).

Like I posted, it's a just a personal thing and really not a major thing, and BTO APAW I'm sure you somehow would feel the same as soon as you start posting on a Vietnamese board
I think it's more an small aid for the rest of the world. Just like babelfish, but that is whole different story (have you ever translated a text from one language to another and then back...lots of fun).
But the whole point is it sometimes stops me from posting or takes out the spontinality (?) of the post, for instance I't took me a week to respond on this thread (and everytime there was a new post to think about and respond to). And without responding directly how are we going to be as funny as you english speaking chaps ?

About mis-use (abuse?) of a spellchecker, if people submit whorehouse instead of warehouse, tells more about them then about the spellchecker.

Oh, and I'm not talking/writing about typo's but about not knowing how to construct some words we use and understand the moment we speak, but as soon as you put it in writing it don't make any sense.

regards !

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bart & sophie