Posted by Iris_WA on 9/24/05 3:46pm
Msg #67162

OT: For those who are "spelling challenged"

the Kim Komando (computer guru) weekly newsletter provided two links today to two, independent spellchecking freeware that can help those who consider themselves to be 'spelling challenged' for those times when existing spellcheckers don't work (such as in this forum).

I have only tested "Tinyspell" so far -- while typing this message, in fact -- and have noted a few observations.

First, it adds itself to the system tray which means it will launch at your every start-up, so you might want to run "msconfig" after installing it to keep it from doing that. If you choose that, you will have to launch "Tinyspell" manually after each fresh boot.

Also, I don't think it will check spelling a whole typed passage after you have finished typing. Instead, you can set it up to beep (and the icon on system tray changes color) to let you know AS YOU TYPE that it suspects a misspelled word. You can also do an individual check on words AFTER you type, but if you choose a replacement word, it seems to wipe out spaces and/or letters either preceding or following that insertion.

Still, for free it's nice to have for programs that don't have built-in spellcheckers.

Haven't tried the second program yet, and probably won't, so someone else will have to review.

Have a typo-free Saturday!

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/24/05 4:13pm
Msg #67163

Links here--no help for brain-dysfunctioned, like me! LOL

Forgot to include the links for your convenience. (P.S. I'm not using Tinyspell, so any typos are all my own fault.)

http://www.tinyspell.m6.net
http://www.wordweb.info/free

The second program has definitions, synonyms and pronunciations.)

By the way, the Kim Komando newsletter (free) is a great source of all sorts of things related (and not) to computers, although I haven't found her paid advertisers' rates to be great on cheap rates for things like toner/inkjet refills.

www.komando.com

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 9/24/05 4:48pm
Msg #67164

I use ispell from www.ispell.com, as soon as I have typed my reply, I right click and then select "check spelling"

Reply by Sylvia_FL on 9/24/05 4:50pm
Msg #67165

Re: OT: For those who are "spelling challenged" - oops

That should be www.iespell.com ( it is for internet explorer)

Reply by PAW_Fl on 9/24/05 5:20pm
Msg #67169

Re: OT: For those who are "spelling challenged" - oops

For those using Firefox, there is an 'extension' called SpellBound (http://spellbound.sourceforge.net/) that works like as ieSpell.

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/24/05 7:11pm
Msg #67177

ispell.com down...other sites say "not for XP/2000" :( N/M

Reply by PAW_Fl on 9/24/05 10:56pm
Msg #67202

Re: site down...other sites say "not for XP/2000" - Not so!!

http://www.iespell.com is alive and well. (Be sure to enter the URL correctly.) Further, it works just fine with XP and 2000 as well as all the other versions of Windows as long as you have the correct Internet Explorer browser.

Reply by PAW_Fl on 9/24/05 11:13pm
Msg #67203

Re: site down...other sites say "not for XP/2000" - Not so!!

Hit enter before I finished ...

ispell (not, not iEspell) was primarily designed for Unix boxes running Unix, Linux, etc. It is a GNU open source project originally developed in the Netherlands, IIRC. Anyway, the "Windows" version is an 8-bit version which means it won't run on any NT based Windows platform.

Again, the correct program is iespell and can be found at http://www.iespell.com. (Don't forget the 'e'.)

Reply by christiSocal on 9/25/05 2:43am
Msg #67206

Thank you all.. from one spelling challaged (oops) person :)

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/25/05 9:59am
Msg #67218

Thanks Sylvia and PAW ... and to Anonymous

Between the time I left to check out the first site for ispell and came back to post that the site was down, I noticed Sylvia and PAW's corrected site locations.

Anonymous, my original post was not aimed at anyone, nor was it a judgment of anyone. Rather, it was being OFFERED as a "gift" to those I've seen expressing themselves here as wishing they had a spellchecker for forums such as this. Sorry it seemed to hit a 'sore spot' with you. (I recently shared another "gift" with folks -- an alternative to Adobe Reader -- for those who expressed having problems with Adobe.)

As long as I can understand what people are saying, I have no problem with misspellings ... some are even funny, and I get a kick out of them.

So, about my only comment to you, Anonymous, is that if YOU have the time to go on tirades about some nonexistent criticism, well ... all I can say is "chill out!"

Reply by Anonymous on 9/25/05 2:50am
Msg #67207

For all of you "teacher" who have time to


"grade" our posts...get over it. Do you type with one finger or one hand? I'm sorry some of us might type fast and not go back an attempt to be PERFECT. You "get" most of the posts or you wouldn't respond. Do you "get" that most message boards or chat rooms use an abbreviation for 50% or more words (not that I'm saying people do here) and JMHO, but if you are so critical of others I wouldn't be until you are perfect because anyone on here could say, "who are you to judge what I write, type, or say?"

It's a sad day when people have to BARK about spelling when you could damn well put the energy toward solving the worlds problems or attempting to help them get solved. When was the last time you served food at a soup line or helped a battered woman or single mother out? Don't even start with the New Orleans thing either. It's so hypocritical that the world runs to disasters so fast but I don't see any of those people running to make our country or world a better place EVERY SINGLE DAY! It has to be something catastrophic to get peoples attention or to get someone famous or a huge company to shell out millions of dollars at a drop of a hat but they can't just drop that (or something maybe not as high) a little more often than the charities they support and might show up and speak at.
Try judging after you give back 20% of you earnings or time every month to society to help make it a better place, because then you can think about judging others who aren't as perfect as you.

JSTP (JUST SOMETHING TO PONDER)

Reply by NorCalDar on 9/25/05 3:48am
Msg #67211

Re: For all of you "teacher" who have time to

Guess I would have to classify myself as one of those “teacher” (sure you meant “teachers”) who have time to grade other’s posts. Probably comes from my belief that if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right. Could also be what attracted me to this profession? 20+ years as an aviation maintenance inspector taught me there are no “little” mistakes.

There are posters in this forum (some of whom I have a great deal of respect for) that get going a little too fast for their fingers and make the occasional blurb. My blood pressure remains unchanged. My heart rate does not rise. I do not judge. However I do wonder at what point it becomes acceptable to excuse sloppiness or for that matter outright laziness (spell check is pretty much effortless and I think the point of this original post was to point out that it can be had for free). Do the same habits carry over to other aspects of ones life like maybe when it’s time to review those documents?

If someone posts wondering why he/she is not getting any work and I take a look at their profile and see spelling or grammatical errors, I’m probably prone to shoot a quick note. I promise I will not put the cuffs on too tight.

As for the rest of your post, I really don’t care what anyone else does to help out his or her fellow man. For that matter, I don’t see the connection. Are you suggesting that someone who gives 20% of his or her income to charity somehow earns the right to judge?

Reply by NorCalDar on 9/25/05 3:56am
Msg #67212

Re: For all of you "teacher" who have time to

Ok anyone have key to these things...I meant "one's life" not "ones life."

Reply by Anonymous on 9/25/05 10:32am
Msg #67226

NorCalDar and others if they so want to read

the point the OT things came up was because it's people who put so much effort into something so small when they could direct it towards the things worthy of fixing.

It's the point of people no longer can make a joke without it being racist, or in today's world you can't see someone that is unbelivably beautiful that you do make a statement or can't help but look at them but the "beautiful one" might be insecure and thus feel like it's sexual harrassment
(example: I knew someone who had a new woman start who was extremely beautiful and when she came into the room everyone, yes everyone (even woman) would look at her (and it was corporate proffessional attire not a nightclub) and there were times that someone might say "my god" or "holy" and she felt it was inappropriate. I think it was a knee-gut reaction and not "dirty" in any way. She was strikely beautiful and maybe had someone in her past told her "you are absolutley stunning" she might have understood people's reactions.), or so many people think they are "owed" something for life not being fair and sue anyone they can.

disclaimer: Yes there are racist jokes, yes there is real sexual harrassment, and yes there are reasons to sue people. The skill so many have lost is knowing & accepting the differences.

What my point was...RELAX! Over something so stupid as to if you misspell a word in conversations, give it a frickin break. Take something that REALLY matters and put the energy towards it. If people weren't so damn uptight things would be a little more enjoyable in todays society.

Yes, our job means perfection. Do you ever get tired of perfection? I do. Because otherwise, you must not be as busy as I am and have time to be the "spelling" or "anything" police. And maybe you don't have a life so in your "free"-time you can "let go" and put the job on the shelf where it should be when you get "off stage". There is more to life and I feel sorry for the people who can't or wont ever figure that out.

I like that my family and spouse aren't perfect. Granted I would like things to be easier if they would be more perfect but they would not be who they are if they were perfect and I might not like them as much. I like that I can help when asked to "proof" something my spouse needs seen by another set of eyes and we then might talk and discover something we have a passion for...but would never happen had they been perfect and didn't "need" the help.



OH, by the way...the errors in the posts...intentional. Just to show someone couldn't help themselves. Enough said.

Reply by BetsyMI on 9/25/05 12:23pm
Msg #67236

Re: NorCalDar and others if they so want to read

Why would you "hide" under an Anonymous if you feel so strongly about this?

I personally found the conversation before your post completely innocent and without malice towards anyone, but then you seemed to "attack" them. I don't know what made you angry but there was no reason for it.

You have valid points, so why again would you hide behind Anon? I thought THEY seemed "Relaxed", not YOU!

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/25/05 10:18am
Msg #67223

OT to NorCalDar

Spent an entire five weeks, 8 to 5, this past spring typing NOTHING but specification sheets for small parts on airplanes (screws, brads, rivets, etc.) as a manufacturing plant entered their old spec sheets into a new system.

OMIGOD... talk about accuracy and "small things." The ONLY way I could make myself get past wanting to quit this temporary assignment every day after the first three of, even though I needed the money, was to remind myself that the lives of many people potentially hung in the balance, so my accuracy HAD to be superb!

Somehow, I convinced myself that I was making a true contribution to safety of the aerospace industry!

Reply by TCMN on 9/25/05 10:47am
Msg #67229

and Iris...

there is a place and time and reason. BUT did you go home and stay "on stage"?

If anyone is familiar with DISNEY...they tell their employees..."when you go outside that fence (to the park area where visitors are) you are on stage...everything you do reflects us so you have to stay in charactor." when they go home, they can do what they want and not be judged.

disclaimer: but yes if they rob a bank and caught, they wont have a job at DISNEY because they reflect back. But if they don't grab their garbage can from the end of their driveway until the next morning because they were just too tired to grab it when they got home from a 18 hour shift, they aren't looked at as a loser, they can be HUMAN.

that's all

Reply by TCMN on 9/25/05 10:49am
Msg #67230

Re: and Iris...ooops hit wrong key

I just understand Anon point and I think I understand yours... and I think you understand Anon's to.

Am I getting that wrong?

I couldn't help but chime in on this...

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/25/05 12:42pm
Msg #67239

TCMN: Huh? Wha'?

How did we go from apples to tangerines?

The FACT is: I offered help as I came across it in an e-mail, since I remembered in the past numbers of folks saying "Wish I had a spellchecker for..." [this forum, fill-in-the-blank].

Another FACT: I don't judge people on their spelling (though my stomach may curl up because it's hard to figure out what they're saying).

Another FACT: I am studying something now SO hard and complex that if I never, ever, ever have to look up another word/phrase/drug name it will be too soon to me.

FACT: I am considering not submitting anything of generic help to this forum again, unless it's in direct response to a question.

Reply by TCMN on 9/25/05 4:22pm
Msg #67259

Re: TCMN: Huh? Wha'? IRIS

Just meant that I think you were understanding where NorCal was coming from because of what you had to be "perfect" at for your work, but it seemed that you also understood Anon in regard to not being perfect when it came to spelling and having to check everything.

Nothing else. Just saying I thought you were saying you understood both sides and just asked if I "got" that wrong.

Sorry to confuse you.

Reply by christiSocal on 9/25/05 6:10pm
Msg #67269

Iris, Thank you for sharing. It was a nice thing to do.

Don't let one person with a chip on his/her shoulder stop you from posting anything. I have been wanting a spell checker and I appreciate your help. To anon- title cos and ss do read this site and misspelled words do not look professional! (occasional typos are different)

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/25/05 8:36pm
Msg #67280

christiSocal-Thank YOU for thanking me-feels good! :) N/M

Reply by Iris_WA on 9/25/05 8:35pm
Msg #67279

Correct-o-mundo, TCMN! :) Thanks for clarifying - N/M

Reply by TCMN on 9/25/05 10:23pm
Msg #67284

Welcome Iris...I'm not Perfect & need spellchecker to n/m

Reply by NorCalDar on 9/26/05 1:27am
Msg #67293

Re: OT to NorCalDar

What a tough gig! Now imaginge after all that hard work some knucklehead grabs a handful of .062R (Roundheads) and tosses them into the bin in for .062F (Flat heads) just to jerk his buddy's chain! Oh the good old days...