Because a language is only useful in that it allows the exchange of information between entities. This is only possible if everyone engaging in the exchange understands the meaning of the words used. Spelling mistakes serves to degrade the usefulness of the language, cause misunderstanding and confusion.

Boo-Chan is right in that once two people cannot understand what each other are saying, be that because of spelling or whatever else, they are no longer speaknig the same language - hence we should strive to maintain correctness in our communications.

And, Dan, just out of interest, do you TRY to type that badly? Because, frankly, I've never seen anyone make that many typos unless it was on purpose.

People that can't walk use wheelchairs.
People who can't spell should use spellcheckers.

Besides the matter of unclear meaning, spelling/grammar mistakes serve to cause an unfavorable impression of the speaker and the ideas they are expressing. That's fine if you don't mind that people are unconciously doubting the ideas that you are expressing, but if you want them to actually fully consider what you are trying to say you have to coach your message into a form that will make them do this. In other words, if you want people to listen to you; you have to conform to their standards of communication.

Nice coment from some one who obvesly has no understanding of the problem. Using a spellcheck whould only put in many spelled corectly words that do not belong. U whould get words that sound simmaior but are not the same meaning and it whould throw u off even more. This menthod aucatly gets my point acorces. This is apreantly true since u could reply to it.

Using leet makes it difficult for people to understand what you are trying to say, spelling mistakes do the same thing.

Hence they can be viewed in the same sence. And anyone can learn how to spell, well anyone who can learn how to programm. Or do you mispell your syntax as well?

And your the own being judgemental about me leaving out my quotations. But if I had spelled it qote and used quotation marks would it have been ok?

Ok, so you mispell syntax, then obviously go back and fix it later. Why can't you do the same things for the other things that you type? When I type something I usually double-check what I've written to make sure that it is understandable. This is just a matter of courtesy toward the other people who will be reading it.

And the thing about double checking what you type is that you improve your spelling/grammar ability over time, where as if you just accept your mistakes your writing gets worse over time.

What I take exception to is not really your spelling but your attitude that spelling like that is ok.

Ok, if the plethora of spelling errors in your writing is due to a learning disability that is different from frequent spelling errors due to a simple lack of effort to avoid them, in some ways.

1st: You seem to be attempting to be draw parallels between the KKK and my dislike for frequent spelling mistakes. Is this a really valid comparison?

2nd: You sir are being intolerant of my habit of spelling word correctly. I could say: " All people who don't accept proper spelling can go to hell along with the KKK and haters like that" But that would be rather silly wouldn't it?

And of course I judge people on how they spell. I also judge them on their OS of choice, favourite books, age, gender, occupation, computer system, etc. Is this wrong? Not in my opinion, since it isn't the factors that you consider, but how you consider them, and besides I judge myself on these things and expect others to do the same.

I have never said that I dislike dyslexics because they have difficulty spelling. I do dislike people who make spelling errors due to a lack of effort to fix them. Since I believe the largest number of people who make numerous spelling errors are of the later group, when I see a person making spelling errors I naturally assume that it is due to a lack of effort.

Yes, in my view judging people based on blanket statements is stupid. Stupid, not wrong, since wrong requires judgement which I try to avoid making. However, judging people based on statistics is perfectly valid.

And what is the difference between being intolerant and being intolerant of people who are intolerant? That itself is a value judgement.

There is a world of difrence, and i do not think i need to expain it since it is prity self expaintory to most peoleop. (Esptaly since with a deftion like that u could never think somthing wrong since thinking it wrong whould be wrong.)

I dislike people who make spelling errors
+
Dyslexics make spelling errors
=
I dislike dyslexics

The wonderful world of statistics means that your never really wrong or right. When I say: since this person appears to be making repeated spelling errors it is 90% likely that he is some one who just doesn't care about proper spelling, that is a correct statement(except for the statistic which was made up) Therefore, any conclusions based on this is 90% correct and is subject to change with the inclusion of additional information. (Note: the definition of gender of the person I'm talking to is also a statistical judgement)

Rawr!!! I've seen this error far too many times!!!

People who can't spell should use spellcheckers.

And people who can spell use anti-spellchecks to misspell their words..

i guess some ppl r more lazy than u seem to believe.

wut r u all yeling 4?

Wow I can't believe my thread would arouse such controversy. What I was getting at with my original post was that people were being hypocritical by correcting the "grammer" and spelling of others, yet they were unable to spell themselves.

On a related topic, I read on the Straight Dope that english dyslexic people often have little trouble with chinese/japanese/etc languages (not based on an alphabet) and the reverse for chinese dyslexic people.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/050408.html

so in thoery i whould be better at spelling in japaness.

if someone types a word that starts and ends with the rite letters, it will be understood

lkie tihs sentnence hree

Say WHAT?!

So what does strniueags mean?

So what does strniueags mean?

Try another large word and don't say what the answer is to see if I can get it.

*cough*

*cough*

atipcaoilpn
ancssoein
mpitsenerrit
pmoceernfars

No one post answers!

Application, ascension, misinterpret, performances.
...
Update: signatures

teruonedms
sagrothe
etuacicxirng
cnedtoicianl

tremendous
shortage
excruciating
coincidental

Rawlinson, G. E. (1976) The significance of letter position in word recognition. Unpublished PhD Thesis, Psychology Department, University of Nottingham, Nottingham UK.

The sherpas had pitons and plates.

The shapers had points and pleats.

The seraphs had pintos and petals.

The sphaers had pinots and palets.

The sphears had potins and peltas.

Hikaru79 -- for the sake of others, mask your answers

Anyways, matt davis has some interesting things to point out.

Nvaetgie.

1) A vheclie epxledod at a plocie cehckipont near the UN haduqertares in Bagahdd on Mnoday kilinlg the bmober and an Irqai polcie offceir

2) Big ccunoil tax ineesacrs tihs yaer hvae seezueqd the inmcoes of mnay pneosenirs

3) A dootcr has aimttded the magltheuansr of a tageene ceacnr pintaet who deid aetfr a hatospil durg blendur