Many times, I use MS Word to edit a post/response because of the built in spell check features, but sometimes I use the reply feature directly from the forum. The newest version of the Google toolbar, easily installed on to MS Internet Explorer has a spell check feature that works very well. For those of you, like me, that find typos in your posts, after the fact, check the new Google toolbar.

Many times, I use MS Word to edit a post/response because of the built in spell check features, but sometimes I use the reply feature directly from the forum. The newest version of the Google toolbar, easily installed on to MS Internet Explorer has a spell check feature that works very well. For those of you, like me, that find typos in your posts, after the fact, check the new Google toolbar.Interesting! I've had this all along and never realized it. Also a translator and a few other doodads seem to be included.

Some of us might really benefit from these features! I don't have the time to investigate, but I suppose Firefox and Opera also have a similar feature?

Firefox has a spelling extension that you can add and check with a right click

The latest version of FireFox has a built in spell check which works when you post. I'm using a Mac, but I *assume* this also works on other OS's. In my screen it underlines 'suspect' words with a thin, dotted underline in red.

There is a spell checker for vBulletin out now. It's what is called a 'hack'. That is, it is not built into vBulletin, but someone put together an 'add on' which appears to work OK. In the past this has been a problem because spell checkers can get 'hung up' on a lot of formatting the you may or may not see such as vB Code and such.

I am considering adding the spell check, but I want to play with FireFox a bit. On my Mac there is a 'contextual menu' (right click on screen field) that appears and one of the options is "Spell Check this Field". It appears to underscore 'suspect' words, but isn't interactive as far as I can tell in that it doesn't offer potential spellings (doesn't 'suggest' a 'correct' spelling).

Your comments? Is this still a significant issue for anyone?

Spell checkers are great, but you have to be careful. This bit of doggerel has been floating around for several years, and illustrates the dangers:


Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong. Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

Well, this was a contentious issue a couple of years back. People really do like spell checkers.

Anywho, this is the one that currently looks stable and wsorks with vBulletin. I'm still on the edge, though, because for every 'hack' I install, when there's a vBulleting upgrade I have to manually edit files and templates for 'hacks'. There is CMS so a lot of hacks update thenselves, but most require at least some template editing. So....

Anyway, just thought I'd resurface the issue to see if folks are still wanting a spell checker.

This is the current vBulletin 'hack': vB Spell (http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=124578&page=15) that I would have to install. Not a big problem, and it appears relatively stable. Like I say, just trying to gage the real interest.

I'm a bad speller and I use the spell checker that comes with the Google toolbar for FireFox when I remember.

If the hack can be set (like a user preference) so that it automatically runs the checker before a post is sent, then I'd be sure to use it.

If the hack can be set (like a user preference) so that it automatically runs the checker before a post is sent, then I'd be sure to use it.
Nope - It's a Click This Button to spell check hack.

I don't have a speeling problem.

I am sure that anyone who has ready very many of my posts knows that I do not use a spell checker very often. Of course, spelling is not the root cause of my problems, but the ability to coordinate where and when my fingers hit the keys.:lmao: I keep replacing keyboards because I wear out the backspace.

I thought it was Wes (though I guess not) who told us about a spell checker that we could install, and it would come up an an icon in the Cove. I have used it ever since, and it works well. Maybe a search for "spell checker" will reveal the source, but then again it might also pull up my posts bellyaching about not having a speel checker....

Spell checkers are great, but you have to be careful. This bit of doggerel has been floating around for several years, and illustrates the dangers:

I agree with Jim's main point - it's dangerous to rely on spell checkers.

Like pocket calculators, they are useful if they supplement your skills (catching the occasional mistake). But if people are taught to rely on them 100% instead of paying attention to spelling (or arithmetic in the case of the calculator) it can result in ridiculous errors getting through (see Jim's poem for good examples). The point is - just because you ran it through your spell checker doesn't mean you haven't made mistakes.

We have a situation in the UK now where we have university graduates who can't spell or count. It's truly frightening. I recently encountered someone with a first-class honours degree in mathematics who failed our company's basic arithmetic entrance exam. And I regularly see CVs (resumes) riddled with spelling errors.

It's better to have a spell checker than not - so long as you don't rely solely on it.

JMHO...:yes:

We have a situation in the UK now where we have university graduates who can't spell or count.
I'm glad to hear that we're not alone in that regard in the US.

It's better to have a spell checker than not - so long as you don't rely solely on it.
Exactly. :agree1:

Jim, our local graduates are better. On top of not being able to spell and count, they can't speak properly (English) also. According to some local papers, we have more than 60,000 unemployed graduates out of a population of about 25 million.

Sounds to me like the 3 gentlemen in the pub boasting about their country!