RE: general topic of spelling

["Wilcox, Rose" <rwilcox -at- ssqi -dot- com>]

<<
The point of all this babbling is that I actually learned a majority of
my 
vocabulary from print, starting some three and a half years before first

grade. Having learned my words visually, I've never had any problem 
spelling, as do those who learned their basic word-hoard via speech.  My

problem went the other way:  there were words I knew, and could write
and 
understand, but couldn't pronounce.

So my personal experience with technical writing as been "Dictionary?  I

don't need no steenking dictionary".  I'd be interested in hearing from 
others who were early readers   Thanks to an accident, I suffer from
nerve 
damage in my left arm so my typing isn't what it was.  When I spot one
of my 
typos, which are more and more frequent as time goes on, I feel
embarrassed 
because I know I'm making mistakes I shouldn't.


Philip Taterczynski

"Stupid people can't spell. Intelligent people make typographical
errors">>

I also learned my vocabulary from print.  When I was a younger technical
writer, I spelled everything perfectly the first time.  I believe when
spell checkers came in my brain realized that it didn't have to store
all that knowledge and freed up the storage space for other items.  

Also I was never a perfect typist, especially under conditions requiring
speed.  I make typos and spelling errors quite a bit more now than I did
when I first started writing.

I also have a daughter whose learning style was quite different from
mine.  She doesn't spell well, but she is not in any way stupid.  She is
quite intelligent, but writing, in general, is more difficult for her
than it is for me.  

I have learned in time that those who have different forms of
intelligence than I are not necessarily stupid.  This helps me as a
writer to have empathy for the many types of people who will be reading
my output.  And it also helps me in the working world in many ways.  

I also have suffered some losses of nerve cells (apparently) but it's
more from age (insert bitter laugh here). 

I am hoping my overall wisdom will make up for the lapses in
sharp-eded-ness that I suffer due to spell-checkers, poor typing, and
age.  (My friends, if reading this, would howl with laughter at this
point!)
______________________
Rose A. Wilcox
Senior Technical Writer
480-586-2645 
480-580-0530 (cell)
Rwilcox -at- ssqi -dot- com
Almost NoRmL Band News: 
http://www.myspace.com/rororosie



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