# Spell checker on DBStalks form sucks!



## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

I have compared spell checkers on 4 forums and the one on dbstalks is the worst of them all by a wide margin.

In an experiment, I submitted a three paragraph post with spell checker test, same on 4 forums, the DBStalks flagged only 2 words. DSL and Comcast as being mispelled. It alowed words like specail, worthwihle and about 12 others with similar typo errors. 
Former moderator Nick makes a habit of ridiculing people who misspell words but noone at dbstalks admin spends any time trying to fix the problem, at least make a spell checker that is as effective as the one used at sat guys or avsforum. Those aren't perfect but they are far better than the one here.
Please don;t give me excuses. Just make some sort of effort to get a spell checker tool that works as good as your forum counterparts.

And for proof, I spell checked this post and the only error suggested was "dbstalks" which was suggested to be changed to "dbs stalks"!
I rest my case!


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

Don,

I tried the spell check on your post and didn't have a problem (see attachment). It caught all of the misspelled words. 

Is anyone else having this problem? 

In the meantime, might I suggest using the old style spell checker? There is a link at the bottom of the reply screens. I think it's the same one that AVS uses.


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## cdru (Dec 4, 2003)

Words like DBSTalk, acronyms, and industry jargon are always a difficult for a spell checker to catch them. I know I have this problem at DSLReports with the term FIOS. It's just something that you have to live with.

Words that are in the dictionary being misspelt is a problem though. I've caught myself more then once typing teh instead of the and it slips by. Running spell check on this post though didn't catch it. It's strange though because I know I had slip by here in the last couple of days.

BTW, DBStalks is flagged because it is misspelt. Unless you have more then one DBSTalk site, I think you mean DBSTalk's, showing possession or ownership. DBStalk though does get flagged as being misspelt and I would have thought that would have been added to the dictionary already.


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

Fascinating!

Maybe this IS the problem. The spell checker gives random results.

Using a copy/paste to another spell checker The following words in my post were flagged:

mispelled
alowed
specail
worthwihle
noone
don;t

I left out some of the proper names (nouns) that were also flagged such as avsforum, dbstalks, and Comcast. Normally, I would expect a generic spell checker to flag special names and then something like Dbstalks and it's iterations be added by the forum tech staff so they would be allowed.

PS- I'll try both spell checkers in the future. Didn't notice I had a choice before. Sometimes the choice is there and sometimes it's not but I probably missed it under additional options.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

The spell checker does not have a custom dictionary. I tried to get it working a few times but gave up. The old spell checker does have a custom dictionary and is very easy to update. 

If the spell check is a big problem, we will drop it and go back to the old one. The only drawback is that the old spell check does not work under the WYSIWYG interface.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

I cant even get the spell checker to work. All I get is "an error occured, please notify your administrator".

This is with Safari.


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

The DBSTalk spell checker has trouble with Macs. At work my Mac with MSIE will crash whenever I use the spell checker.

See ya
Tony


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## Laverne (Feb 17, 2005)

(Sorry, Chris!  )

Oh, _honestly_! Either you care enough about your spelling to do it yourself or you don't! :shrug: Lots of people here don't. So what. Nick usually only corrects people's misUSE of words, _not_ misspelling. :nono2: (And if you notice, he's been slacking off lately. ) And a spell-checker would never catch those types of errors. If you want to take the time to copy all your posts into Word and check for grammar too, then do that. I personally have very good grammar and spelling, but I only point out others' errors when it will be genuinely funny, even to the original poster. As long as other people can provide intelligent answers and get their point across, then I don't see what the big deal is!

From the _title_ of your thread and the _contents_ of your original post, it sounds like you're just trying to make the site look bad by finding something to complain about so that everyone will notice it. Personally, I don't think that's very nice!


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## Danny R (Jul 5, 2002)

Seems to me the problem isn't the spell checker, its Nick.  Perhaps he and others will finally admit that spelling isn't static, but evolves as the language evolves. Ebonics is the way of the future! 

*lol*


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

u got dat rite! speling chanjes all da tyme. 

See ya
Tony


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## kwajr (Apr 7, 2004)

TNGTony said:


> u got dat rite! speling chanjes all da tyme.
> 
> See ya
> Tony


fishizel


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

Actually, my spelling gets worse depending on which computer I'm using. I type worse on a laptop than this workstation which has a rather expensive commercial keyboard equipped with 30 programmable keys. My worst posts are from a PDA pointer tap style keyboard. Additionally, my typing skills (spelling, a.k. typos) also get worse depending on how rushed or how long I've been working. 

Now, I do find it curious, Laverne you have some sort of complex about others having some desire to make the site look bad. That is a tad amusing. Laverne, I'm sure you are not alone in your thinking but here's the truth. I use several forum sites and use each one's spell checkers. When I find that the one forum I happen to use the most has a deficiency, I will point it out. Two other sites suffered similar deficiencies and I pointed them out and got some action but only after I posted with a rather nasty title. So, I do admit, that the title of the thread is the only thing I'm guilty of in showing off the problem. If that violates some rules then I'm sure Chris would have edited it. My goal was to get response and action because, you see, going to several forums and getting good results with a spell checker there, vs. here where I get mostly inert pass-through annoys me. I'm happy you have talents in perfect grammar and spelling. I'm challenged in spelling and grammar and many times need correcting. Anyway, I have to rely on tools to assist my spelling and technology has given us those tools. All I ask is that Dbstalks achieve a similar degree of spell checker quality as I experience with other sites.


Chris- Thanks for the explanation on the wysiwig. I didn't know that. Also, if I have access to a spell checker that works and also access to one that looks pretty but gives all my bad spelling a pass, then you can guess which one I cast my vote for. I don't write for 36th century evolved readers so my spelling accuracy should be contemporary. Right?

PS- Personal views on MS Word Grammar checker- Whoever wrote that software has some sort of pet peeve on sentence structure in the passive voice but otherwise seems a pretty good utility.


Addendum-

I've been using the "Old Spell checker" and it is or seems to be just fine. The new "spell checker" seems to be a total waste of time. Thanks Chris for steering me in the right direction.


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