Comments on: Spelling Isn’t a Matter of Opinion http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/ In Education for the Aughts, Matthew K. Tabor discusses issues in K-12 and higher education. He examines: college, law school & medical school admissions; NCLB & testing; teaching; teacher certification; parent & community relations; school law; school boards; & national education trends. Matthew is an admissions consultant and private educator. He writes out of Cooperstown, New York. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:10:25 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: anon cwrd http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-3718 anon cwrd Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:38:14 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-3718 m4tt3w K. t4B0R, The word "drivel" is both insulting and an understatement. Perhaps if we were to use more objective (and accurate) terms such as "ocean of noise", both verbal and written communication would be greatly enhanced. Of course, all I'm doing is simply adding to the Ocean of Noise. How fun to run with the pack... ;-) m4tt3w K. t4B0R,
The word “drivel” is both insulting and an understatement. Perhaps if we were to use more objective (and accurate) terms such as “ocean of noise”, both verbal and written communication would be greatly enhanced. Of course, all I’m doing is simply adding to the Ocean of Noise. How fun to run with the pack… ;-)

]]> By: Online Colleges http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-3543 Online Colleges Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:40:10 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-3543 You know spelling is one thing I have always had issues with. Thank goodness for Spell Check! You know spelling is one thing I have always had issues with. Thank goodness for Spell Check!

]]> By: Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » I’m a hypocrite http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-3488 Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech » I’m a hypocrite Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:19:49 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-3488 [...] Wegner had a rather light-hearted post about spelling and Matthew Tabor picked it up and in an effort to be funny and make a point, posted content I felt went over the top in terms of [...] [...] Wegner had a rather light-hearted post about spelling and Matthew Tabor picked it up and in an effort to be funny and make a point, posted content I felt went over the top in terms of [...]

]]> By: julius http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-2060 julius Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:49:16 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-2060 Praxxe, Oddly enough, the link to your blog didn’t work. Thanks for stopping by. Praxxe,

Oddly enough, the link to your blog didn’t work. Thanks for stopping by.

]]> By: Praxxe http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-2059 Praxxe Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:47:02 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-2059 "Oddly enough, the link to your blog didn’t work. Thanks for stopping by." I don't have a blog. I didn't post a link. I'm a reader only, and occasionally I make comments. “Oddly enough, the link to your blog didn’t work. Thanks for stopping by.”

I don’t have a blog. I didn’t post a link. I’m a reader only, and occasionally I make comments.

]]> By: Julia http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-2053 Julia Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:49:07 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-2053 Paul, "Spelling is constantly changing for all sorts of reasons." Oh is that the excuse de jour for intellectual laziness? Hard to keep up sometimes. Paul,

“Spelling is constantly changing for all sorts of reasons.”

Oh is that the excuse de jour for intellectual laziness? Hard to keep up sometimes.

]]> By: Paul Wilkinson http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-2050 Paul Wilkinson Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:23:20 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-2050 Oh Lordy. I wasn't going to respond to your response but it is starting to be fun. We continue to talk past each other. Text is such a poor medium for communicating humour. It takes some of the joy out of writing when one has to preface every sentence with "I'm joking". Never mind. In the interests of international peace I will give up responding!!! (I'm joking) Oh Lordy. I wasn’t going to respond to your response but it is starting to be fun. We continue to talk past each other. Text is such a poor medium for communicating humour. It takes some of the joy out of writing when one has to preface every sentence with “I’m joking”. Never mind. In the interests of international peace I will give up responding!!! (I’m joking)

]]> By: Matthew K. Tabor http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-2044 Matthew K. Tabor Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:04:23 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-2044 Paul, I wasn't going to bother replying to your comment, but I changed my mind. First, I never used the phrase "worthless drivel," so I hope that you're not trying to quote me [a quick search of this page shows that no one put those two words together]. Just because something is drivel doesn't mean it's worthless - it just means it's silly or not terribly important. Both you and allanahk [who complained on Twitter as she drew up the courage to comment here] would do well to understand that. If you think that most of what's posted on forums, blogs, Twitter and the rest is serious stuff, then you're using a different internet than I am. Drivel is part of what makes social media fun - we occasionally post pictures of our cats or ourselves in dumb hats. There's no reason to pretend it's anything else, though. I don't find the antipodean excuse to be compelling at all. I also can't help but notice that the notion of cultural understanding seems to work only one way in this conversation. "Why even one of your own, President Andrew Jackson stated “It’s a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word."" Andrew Jackson, though a great President, was largely illiterate [now we'd probably call him functionally literate]. It's doubtful that he was able to read many of the bills that he signed into law. Google something like "andrew jackson illiterate" and you'll see plenty of material both scholarly and anecdotal. I tend not to quote the illiterate when I'm trying to make a point about spelling. Paul,

I wasn’t going to bother replying to your comment, but I changed my mind.

First, I never used the phrase “worthless drivel,” so I hope that you’re not trying to quote me [a quick search of this page shows that no one put those two words together]. Just because something is drivel doesn’t mean it’s worthless – it just means it’s silly or not terribly important. Both you and allanahk [who complained on Twitter as she drew up the courage to comment here] would do well to understand that.

If you think that most of what’s posted on forums, blogs, Twitter and the rest is serious stuff, then you’re using a different internet than I am.

Drivel is part of what makes social media fun – we occasionally post pictures of our cats or ourselves in dumb hats. There’s no reason to pretend it’s anything else, though.

I don’t find the antipodean excuse to be compelling at all. I also can’t help but notice that the notion of cultural understanding seems to work only one way in this conversation.

“Why even one of your own, President Andrew Jackson stated “It’s a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word.”"

Andrew Jackson, though a great President, was largely illiterate [now we'd probably call him functionally literate]. It’s doubtful that he was able to read many of the bills that he signed into law. Google something like “andrew jackson illiterate” and you’ll see plenty of material both scholarly and anecdotal.

I tend not to quote the illiterate when I’m trying to make a point about spelling.

]]> By: Matthew K. Tabor http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-2042 Matthew K. Tabor Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:37:55 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-2042 Praxxe, Oddly enough, the link to your blog didn't work. Thanks for stopping by. Praxxe,

Oddly enough, the link to your blog didn’t work. Thanks for stopping by.

]]> By: Matthew K. Tabor http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/comment-page-1/#comment-2041 Matthew K. Tabor Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:36:44 +0000 http://www.matthewktabor.com/2008/03/13/spelling-isnt-a-matter-of-opinion/#comment-2041 Graham, My last name was once different, too. Taber became Tabor when one decided that -or was classier or more graceful given the Mt. Tabor referenced in the Bible. Transliteration can factor in as well. I may at some point expand on the pride/dignity of teachers, but it's unlikely in the near future. Graham,

My last name was once different, too. Taber became Tabor when one decided that -or was classier or more graceful given the Mt. Tabor referenced in the Bible.

Transliteration can factor in as well.

I may at some point expand on the pride/dignity of teachers, but it’s unlikely in the near future.

]]>