Spell Checker for MessageBoards

I'm sure I won't be totally out of a job...

Excellent idea. Some people have a desperate need!

IE Spell is a common one:- http://www.iespell.com/

/me being one of them.

IE Spell is the one I use and I like it.

Most of us use Jafo

Its a nice idea, but how do you wan't it to work. Das a worth that you type wrong get some kind of red glow around it, or das the thing atomaticly change the worth?

/me likes this idea

ie spell is the one i use, so long as i remember to press its button before hitting submit.

sometimes i dont remember

Ah spel cheker wood bee grate!

Just doing research right now. I guess what I'm looking for would be some sort of javascript plugin that would could put into the page that will spell check your document when you press submit.

Interesting idea, but I don't understand how it could possibly work. In order to spell check, the site would need to double check every word against a dictionary file. If the spell checker is in javascript, then the dictionnary file would need to be downloaded first, and those things can be big.
Thinking... NOt sure if it can be done with a cookie? Maybe the dictionary file can be downloaded only once, and then subsequently using it (maybe checking a version number in case it has been improved).
Dunno, just thinking aloud.

Check this out, Pat: http://www.thesolutioncafe.com/jspell.html
But there is a part that needs to be installed on the server. I tried the demo, it's works and it's way cool though.

WordWeb Pro as well,,,

I suppose you couldn't just link to MS Word's spellchecker like Outlook Express does

Spellchecker? How 'bout sending people back to school so they can learn to write all over again? 'Sides, spellchecking will never cure us of bad (or absent) punctuation or malformed sentences.

If you do add a spellchecker, be sure to add a message to those posts, like "this message is Jafo approved", so I can have a chuckle.

You know, I have often wondered if spell-check on a message board couldn't link to Outlook Express (I used to keep a copy of that minimized on my taskbar and copy and paste messages from there before I found IE Spell). Now I think that it must pose a security vulnerability else MS would have used it on their message boards. I really use that IE spell a lot, here and other places. Perhaps you could place a link to it in a prominent position here on the message board? (especially if this leaves more room for pretty colors????? ?????)

I use IE Spell.I also use WordWeb and IM Translation http://www.paralink.com/!!
http://wordweb.info/

They are all very practical.

Yeah I've been using IE Spell

I use IE Spell too..thanks elvee for turning me on to it.

My wish list for the messages above a spell checker would include to be able to preview the message before sending.

Pssst...I have a dictionary...call me old-fashioned, but it works...

So often, a word can be so screwed up that I doubt my own correction and have to check it....

To be honest what I would want more than a spell checker is the ability to go back and delete or edit one's own posts. I think in light of recent occurances, people would really like to be able to delete or edit their posts. I think people would be more apt to delete goofy statements than defend them if they had the opportunity.

As for a spell checker, I use IESpell. It is browser plugin that offers a right click option on any text box. I think Jafo does a good server-side job, though.

One problem I can see happening with that, is that someone will post a message that refers back to a messsage, but than the message that was refered to will be deleted, and the second message will make no sense.

Post removal can cause as much grief as 'unfortunate' posts, if not more.
Rewriting 'history' is fraught with danger. As it is, when done by the admins, it's done with much angst and trepidation, determining the lesser of two evils.

Mostly I think we get it right.

If someone posts something they particularly wish was removed just contact an admin and it can be removed or 'corrected' if need be, though the latter currently requires deletion and reposting so it'd be out of synch...

Some site's edit functions have a time limit to stop 'revisionists'.

I agree that there would be problems, but there ought to be some way for hasty folks to back out of a flamefest with their ego spared. Well, in that light, why not allow the creator of a string to delete it? The problem is people wander in 12 hours after it has cooled off, and start it all over again. Locking threads is worse than everything combined...

Ah, well, it was a thought.

The problem is that if the person who started the string can delete it then he/she also deletes the efforts of everyone who contributed to it. That's a lot of power to give to some people.

In the MSN community post deletion (not revision) is possible with the caveat (I hope that is the right word) that a notation marks the deletion point in red print... 'this message has been deleted by the author' or '...by the assistant manager'. It took some time getting used to, and there is some game playing that goes with it. In the end, people have to weigh the benefit of having either a 'red scar' or a bungled post... Flames happen regardless. Knowing there is a deletion allows for conspiracy theories.

I was just really coming back to say that as I have used IE Spell I have noticed that I am getting better and better with my spelling. Kind of strange...

Oh, on deleting a post in the MSN communities, the general audience can not see who made the post. Moderators and managers can... If the person who made the initial post later deletes it, the ensuing posts remain... with only the red scar remaining as the primary post.

Is this really an issue? I can't say I get hung up on spelling. Even if things are spelt wrong it's usually just due to fast typing rather than mistakes?

I also don't see how this is going to work. How will it deal with all the custom names of software, files and people?

Also, remember that this is an international board. Please don't enforce US phonetic spellings of everything! Incidentally, why isn't 'phonetic' spelt 'fonetic'?