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Much of what we type on the Internet does not necessarily
have to be perfect, because function usually governs over
form. However, many of us are submitting resumes or other
important documents online, and poor spelling can indicate
a carelessness we don't want to project. Others of us simply
don't want to be embarrassed (is that one r or two?) by our
spelling errors.
When the ICON Forums went live last September, one of the
first enhancements ICON members requested was a spell checker.
A couple of months ago, I finally did find the time to add
the spell checking module. You'll see the familiar "ABC"
with a checkmark icon the next time you post to the forum.
Just type your post, and then click the spell check icon.
It's a rather rudimentary system, though. In the popup window,
any word not in its dictionary will be highlighted in yellow,
but no suggestion of the proper spelling is made.
 A
far better spell checking option, however, comes in the form
of a free downloadable plug-in for the Internet Explorer browser
called ieSpell. It's a 2.5 mb download from www.iespell.com.
This slick little program spell checks text input boxes on
a web page, including any form text box, the ICON forums,
and e-mail. It's fast, AND you can add your own personal words
to the dictionary.
The program installs as a new button in the IE toolbar (as
well as a new menu item under "Tools"). Once installed:
- To access under the "Tools" menu, click on "ieSpell"
item to start the spelling check or click on the "ieSpell
Options" to configure ieSpell.
- Click on the ieSpell toolbar button (if enabled) to activate
the spelling check.
- Right click in the browser and in the menu that appears,
click on the "ieSpell" item to start the spelling
check or click on the "ieSpell Options" to configure
ieSpell. (This is the only way AOL or MSN users can activate
the spelling check.)
Once activated, the window at right opens, indicating the
possible misspelling and suggestions for correcting it.
Or click Add to add the word to your personal dictionary,
and it will not be flagged as a possible misspell again.
ieSpell works on Internet Explorer 5.0 and above, and on IE-based
browsers, such as AOL and MSN. It works on Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP.
Spelling comes naturally to some folks. I used to be one
of those people, but I now find myself second-guessing myself
more often than I would like. Thanks to ICON member Pat Gavisk
for telling me about ieSpell!
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