There are kids who have the capability to spell well, but just aren't taught. There are kids with learning disabilities who... Well, perhaps in the past, many of these kids grew up not able to read and write at all. Maybe things are better, maybe not. If teachers give up on students before those student have had a chance to do their best, it's a failure of the education system, not the students. That's what I'm personally bitching about - the system, not people who can't, but could have learned to spell, because of it.

Mudcat is about communication, and as far as I'm concerned, if I can understand what someone means, I don't care about the spelling. Generalization based on my previous job of scoring tests: younger kids with learning disabilities will write long, sometimes brilliant things that take a bit of time to understand. When they get older, they stop trying. Perhaps this is because they are made to feel stupid - that the spelling is more important than what they have to say. That the spelling is an indicator of intelligence, and the thought behind it is insignificant. People shouldn't be made to feel like that here. I want to read what you have to say.

Those of us who can spell don't understand how someone else can not learn how to spell. We can't get inside other people's brains. Those of us who sing or play an instrument can't understand how anyone can be "tone deaf." There's a time when we have to admit we don't understand and just accept it.

Confession time: I have been known to type words into my e-mail program, or copy and paste whole messages to use the spellchecker. Too bad it doesn't work for grammar and punctuation. :-)