Page 2 of 2 <

This Spells Trubble

(Eric Shansby)

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

Hilla: I agree with you.

Me:

Hilla: Yes. It's a pity. Children aren't learning to multiply because we have calculators to do that for them. Spell check is more or less the same phenomenon. It's not a good thing, but spell-checkers have become a necessity just like calculators have. So if there are going to be spell-checkers, we thought we should make one that is the best there can be, which is what we have done. WhiteSmoke is the most sophisticated, contextual spell check available.

Me:

Hilla: And with the obesity example, I agree with you, too. But I don't think we are contributing to the problem. What we are doing is the equivalent of realizing that if people are fat, we can make stylish clothes to fit them, to make their lives a little better.

Me: Lady, you are very, very good.

Hilla: Thank you.

Me: You looked up my columns online. You know what I do, and you were ready for me.

Hilla: Yes.

Me: You Israelis!

Hilla: Indeed. Maybe we can meet some day.

Me: I'd be honored. Meanwhile, I have secretly hidden a misspelled word in this column. This will force people to read the column twice, without the benefit of spell check.

Hilla: Very good.

Me: Thank you.

Gene Weingarten can be reached at weingarten@washpost.com.

Chat with him online Tuesdays at noon.

< 2