Do you base the intelligence of a question or answer on its spelling?

Answer 1

I usually dont..There are many intelligent questions with wrong spelling, maybe because of the fact that the person who is asking is not native...
Once in the italian, i forgot a ''c''and i have been insulted by a famous troll there in front of the others..
There are questions with perfect spelling, written in perfect language, containing insults, provocations, racism, or adult content..
So...we are talking about brain,personality, and never about spelling, which can also be fake, hidden behind a translator, or a dictionary...
Originlity is missing unfortunately

Answer 2

Not necessisarily if there are just a few typos. If it is clear that the person cannot spell well, did poorly with whatever English and grammar lessons they may have had, or are close to being illeterate, then yes. All that diminishes the perceived credibility and intelligence behind the question or answer offered.

But I myself sometimes commit typos which are more about typing on a laptop sometimes in a precarious position in poor lighting on a keyboard that sometimes sticks, rather than my ignorance of how to spell correctly.

I find that those who choose to criticize on the basis of spelling are frequently trying to assume some superior position based on undisputed rules of spelling, and in doing so, hope to transfer some "correctness" to their position that they espouse. But it also comes across as petty if their strongest argument is how to spell something rather than the content behind their observation in criticizing your question or point of view.

There are a lot of young, immature people and smart alecs roaming these Yahoo! Answers pages who believe the objective is to see who can be the most disrespectful and snide in their answers, as if that is cool or what the author of the question was asking for. I have been frequently disappointed by the low calibre of thought behind many of the "answers" written here. And if the only substantive thing a person can think of to criticize about your question is the spelling of one or more words -- then they must not have much to say or offer and you should just consider the source.

Answer 3

Not solely- we all make the odd typos. Plus some people are dyslexic, so their spelling doesn't reflect their intellect. But there are too many people who can't spell and punctuate for them all to have a genuine problem.

But other times it seems that the syntax is down to lazy "web speak" rather than any reading disability. There is a "check spelling" button up there, and I consider it good manners to use it. Yes I am as guilty as anyone of this particular bit of bad manners. And if you are not dyslexic, yes it is rude not to use capitals properly.

I base my judgement mainly on the wording, sometimes questions betray a lack of basic understanding on the part of the questioner, which is not related to spelling. Sometimes the question is just gibberish.

Also I don't judge if people are unintelligible and seeking knowledge with an open mind. Often the questioner has their own understanding of the situation and is asking why their understanding isn't more widely held- I have less patience with such people that those that ask totally open questions, with no hint of what they think the answer should be.

Oh and yes, knowledgeable people who don't confirm widely held myths and prejudices get marked down. I used to get frustrated at this but now I just laugh!

Answer 4

Hello,

(ANS) My response is that what matters most of all is a) the way the question is being asked b) what the question itself is c) and finally the spelling.

**The spelling isn't the be all & end all and you shouldn't make value judgments about intelligence based solely on spelling.

**Many dyslexic people are highly intelligent (some dyslexics are well above average intelligence) yet they struggle or fail with spelling or have word blindness.

**I worked for a senior consultant anesthetist & head of the entire department yet found he was dyslexic. Yet he managed to hold a job which involved life & death decisions every day and held a budget of well over £20 million (pa).

So spelling ability is no measure of intelligence in my opinion.

Ivan

Answer 5

I'm afraid so. If I suspect the questioner does not have English as their first language then I will try to understand it and answer it. I am retired now and go into a school once a week to help four children with their literacy because I believe it is so important. Spelling is a representation of the person and it shows respect for the reader. I know a lot of people struggle with literacy and numeracy and I am not apportioning blame by ignoring some of their questions, it is very tiring to read and understand. I'm afraid the attitude of 'it doesn't matter' and 'I don't care really annoy me'.

Answer 6

Yes always. I get annoyed when people spell things wrong for the sake of saving a second or so. Also bad punctuation and grammar gets on my nerves! So yes, I base peoples intellegence on how they spell to a certain extent. It's also about what they are writing about i.e. context.

Answer 7

Yes ! If they haven't bothered to learn to spell and use a reasonable degree of intelligence when it comes to English grammar, why should I give credence to anything they say - THAT may be lacking in the same amount of knowledge as does their spelling and grammar ! ! !

Answer 8

I'll tell you what suprises me, How some people misunderstand your question and try to read something into it that is'nt there. I don't care about the spelling providing that I can understand the question. I also notice that the clever dicks, you know the ones who correct you, are getting less and less.

Answer 9

i would base the intelligence of the asker on the spelling of the question (typos aside), but the question itself needs to be judged on what it actually asks.

Answer 10

In a way, if they write in text talk then I do asume they're really daft! But if it's just the odd spelling mistake I don't mind - my boyfriend is really dyslexic and he's the smartest person I know.