Spelling is a kind of symbolic capital. It has more value in some
communities than in others; however, if one squanders the capital that
comes through standard spelling, one has to earn the lost respect in
other ways. So, for instance, someone might be brilliant in a job but
a poor speller. The brilliance in other areas makes the poor spelling
excusable. The amount of brilliance required depends in part on how
highly the community values spelling or more generally clear
communication.
For example, I sit on the board of a summer camp, whose director is a
terrible speller. She is, however, an outstanding leader, excellent
trainer of staff, creates a strong camp environment, runs an amazing
program on a shoestring budget, has tried great innovative things and
made them work. So, we forgive her spelling -- but nothing she writes
goes out to the public before it goes through at least one editor.
When she moves on to another job someday, she won't have built up the
capital of her excellence in other areas to excuse her spelling.
Rob Irish
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