Have to disagree on this one.  A lot of people (me,
for example) use spell-checkers in their e-mail
clients.  However, most of the time the checker is
not smart enough to discriminate between legitimate
similar words (its/it's), & may well miss an actual
error entirely if it thinks it has no reason to
question it.  Just because "it's" appears in place of
"its" is by no means "an intentional action."  In
cases like this, typos should never be assumed to be
benchmarks of smarts.

If a person uses "inferred" when the actual meaning
should be "implied," or uses "the 'hoi polloi'" in place
of the correct "hoi polloi," then, yes, it's a case of
the person not knowing the difference.  But in the case
at hand the typo has no relevant bearing whatsoever
beyond merely being a minor irritant. :)

Bill Nichols
Eglin AFB, FL
[log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From: Terry, Roseanne [mailto:[log in to unmask]]

I beg to differ -- inserting an apostrophe is an intentional action, which
demonstrates that the typist meant to put it there, as opposed to a "typo"
which is putting one's fingers on the wrong key.  Unfortunately, spelling
and grammatical errors do detract from the message, and call into question
the writer's grasp of intellectual issues.  Form and content, content and
form -- any good writer knows this potent combination.  And yes, one does
expect more from a Ph.D., particularly if they are going to set themselves
up as an authority.  I have to agree with the original lamenter -- sigh....