Words are one of the many ways we use to communicate to each other, in our code and in daily life. As programmers, techies, and as human beings, we definitely depend on words when are unable to communicate directly: through our code and our documentation and reports, as well as instant messaging, sms, email, blogs, web pages, ... and even ... hand-written letters.

And why is a page about words in the technology section?? Because words are a technology — a tool we humans use.

In speaking we use certain conventions, or habits, so that people can understand us. In code we have to be even more careful because computers are much more stupid than people, and need things to be very clear.

In addition, if we format our code nicely and add comments, it makes it much more useful for those humans who must read it after us — even for ourselves a few weeks later!

After the Deadline - English spell, grammar, and style check

Checks spelling, misused words, style, and grammar using artificial intelligence and natural language processing.

Use as a website, FireFox add-on, WordPress plug-in.

• Try it online (without installing anything): http://www.polishmywriting.com/
• Add-on for Firefox: http://firefox.afterthedeadline.com/
  How to use the Firefox add-on, with video: http://firefox.afterthedeadline.com/proofreading-for-firefox-documentation/
• Plug-in for WordPress http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/after-the-deadline/

Here's a nice article about it, with video - by Matt of WordPress: http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/atd-wpcom/

And here's a bonus link for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_commonly_misused_English_words Verrrry useful!!

watch out! British and English words

India uses mostly British English ... but more and more American usage is creeping in. Some words are different for the same thing. And there are differences in meaning of words — and some words mean totally the opposite in UK and US English! With the web we are all much closer together ... it's probably best not to use words that may have confusing meaning — especially if it may have completely opposite meaning.

Here's two sites that tell us about the differences:

• http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/British_and_American_English
• http://dictionary.babylon.com/english/british-vs-american-english/

over-complexitizing-lengthifying words

There seems to be a trend in the past few years to make words longer — and harder to say! Is this a good thing?

• strangle has become strangulate
  "Strangulation" is the noun derived from the verb "strangle". Now it seems a verb "strangulate" has been reverse-derived from that noun!
• candidacy, a perfectly good word with a long history of use, has grown to candidature for mysterious and unknown reasons.
• speeding has grown to over speeding
  "speeding" already means "going too fast". You can't be any faster than "too fast"!
  ... Oh wait ... This is India. Everybody is already "speeding" as their normal driving. Ok, you can use "over-speeding" here :)

• Links to more websites about words

dictionaries and word usage guides

Common Errors in English Usage

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

Elements of Style, by Strunk & White - the classic

http://www.bartleby.com/141/

The Free Dictionary

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Wiktionary

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Main_Page

about lengthening words, and "back-formation"

http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/e29.html

A simple explanation of "back-formation".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back-formation

A more complex discussion of "back-formation", with examples.

http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/b.html

Interesting discussion!

And, for people who are less uptight about language than me: http://neologasm.org/neologasm/backformation/

fun with words!