Comments on: Spellchecking belongs in the browser, not on the website http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website Anecdotes on Technology Leadership, Ruby, Java, Scala, Cloud Computing, Open-Source, SEO, and Design Sat, 28 Aug 2010 06:23:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Peter Blue http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website/comment-page-1#comment-65 Peter Blue Tue, 21 Feb 2006 13:21:34 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website#comment-65 Many browsers on Linux have built-in spell checkers like Konqueror - very useful when you are in a hurry. Perhaps IE7 will have this feature. Many browsers on Linux have built-in spell checkers like Konqueror – very useful when you are in a hurry. Perhaps IE7 will have this feature.

]]> By: Todd Huss http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website/comment-page-1#comment-59 Todd Huss Sun, 19 Feb 2006 22:42:03 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website#comment-59 Dennis, I agree that the argument for remote access is compelling but I think there's a misconception that remote access and web based access are synonymous. For example there are some applications I still prefer to have on the desktop because they feel more like real applications and I can then use them remotely and disconnected such as when I'm on a plane. For me they include my email, RSS reader, word processor, spreadsheet, and IDE. I manage these across multiple computers by using synchronization such as IMAP, BlogBridge, Firefox bookmark synchronizer, and Subversion (to manage my documents and source control). I think this will become less of an issue as we can easily connect over the net in more and more places. I think 5 years from now I may have a different take but we're not there yet! Dennis, I agree that the argument for remote access is compelling but I think there’s a misconception that remote access and web based access are synonymous. For example there are some applications I still prefer to have on the desktop because they feel more like real applications and I can then use them remotely and disconnected such as when I’m on a plane. For me they include my email, RSS reader, word processor, spreadsheet, and IDE. I manage these across multiple computers by using synchronization such as IMAP, BlogBridge, Firefox bookmark synchronizer, and Subversion (to manage my documents and source control). I think this will become less of an issue as we can easily connect over the net in more and more places. I think 5 years from now I may have a different take but we’re not there yet!

]]> By: Dennis D. McDonald http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website/comment-page-1#comment-58 Dennis D. McDonald Sun, 19 Feb 2006 02:41:17 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website#comment-58 Todd, In light of this discussion, I thought this might interest you, a ZDNet column by Washington area colleague Don Hinchcliffe titled "The future is hosted, online e-mail." It's located here: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Hinchcliffe/?p=12 I'm not sure I agree with everthing Dion says, and I still can hear the company executive saying, "You want me to store my company confidential emails where?" But the arguments for remote access from anywhere are pretty strong, especially for mobile professionals. - Dennis Todd,

In light of this discussion, I thought this might interest you, a ZDNet column by Washington area colleague Don Hinchcliffe titled “The future is hosted, online e-mail.” It’s located here:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Hinchcliffe/?p=12

I’m not sure I agree with everthing Dion says, and I still can hear the company executive saying, “You want me to store my company confidential emails where?” But the arguments for remote access from anywhere are pretty strong, especially for mobile professionals.

- Dennis

]]> By: Todd Huss http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website/comment-page-1#comment-57 Todd Huss Sat, 18 Feb 2006 18:11:03 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website#comment-57 Dennis, great question and thanks for the link, very interesting read! The issue I have with the office 2.0 approach is that you're using a large number of separate applications that currently don't share data at all, such as a contact list, spellchecker exclude words, files, etc... In the long long term this can be rectified for sites that offer office 2.0 features by allowing you to select a 3rd party contacts provider, spell checking provider, file provider, etc... that knows about your preferences and credentials to access that service. However, even when that happens, I think it's unlikely that ALL websites where I would want to enter text would know how to use my spellchecking provider, so for that reason I would still argue for a spellchecker in the browser! I think office 2.0 has a long way to go before it's usable for the masses because at the moment you end up having to shuffle a whole lot of data manually between applications. Dennis, great question and thanks for the link, very interesting read! The issue I have with the office 2.0 approach is that you’re using a large number of separate applications that currently don’t share data at all, such as a contact list, spellchecker exclude words, files, etc… In the long long term this can be rectified for sites that offer office 2.0 features by allowing you to select a 3rd party contacts provider, spell checking provider, file provider, etc… that knows about your preferences and credentials to access that service. However, even when that happens, I think it’s unlikely that ALL websites where I would want to enter text would know how to use my spellchecking provider, so for that reason I would still argue for a spellchecker in the browser! I think office 2.0 has a long way to go before it’s usable for the masses because at the moment you end up having to shuffle a whole lot of data manually between applications.

]]> By: Dennis D. McDonald http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website/comment-page-1#comment-56 Dennis D. McDonald Sat, 18 Feb 2006 14:15:06 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website#comment-56 Todd, Would you still have the preference for the physical location of the spellchecker were functional requirements related to PERSONALIZATION, PERFORMANCE, and AVAILABILITY satisfied by a remotely-maintained spellchecker? I ask because I have some interest in what some folks (like Ismael Ghalimi at IT Redux) are saying about "Office 2.0" and remotely hosted applications. One link where I discuss this (which inlcudes links back to Ghalimi's site) is here: http://www.ddmcd.com/office_seriously.html I should say that, despite my above post, I am increasingly impressed with the functionality of remotely hosted applications and their ability to incorporate varying degrees of personalization. Granted, I have been disappointed by the performance of the Yahoo! Mail Beta but I think such performance issues are temporary. - Dennis Todd,

Would you still have the preference for the physical location of the spellchecker were functional requirements related to PERSONALIZATION, PERFORMANCE, and AVAILABILITY satisfied by a remotely-maintained spellchecker?

I ask because I have some interest in what some folks (like Ismael Ghalimi at IT Redux) are saying about “Office 2.0″ and remotely hosted applications.

One link where I discuss this (which inlcudes links back to Ghalimi’s site) is here:

http://www.ddmcd.com/office_seriously.html

I should say that, despite my above post, I am increasingly impressed with the functionality of remotely hosted applications and their ability to incorporate varying degrees of personalization. Granted, I have been disappointed by the performance of the Yahoo! Mail Beta but I think such performance issues are temporary.

- Dennis

]]> By: Bobby Rockers http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website/comment-page-1#comment-52 Bobby Rockers Fri, 17 Feb 2006 23:46:25 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website#comment-52 Konqueror has had integraded spell checking for a while now (KDE 3.1 I think) and I have found living without it almost impossible. Of course, I say this typing on my wife's XP laptop... in firefox. Konqueror has had integraded spell checking for a while now (KDE 3.1 I think) and I have found living without it almost impossible. Of course, I say this typing on my wife’s XP laptop… in firefox.

]]> By: Lorelle http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website/comment-page-1#comment-51 Lorelle Fri, 17 Feb 2006 21:47:30 +0000 http://gabrito.com/post/spell-checking-belongs-in-the-browser-not-on-the-website#comment-51 Excellent point. And it's not just specialized words (like my name). It's also languages. Which version of English will you tolerate for spelling? Browser-integrated spell checkers are definitely a better option. Excellent point. And it’s not just specialized words (like my name). It’s also languages. Which version of English will you tolerate for spelling? Browser-integrated spell checkers are definitely a better option.

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