2011-04-15

Word list for editing Stack Exchange sites

Based on actual observed words on the Stack Exchange sites (mostly Stack Overflow and Super User) I have build a list of words to check for. [to be formatted properly]


ie -> i.e. (ie is not incorrect, but i.e. is better.)
English phrase: "that is"

eg -> e.g. (Wiktionary says "Alternative spelling"/informal for "eg." and "eg")
English phrase: "for example"

unfortunatly -> unfortunately
wether -> whether (wether is an animal...)
weather -> whether (depending on context, it could be about clouds, rain, snow and wind...)
wheter -> whether

dont -> don't
wont -> won't
whats -> what's
thats -> that's
lets -> let's

thru -> through
trough -> through
break thru -> breakthrough

thou -> though
tough -> though (depending on context, of course)
tho -> though
thogh -> though
altough -> although

trought -> thought
tought -> thought
though -> thought (entirely depending on context)

throughing -> thoroughly
-> thorough

troughout -> throughout

alot -> a lot

refering -> referring (example: http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/37466/give-an-incentive-for-finding-duplicate-questions/69366#69366)
prefered -> preferred (see http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Common_misspellings)
preferrably -> preferably
transfered -> transferred
occured -> occurred
occuring -> occurring
any one -> anyone (depending on context)
may be -> maybe (depending on context.)
performant -> high-performing or efficient (depending on context)
See also .
aka -> A.K.A.
commandline -> command-line
usable -> useable (not incorrect, but Wictionary says "alternative spelling".)
work around -> workaround
plugin -> plug-in (not incorrect, but is primary in Wikipedia
article, before: plugin, addin, add-in,
addon, add-on, snap-in, snapin, extension.)
addon -> add-on (Firefox. As used in Wikipedia article)
benifits -> benefits
auth -> authorization

Vowel 'a' substitution (and related): (ref: )
persistance -> persistence
compatability -> compatibility
incopatability -> incompatibility
accessability -> accessibility
extant -> extent
seperate -> separate
seprate -> separate
seperated -> separated
seperation -> separation
seperatlly -> separately
seperatly -> separately

definately -> definitely
definitly -> definitely
definatly -> definitely
definally -> definitely
defintly -> definitely
definative -> definitive

dependant -> dependent (Only OK as a noun, as in "He is a dependant". See )
independant -> independent
recommandation -> recommendation
recomand -> recommend

compatablitiy -> compatibility

cannot -> can't (unless meaning is "can not" - see
explanation at .)
can not = unable to. Contracted to can't
cannot = forbidden/not permitted to

ps -> PS ???
ok -> OK (As Wiktionary says: ok - alternative capitalization of OK.)
etc -> etc.
backend -> back-end
datatype -> data type
alloted -> allotted
everytime -> every time Not incorrect, but Wiktionary says "Alternative spelling".
straight forward -> straightforward.
preceeding -> preceding (see .)
But it is "exceeded"...
Master is .)
non-standard -> nonstandard (not incorrect, but http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nonstandard
says "alternative spelling")
happyness -> happiness
noone -> no one ("no one" is correct, see http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/no_one)
no-one -> no one
runtime -> run time (Wiktionary list the other forms as "alternative spelling". Is a
noun even though it is two words)
run-time -> run time
writeup -> write-up (Wiktionary says "Alternative spelling")
college -> colleague (depending on context, of course)
de-facto -> de facto
defacto -> de facto (Wiktionary says "Alternative spelling")
built in -> built-in (At least there is a Wiktionary entry for "built-in".)
advice -> advise (depending on context) advice is a noun (We may give advice).
To advise, Verb

yrs -> -year-old , as in "A seventy-year-old man's body was found in a river last night."
See

accomodate -> accommodate
ad (or ads) -> advertisements
cert -> certificate
alright -> all right
awhile -> a while (Not strictly incorrect, see .)
faverite -> favorite

async -> asynchronous
asynchronously

Short words, part of The Economist Style Guide:
approximately -> about
following -> after
permit -> let
however -> but
utilise -> use
manufacture -> make
facility -> plant
participate -> take part
establish -> set up
sufficient -> enough
demonstrate -> show
Substantive -> real or big.

Acronyms:
gcc -> GCC
.Net -> .NET
.net -> .NET
Matlab -> MATLAB
wifi -> Wi-Fi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi)

Casing:
web services -> Web services
internet -> Internet

Slang
kinda -> kind of (or simply delete)
wanna -> want to
U -> you
sorta -> sort of, quite
gotta -> (have) got to
oughta -> ought to
donno -> do not know (misspelling)
dunno -> do not know
gonna -> going to
gunna -> going to

Expansions:
app -> application
SVN -> Subversion

2011-04-05

Wikipedia news

Buried deep down in Wikipedia is The Signpost, about:

  • Wikipedia itself in the (mainstream) media
  • Technology report. Operations (for example, Wikipedia servers), Wikipedia software development (for example, Google Summer of Code)
RSS feed for The Signpost.

Or as the About page states: "The Signpost is a community-written and community-edited newspaper, covering stories, events and reports related to Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation sister projects."