Editing 2885: Spelling

{{comic
| number    = 2885
| date      = January 24, 2024
| title     = Spelling
| image     = spelling_2x.png
| imagesize = 281x333px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = Any time I misspell a word it's just because I have too much integrity to copy answers from the dictionary.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a PLAGIARISED WIKIHOW ARTICLE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Some words are difficult to remember how to spell, but Google and other search engines have autocorrect for misspelled words in search terms, which will often (although not always) return results with the correct spelling. When confronted with a word they don't know how to spell, some people enter their best guess of the spelling into Google, then copy the corrected version and paste it into their document.

Cueball isn't sure whether copying ''individual words'' without attribution is considered {{dict|plagiarism}} (appropriating the work of others without permission or credit), and he can't avoid thinking about this moral dilemma when copying the word 'plagiarism' itself.

The title text takes the idea one step further, with Cueball saying he only ever misspells words because he would rather not "copy from the dictionary," as he considers that plagiarism. Of course, the ''entire point'' of the dictionary is to serve as a reference precisely for people to look up the spelling and definition of words, and the words defined in the dictionary cannot be individually copyrighted on their own.{{cn}}

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting on an office chair at a desk and looking at a laptop while having his hands on it. Megan is standing behind him and looking at the laptop as well.]
:Megan: When I can't spell a word I usually just Google and copy and paste it from the results.
:Cueball: Yeah, but I can't do that '''''here!!'''''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Why spelling "plagiarism" is especially hard

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
+{{incomplete|Created by a PLAGIARISED WIKIHOW ARTICLE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
-Search engines like Google offer the correct spelling of most misspelled words. Some people get help with hard-to-spell words like "plagiarism" by entering their best guess into Google, then copy-pasting the correct version.
+Some words are difficult to remember how to spell, but Google and other search engines have autocorrect for misspelled words in search terms, which will often (although not always) return results with the correct spelling. When confronted with a word they don't know how to spell, some people enter their best guess of the spelling into Google, then copy the corrected version and paste it into their document.
-Cueball has an unusually strict interpretation of {{dict|plagiarism}} in which copying the ''individual word'' "plagiarism" without attribution would be plagiarizing, and this misplaced integrity makes him morally opposed to doing so.
+Cueball isn't sure whether copying ''individual words'' without attribution is considered {{dict|plagiarism}} (appropriating the work of others without permission or credit), and he can't avoid thinking about this moral dilemma when copying the word 'plagiarism' itself.
-He also does not consider the option to cite his Google search of the often misspelled word as a source when including the correct spelling "plagiarism" in his document:
+The title text takes the idea one step further, with Cueball saying he only ever misspells words because he would rather not "copy from the dictionary," as he considers that plagiarism. Of course, the ''entire point'' of the dictionary is to serve as a reference precisely for people to look up the spelling and definition of words, and the words defined in the dictionary cannot be individually copyrighted on their own.{{cn}}
- "plagerism - Google Search." Google, https://www.google.com/search?q=plagerism. Accessed 24 January 2024.
-The title text implies that Cueball's absurdist view of plagiarism applies much more widely when he says he only ever misspells words because he has too much integrity to copy the spelling from the dictionary, an act he also considers to be plagiarism. Simply using the dictionary to [https://guides.library.ubc.ca/legalcitation/sec#:~:text=Dictionaries%20are%20not%20normally%20cited,.%22%20See%20the%20following%20examples. spell a word correctly or lookup its definition] is not plagiarism and does not require a citation. Any style guide or professional editor would advise Cueball that correct spelling is much preferred to incorrect spelling or superfluous citations.
-Note that while spelling assistance should not be cited, citing a dictionary can be appropriate when using the ''entry'' associated with a word, for example:
-* Providing a definition: If you're using a definition from a dictionary to make a point in your writing. This is because the definition is serving as a source of evidence or support for your argument.
-* Etymology or historical usage: If you are discussing the etymology or historical evolution of a word.
-"Plagiarise" rather than "plagiarize" is the common spelling in many parts of the English-speaking world. Search engines may localize(/localise) the appropriate spelling(s) based on the user's (presumed) location.
-A common misspelling of "plagiarism" is "[https://capitalizemytitle.com/plagiarize-vs-plagerize-how-do-you-spell-it/ plagerism]", perhaps because of the way the word sounds when pronounced.
 ==Transcript==
-:[Cueball is sitting on an office chair at a desk and looking at a laptop while resting his hands on it. Megan is standing behind him and looking at the laptop as well.]
+:[Cueball is sitting on an office chair at a desk and looking at a laptop while having his hands on it. Megan is standing behind him and looking at the laptop as well.]
 :Megan: When I can't spell a word I usually just Google and copy and paste it from the results.
 :Cueball: Yeah, but I can't do that '''''here!!'''''
@@ Line 35: / Line 25: @@
 :[Caption below the panel:]
 :Why spelling "plagiarism" is especially hard
-==Trivia==
-Randall had previously commented on some ''other'' problems with using Google's suggestion feature as a spellchecker in [https://blog.xkcd.com/2010/05/03/color-survey-results/ the Color Survey Results post] on the xkcd [[Blag]].
 {{comic discussion}}