Why does no one bother to use the spelling tool?
413487
Because they don't know how to spell very well and don't know it. They think it says "Check Spilling" and don't bother because the coffee cup holder that come with their computer broke the first time they used it.
277167
Before there were pocket calculators, we all had to learn to do arithmetic, and many people could do an amazing amount in their heads.  But we stopped memorizing the multiplication tables, and that part of the brain now is used for something else.  \n\nBut while we all carry around pocket calculators, we don't all use spell checkers every day.  So when we do go to write, we have forgotten how to spell a lot of words.  We are dependent on the machine.  Problem is, English is an incredibly complex language, and it developed from a lot of other languages with other ways of doing things.  Just a couple of minutes ago, I wanted the word "hygiene."  I looked in my medical speller, my Instant word guide, my dictionary, even my thesaurus.  I was looking under "hei,"  "hie," etc.  So I gave up and used the spell checker, and found that pesky "hy."  Had I never seen a spell checker in my life, I probably would have remembered it.\n\nMany people "cannot" spell because they don't want to; they are rebelling against standardized spelling.  Those are the ones who use "u" instead of "you," etc.  I had a young friend who told me he was being creative, and actually believed it so much he wanted to get a book published, where everything would be spelled the way it sounded to him.  Won't work, of course; no one would bother to read it.
1161442
spellcheck much? apparently not
911426
The problem is that people simply don't care about grammar and spelling.  If you don't care, you won't be bothered to use a spellchecker.  It's kind of a catch-22, because if you're a poor speller, you tend not to be bothered by (or even notice) poor spelling, and so you don't see the point in making an effort just for the benefit of others.  Most people I know who aren't naturally good at spelling and grammar will put the effort if it's for something "important" like a job inquiry, but apparently Yahoo! Answers doesn't qualify as important.  \n\nJeepDrivr has a point---many people (especially those who post questions in the Languages section) don't speak English as a first language, but those generally aren't the culprits.  It's actually pretty easy to tell when grammar and spelling errors are a result of unfamiliarity with the language and when they're just due to laziness.  \n\nAnyway, I sympathize with your frustration.  I take a stand by refusing to answer poorly written questions...I figure if they can't take the time to ask nicely, I won't take the time to answer. :)
1161087
There are several reasons. In some cases, it is simply due to quick typing and insufficient editing. It's easy to confuse the spelling of homophones such as "their" and "there" when writing rapidly.\n\nAlso, many of those who seem incapable of using correct grammar and spelling are actually young people trying to emulate ghetto culture by spelling "want" as "wont" and "with" as "wit," etc... These are the mistakes that I find particularly annoying for some reason, perhaps because I feel like young people should at least make an effort to come across as sincere and thoughtful when asking someone who is wiser or more learned for information or help.\n\nThe popularity of chatting has also resulted in an overuse of certain abbreviations which has unfortunately become the standard for online communication. This is where some of the laziness in grammar and spelling comes in, as well.\n\nIn addition, there are those posting for whom English is a second or third language. At certain times of the day, there are a number of people on here from India, for example. And while it's easy to be impatient with mistakes that even the least educated American wouldn't make, I try to remind myself that these people speak two or more languages fluently and that I should therefore not only tolerate minor errors but be ashamed of the even worse errors perpetrated by my own fellow Americans.\n\nFinally, however, there are a certain number of the population who just don't seem to have a basic grasp of grammar, spelling, or punctuation and who don't even seem to care. There are unfortunately so many of these people, that I'm afraid Yahoo would have more than a full-time job trying to keep up with their errors. \n\nIn my opinion, therefore, the best thing those of us who do think it's worth investing a little time and thought into how we express our thoughts online is to try to set a good example for the others, both in our questions and our responses. And though I try to resist the temptation to correct other people's errors, I sometimes find it very difficult to do so. This is especially the case when they've obviously not even made half an effort and don't appear to be foreign. When that's the case, and if they exhibit even the slightest bit of arrogance, closed-mindedness, or bigotry, I usually "let 'er rip"!
225946
Many users are internatinal users also who don't speak English as a first language, so it's understandable that they misspell some words. Also, people are very lazy and there isn't a spellcheck feature here on answers; you can't expect everyone to copy and paste all of their answers from word processing programs. A few of the users are younger children as well who are just learning proper spelling and grammar techniques.
918587
I think Spell check could be used more often.\n\nI just get tired of those who spell like they speak "Wut" "Dawg" "Dis" "Dat"  etc
1170719
And you forgot that they don't use the spell check that's available. Sad, isn't it? It's getting to the point when there are less and less intelligent people.
232747
I think the answers to your questions are Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes--although not for everyone in every case.\n\nSpeilling to many people seems to be a waste of time.  A spell checker is only going to be used by those who want to be sure words are spelled correctly.\n\nI'm not sure when it was that spelling became unimportant in school, but it seems clear to me that it is.  My teenager is a horrible speller and his teachers don't seem to be particularly upset about it.  As an "old fart" I clearly remember the penalties for misspelling words in school.  Of course this was before the invention of the automobile, so things were different then...:-)
54433
I think people are basically lazy, and don't want to put forth the effort it requires to do things right the first time. I can't get some of my friends to use a blind copy or type their letter correctly when they send me forwards.
1152859
Great idea..Notwithstanding,that I doubt that anyone will be "willing" to correct the spelling,to seek for the right explanation .Maybe they(not offensive) stick to their slang and others merely suffer from illiteracy..
581533
The site is used by people all over the globe. Many of them are not native English-speakers. But most of the others are kids and teens who really don't care about communicating correctly. They also have probably never been taught to write correctly. And they seem to enjoy using their own net-speak, which gives them a sense of community and identity that separates them from adults. And then there are those who are in a hurry to ask or answer questions. And finally, there are those who are too stupid, ignorant, or lazy to use correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation -- all the things that are required to communicate in writing.
914383
It drives me insane, particularly on here. There is a thing called spell check that people seem to have difficulty finding. When chatting it is a little more acceptable, not much but a little, because there isn't the convenience of spell check. What's worse is when you correct someone or mention they utilize the spell checker in any context the person asking the question becomes highly offended. For anyone offended by my response now I am going to show you how easy it was to make sure everything was spelled accurately because I had left a few mistakes intentionally. Now watch. Wow, took me 10 seconds to fix all of my mistakes.
213438
The spell checker is available only when you answer a question, but judging from the responses, not too many people use it. I doubt that they'd use it for asking a question, either, when it becomes available. I occasionally use the spell checker when I'm unsure of the spelling of a word I've type.
487856
Either they don't know the correct spelling, or they are too lazy to care or check and just spell however they want with no regard to morals.
1110560
I noticed that phenomenon also. And I am amused by it. But also, I noticed that even with my own spelling, sometimes the spell checker doesn't work. \n\nIt is kind of a gripe with me that some spelling is really awful. A spellchecker is right here for everyone to use, but a lot of people don't use it. \n\nOn the other hand, when I use it, sometimes I get a little red alert that says the spell checker isn't working.
169152
Some get too damn lazy to spell correctly and/or to type in complete words. \nSome are just that dumb and don't want to learn.\nSome of these people's primary language is not english... like me, yet, I know how to spell and I know the differences between your, you're, they're, their, its, it's, etc. AND, it's a pet peeve to see how many people missuse (sp?) those.\n\nHey, at least I know I might have misspelled that and I care enough to question myself :oP