Being an Analytical Sort Has its Drawbacks
The anal-retentive, analytical, internal editor part of my personality can be a real pain in the…well, you know. It just can’t seem to leave well enough alone at times. Right now, it is fussing and fuming over the unacceptable notion that a self-proclaimed author is not interested in having her work proof read before disseminating it to her constituents, of which I am one…at least for now. Granted, the response I received was from one of her minions and I have no way of knowing whether she even saw my offer herself. The fact remains that she is not troubled by the fact that her readers receive a product from her which is sub par. Her readers see that taking time to ensure that her copy is error free is not a priority for her.
My analytical side finds it unfathomable that someone would knowingly continue to send out error ridden work and not feel any concern that it would affect the credibility of her content. It leads me to wonder Am I the only one who would question her credibility on the basis of her carelessness with typing and grammar?
Is the Internet Promoting Illiteracy?
Assuming I’m in the minority and most people could care less if the people imparting information to them at least attempts to write in good, clear English, I fear for the future of the language. Will we all be speaking in text message shorthand in another few years? Will only writers and English teachers even care if the language continues to be appreciated and valued? Or am I simply making a big deal out of nothing?
I did reach one conclusion about this. Just as every blogger, newsletter writer and offeror of information has the write to determine the form, content and quality of their work, so, too, do I and all of the other readers and subscribers have the choice of whether or not to continue to receive information. If I decide that her lack of concern for quality negates the value of her words, I have simply to cancel my subscription and we part ways. amicably on my part and, most likely, unknowingly on hers.
For now, I’ll ask my internal editor to take a back seat until needed either for my own work or for paying clients who realize that they are human and probably busy, so mistakes can happen and a good proof reader/editor is a valuable part of their professional arsenal.
I know this post sounds like a bit of a rant but it’s been festering and I decided that it was better to just get it off my chest so we can all move on to more interesting, positively charged topics. Thank you for bearing with me on this.
My gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful that I care enough to be bothered by things, but have learned enough to deal with those things, then let them go.
2. I am grateful for a day spent meditating, wool gathering and kitty cuddling.
3. I am grateful for all of life’s little pleasures, so often overlooked.
4. I am grateful for clarity and assistance from the Universe in finding the path I really need to follow right now. I am also grateful for flexibility when things change and the path must be re-routed.
5. I am grateful for abundance: A-ha moments, clarity, inspiration, love, joy, happiness, health, harmony, peace, prosperity and philanthropy.
Blessed Be
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The dilemma between the demise and development of language is a long one. From a very stark perspective we need only recall that we no longer speak, read, and write Old English. How that changed over time is the issue. I think of radio waves and radio communication as a good analogy for language communication. Static on the radio wave makes communication difficult. Using unfamiliar (be they incorrect or simply different) words/language inject static into our language communications. In radio there are reasons for change: benign reasons like drift and changing environment (e.g., greater solar activity) – valuable reasons such as extending the reach/distance and message capacity, extending the capacity – even reasons that create new experiences (e.g. white noise, electronic counter-measures). There are crucial reasons for static – blobs of strong static spaced with periods of lesser static becomes Morse code – which can punch meaning through an almost impenetrable wall.
As with most other human endeavors, in my opinion, intention is a necessary contributor. Does the lack of grammar or incorrect spelling serve a purpose? I wish I knew where this came from: “My favorite mo // no doubt Octo // no grass to mo // no snow to blo”. That should set off every alert and alarm in one’s spell and grammar checking software yet it serves a purpose and skillfully delivers a message. How long has “blog” been a word yet is is now well established and has a sufficiently clear meaning to not require explanation. I believe that “thru” is being accepted more often as a legitimate alternative spelling of “through” – so at what point will it no longer be (ahem) objectionable?
All of the above do not endorse sloth or carelessness. I would argue that a deviation from the norm – in spelling, grammar, behavior, societal conventions, etc. – should not be done without intent – or at least awareness. That includes a (moderate?) responsibility to check that the spell checker hasn’t missed checking words that are properly spelled but not properly used. In the end, I suspect the most powerful aspect of communication change is simple drift – and drift comes with errors as well as intent. We will, however, hope for meaningful, productive drift in preference to simpli unnowing rongness.
Wes
Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought yourself, Wes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.