Proofreading: A Lost Art Form

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Proofreading: A Lost Art Form

Most of you would probably agree that I'm not a "writer." I do, however, write. Taking this into consideration, before I post any blog or submit any article to PIC, I feverishly proofread it over and over again. I don't have a degree in writing like Nate does, nor am I capable of writing stunningly vivid articles depicting eloquently quaint ordeals in every day life, like Nick. But I do know when something I write makes me look like a damn fool.

With the advent of spell and grammar checker in Word, it seems like we fail to actually read what we wrote to make sure it sounds good, or rather doesn't make us look like a horse's ass.

Below is an excerpt from an ad with a job description that somebody obviously didn't check. Or, they did it on purpose, in which case they are totally AWESOME!

We offer competitive wages and an excellent benefits package. Qualified women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Please use reference code CLIT when applying.

I couldn't make this shit up if I tried.

On April 3, 2008 2:20 PM, Nick said...: You sure know how to flatter a gal.

I agree that proofreading is necessary. Unfortunately, I can only read my shit once through before I post it to PIC. Every story I write I start when I get off work at 8 on Tuesday and don't go to sleep until its done.
On April 3, 2008 4:04 PM, Anonymous said...: * horse's ass?
On April 3, 2008 4:28 PM, jb said...: "* horse's ass?"

What about it?
On April 3, 2008 5:44 PM, Anonymous said...: Nice save...
On April 3, 2008 10:51 PM, jb said...: What save?
On April 4, 2008 8:31 AM, Colleen M. Johnson said...: Valid points. I make it a point to notify businesses when they've published spelling and grammatical errors on websites, blogs, or business related materials. It's embarrassing and can detract business. If you cannot hire a proofreader, you should have another pair of eyes read through your material. It really is important.
On April 4, 2008 9:48 AM, jb said...: Did anybody even get why this is funny?
On April 4, 2008 10:33 AM, Jessica said...: *Sigh* I got it. And even though I believe you when you say you aren't making it up... SOMEBODY did. And that's hilarious.
On April 4, 2008 10:53 AM, jb said...: I do believe it's a legit mistake. The company that posted it is a legit company.

AWESOME nonetheless
On April 4, 2008 5:26 PM, Court said...: There's no way that was a mistake. You wouldn't say "qualified women and minorities are encouraged to apply," you'd refer to equal opportunity employment. What the hell would "encouraged" mean? Like unless they said that most people assumed it was a racist/sexist company? Add that to clit and you've got a legitimate ad for a non-legit company.