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> ... I *do* have a complaint, which I am sure will generate all
> sorts of flame mail, but **I DON'T CARE**!
> ... I have felt intimidated by this forum, because
> I sometimes make typos that I don't catch, and I don't like being
> lambasted.
Don't let it get to you. You must have a thick skin to write the first
sentence. On the other hand, the second shows you're not made of stone.
But "lambasted?" Hmmm...
Let's see what happens in other e-mail lists when someone broadcasts an
error in his/her message.
o If a programmer types an error in his/her code when sending it to a
programmers' e-mail list, the other participants speak up about it
pretty fast. But it the programmer writes poor English, the grammar
can be forgiven. No one is interested enough to pick nits.
o If, in a sys admin list, someone writes the wrong OS release number,
or mistypes OS/2 instead of PS/2, there's no shortage of volunteers
to set the record straight for the rest of the list. Again, though,
errors in writing English are let slide.
Now, what can we predict will happen when we e-mail a writers' list?
<insert theme music from Jaws, the Movie, here>
If we all like the linguistic aspects of our jobs (or careers), it's
a cinch that some people are going to react when a faux pas occurs
in the Kingdom of Spelling and Grammar. We can all learn not to
leap with knee-jerk swiftness when we perceive insults to the language;
yet hasn't each of us breathed a silent "Yes!!" at one time or another
when someone else did the public editing job?
For those with user-hostile e-mail tools, here are some pre-mail
suggestions that might help:
o If your mail tool doesn't let you edit a message after typing it,
try typing the message in a straight ASCII text file instead, where you
can edit at will. Or use your favourite word processor and then save
to ASCII. Then all you do in the mail tool is set the addressee and
subject, and import the message text from the saved file.
o As for spelling checkers, I say use 'em but don't trust 'em. IMHO,
your eyes and brain should be the best spelling checkers - certainly
in something as short as an e-memo.
Cheers, eh?
Ken d'Albenas
(-::
STC Alberta Chapter
kendal -at- autotrol -dot- cuc -dot- ab -dot- ca
