Who wrote this mess, anyway?
Most people, I suspect, can’t write worth a flip, and inevitably, some do who shouldn’t:
Have you ever received a document at work and looked at it and are like, WTF? Did Paris Hilton and LiLo write this together or something?
Are there little hearts over each lowercase i? (Is there a font that meets this description, and if so, can we get an injunction against it?)
So, you take it to your boss, not your supervisor that you’re chummy with, but you know, the VP of your department, and relay your concern about the clarity if not veracity of said document. And then your kind boss looks at you with her wise eyes and drops the bomb that she was in fact the author.
It should surprise no one that the ability to write coherent sentences is considered to be a drawback, if not an actual offense meriting dismissal, in more workplaces than you’d think. (Which is why I’ve usually worked tech jobs, where I don’t have to turn out anything resembling scintillating prose. Not that I turn out anything resembling scintillating prose here.)
fillyjonk »
14 January 2009 · 7:19 am
“Sweet Lincoln’s mullet”?!?!?!
I am going to be going “the heck?” about that all day long.
Brian J. »
14 January 2009 · 7:36 am
Writing well and proofreading, for Heaven’s sake, takes time and time is money right off the bottom line.
Better incomprehensibility and mistakes made from it than depriving shareholders of their .000000000000001 cents a share in earnings.
blythe »
14 January 2009 · 8:56 pm
yes, yes. i realize what i wrote was also poorly written. it’s already been pointed out to me.
CGHill »
14 January 2009 · 9:03 pm
I can’t speak for anyone else here, but I kinda liked “Sweet Lincoln’s mullet.”