Don't Worry - Be Sloppy! Is proofreading important?
No, this isn't the name of a song title. It's a borrowed line from a post I saw that was part of a reply to someone asking about a grammar-checking facility in CMS. This made me wonder: Is this how most business people today think about the quality of their written communications? Doesn't anyone care anymore that words are spelled correctly or that proper grammar is used? Is it important to proofread communications before they're published?
In my opinion, whether communications are printed on paper, in emails, or on the Web, it makes sense to be clear about what is being communicated. And I've found it's particularly important that the written word needs to be clearer than the spoken word. After all, you can easily lose tonality in a written communication. (I can't tell you how many times a family member and I have gotten upset about something written in an email that, had the same thought been spoken, no one would have been upset.)
Of course, because we're an online proofreading and copyediting company, we're driven to make sure that our customers send out only clear, concise, properly spelled, and grammatically correct documents. We have a vested interest in this because it's our business to provide superior proofreading and copyediting services for business, medical, legal, and technical documents.
Now, I'm not one of our professional proofreaders or copyeditors. But I know enough to distinguish between a well-written resume, without typos, and a poorly written one. And I have to say that the quality of the written word goes a long way toward my first impression of a candidate.
I'm well aware that texting has created a new shorthand for communicating quickly. That's fine; this shorthand is great for texting. But texting shorthand and need for speed seems to have created a whole new attitude that says "Don't worry. Be sloppy." This mind-set says correct spelling and proper grammar use aren't important anymore.
I know how I feel about this. What do you think?