Sunday, September 7, 2014

Keep Your Spell Checker To Yourself

People some times misspell words or use the wrong punctuation mark. We do not always use proper grammar. This is especially true of instant message, texting and emails. Maybe we are in a hurry and missed that typo. Maybe we do not know the right way to spell that word.

Now you get that email and you go to respond but you decide to use spell checker first. Spell checker is not concerned about good manners. Spell checker has one job; to destroy that misspelled word. Because it has no boundaries, it may very well tell you there is a misspelled word in that original email.

I have had several people ask what they should do. Do they correct that misspelled word in the original email or tell spell checker to skip it?

The answer is absolutely unequivocally no, you do not correct the spelling in the original message. You may check your own contributions to make sure they are correct but you never correct anyone else (other than your own young children) on anything other than your own name or the name of your immediate family.

To correct the spelling of an adult is to treat them like a child. It is not your place and it will not be appreciated.  This does not mean that you should misspell the word when you respond. It just means you do not draw attention to any errors.

Worry about your own spelling and grammar but do not project it to someone else. We all make mistakes and if we all start pointing them out, all it will do is cause a lot of hard feelings.  At its base, etiquette is all about helping people get along.

No comments:

Post a Comment