When People Correct Typos

hm.

Here's the thing: typographical spelling errors generally take the form of another "real" word. Coming up with a word that doesnt exist is not a typo in my book - it means you truly dont know how to spell the word, although you may know (1) what it means, and (2) how to use it in a sentence. In my book, a person who "creates" words is not unlearned - just not well read enough to recognize the correct spelling of the word. They are the other version of the person who uses the wrong word (exact same pronunciation/different word/different meaning) for the right sentence.

Example I've seen often: That really peaked my interest.
Correct version: That really piqued my interest.

Example I've seen often made by non-lawyers where english is not their first language: We'll have to have those documents reviewed by in-house council.
Correct version: We'll have to have those documents reviewed by in-house counsel.

I've seen it often, and in strange places. Like books, for instance. And I truly think the level of competence in large scale publishing/editing has declined tremendously. NOTHING should be allowed to be sold OTC with typographical errors. This is why they PAY people --- to EDIT.

I also see a whole lot of typos (and I, too, make them). But I've seen enough to be able to tell when
1. the writer is a person who typed hurriedly / just doesnt care
2. the writer is a person who isnt well-read enough to know how to spell the word they want to use
3. the writer is a person with a reading/writing disorder (e.g. dyslexia)
4. the writer is a person where english is not their first language
5. the writer did not make a typographical error, but instead was using their own version of shorthand

But. You know. Calm down, everybody. Typographical errors are not an benchmark of intelligence. There was a standing joke in law school that the more expertise one obtains, the worse their spelling and penmanship/longhand got. After I worked with a few doctors, I found that they, too, have a joke about suffering horrid spelling. Its one of those things where unless you're at work, or submitting official papers, you know you know, so you cant be bothered to care enough about regular writing to try very hard. Its a well known laziness that exists among people who feel they've already proven themselves.

Speaking of shorthand: I worked with a guy who decided never to capitalize his sentences. The uber-nerd in me found it kind of cool. I sometimes adopt this sytle when I email/post.

Personally, I never use apostrophes (can't=cant) unless its official. Ever. Not even on work email.

Speaking of disorders: One of my brothers is incredibly dyslexic. For years he would frustrate our parents and his teachers because he was clearly highly intelligent and always at the top of his class in deeds and presentation, but was not a reader or a writer (the only one in a family of people that could read several 3-400 page novels in one setting). As an adult, he literally had the penmanship of a small child - cursive was not even on the table - in fact, he would phonetically spell words. Big words. Complicated and complex words. Words he used in conversation every day....but just couldnt spell. Reading his notes was like deciphering a strange language.

He was finally tested right before college, and the disorder was discovered. After that, it was all rosy - he took oral exams, got hooked on audiobooks, and became the reader (albeit audio-lly) that all his friends were. He was like a kid in a candy store - he was suprised to find that he actually enjoyed reading (audio-lly). Somewhere in there we convinced him to try actual reading and to work on his penmanship. One of my proudest days was when I came home to find after he left from a visit that he had "borrowed" one of my thick Robin Hobbs books. I highly valued that complete set of books, and I never let anyone, not even family, take my books out of my house. I let him borrow them all - and I didnt even get them all back.

Right now, he's still dealing with a liability, because audiobooks do not give you the grasp of english writing. You get the language, you know what it means, you have the intelligence - but now, you have a communication problem. Because unless you communicate verbally, you're automatically at a handicap with your peers. It is a huge liability in the workplace (unless you're working construction, or other non-desk jobs).

So. He uses spellcheck like its nobody's business. AND it sets him back at work, because it takes him longer than it takes everyone else to get some things done. The problem is, spellcheck doesnt correct words that ARE NOT WRONG. Also, if you dont know how to spell the word you're looking for, you're liable to choose or accept the wrong spelling of the word when spellcheck offers you the choice.

So for instance, you could be a person who has trouble with spelling and send me an email like this:

original example:
Hey Mar
Ar yu cuming ovr tonit? mom sez ther cuming

spellcheck translates to this:

spellchecked example:
Hey Mar
Are you coming over tonight? Mom size their coming.

what was meant was this:

correct example:
Hey Mar
Are you coming over tonight? Mom says they're coming.

So. Spellcheck is no substitute for knowledge. You gotta read more. And you cant be lazy (unless you just dont care, which is ok too).

Me? When I get excited, I forget to add whole chunks of sentences, so you'll be reading a paragraph, and be totally confused. Or, I'll forget to add the negatives to words (e.g. cant = cannot, but I'll write "can" and forget to add the "n't"), and change the entire meaning of my sentence to its opposite. (this is really bad!) I also have a bad habit of leaving out the little words (the, of, this, that).

So yeah. Typos happen to us all. To some more than others. But with proofreading, they should never happen to people who actually write for a living, or submit articles to be published (that is really bad). Finally, yes - it is a little snobbish to call people on their typos, and normally I dont - but I've found that writers are elitists, plus its hard not highlight the error when its someone who is known to be smug and know-it-all.

When people correct my typos, typically they are ecstatic. I had one girl tell me - Wow. You're NOT Superwoman! It wasnt hard to bear, because she wasnt really mad, in fact she was a friend - one of the girls I mentored at work. The other time, as a manager of all the law clerks in a courthouse, I had written a detailed and well-crafted complaint about one of the front-desk girls that was giving us problems. I didnt want to, and the political firestorm it was going to create was against my better judgment, but the clerks were stark-raving mad, and I was worried about a mutiny against me as a manager or some other kind of ambition among the group - and since I was "the cheese" I had to, if only to prove to them that I was indeed a capable manager who would go to bat for them. So I wrote this complaint, and shared it with my judge (the presiding judge), and all the other judges/clerks. My judge gave it to the manager of of the court staff - a really scary old lady. She interviewed the front-desk girl, and she called me into her office and interviewed me. She was ANGRY. I could tell she hated me, and wanted to rip into me. But she couldnt, because I was right, and the letter of complaint I wrote was rock-solid.

You know what one observation she made to me? Out of 2 pages, she found one typographical error. I rebutted that the grammar wasnt the point, and did she understand the fundamental problem? (Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth??) I checked later, and indeed, there was no error - she just did not understand certain grammatics. Needless to say, every lawyer who got that memo congratulated me separately, and every one of them said it was rock-solid, with nary a loop-hole. Even though I didnt win that battle from an external perspective (she told me I was wrong and let the lady off with a slap on the wrist), it was a personal triumph of magnificent proportions.

So now, if someone who is not working with me on the project (in other words, they also have a stake in the writing being the best) corrects my typo, I understand it is typically because they feel the need to take me down a peg. Take it as a sign that they think you think to highly of yourself, or they are insecure in your presence because they may think of you as flawless.

Insecure people who are afraid that you are flawless are scary, because they spend the rest of their time looking for a flaw to point out. The best tack is to choose your own time/place to admit flaws/weakness in order to assuage them by proving them right. This way, they feel vindicated, and dont feel the need to "gun" for you.

Of course, the flaws you admit to your enemy are different (strategic) than the flaws you admit to your friend (real)! If your friends think you are Superwoman/Man, and dont know the real you - you will have very few real friends. Managing friends in the workplace is much harder because you do have to be perceived as capable and "above it" in some way, yet still real, tangible, approachable, down-to-earth and emotive - and I'm still iffy on that subject. I typically get the first part right - not so sure about the second.

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