While I tend to agree with Charles Duncombe as he rails against the poor level of spelling we now see as a consequence of our dumbed down education system, I think I see a flaw in his reasoning.
Charles Duncombe says an analysis of website figures shows a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half.
Mr Duncombe says when recruiting staff he has been “shocked at the poor quality of written English”.
He says the big problem for online firms isn’t technology but finding staff who can spell.
It’s a phenomenon I’ve noticed for some while now. Although published prose, whether on the Internet or the printed page may not necessarily be misspelled due to a lack of ability, but a lack of effective proof reading. I’ll proof read a piece several times over before hitting the “publish” button and then see typos I’ve missed.
However, the point stands, I think, that spelling is generally of a poor standard – as is the misuse of common words that sound similar but have differing meanings – there, their and they’re for example and that misplaced apostrophe in “it’s” when the writer really means “its”. I could go on for ages here…
But, but, but, if the problem is so endemic – as Duncombe complains about, surely the equally dumbed down readers won’t notice, thereby cancelling out the problem, yes?
Well, according to his own research, maybe not.
He says he measured the revenue per visitor to the tightsplease.co.uk website and found that the revenue was twice as high after an error was corrected.
In which case, maybe things aren’t so bad after all?
Anyway, for something really cringe making, how about this?
When recruiting school and university leavers, Mr Duncombe says too many applications have contained spelling mistakes or poor grammar.
“Some people even used text speak in their cover letter,” he says.
Words fail me, really they do…
My son’s English Teacher was the Deputy Head of his junior school. She once commented on his exercise book thus;
“Still to many spelling mistakes”.
As for typos, I’m convinced that the ‘publish’ button has a line of code that generates them.
I used to correct the teachers’ comments in green ink. I got a visit from the head who said that my kids might find their time in school becoming less pleasant. Nice.
“When recruiting school and university leavers, Mr Duncombe says too many applications have contained spelling mistakes or poor grammar.
“Some people even used text speak in their cover letter,” he says.”
I’m not surprised to be honest. Some people know just what it takes to avoid full time employment.
It’s kind of worrying the fact that it’s hard to find personal that can really speak and write correctly but that’s the way it is. Thanks for sharing! Also, very funny your comments, Time Traveller and matt, hehe.
Hang about. If education has been so ‘dumbed down’ that no one knows how to spell, who is detecting all these spelling mistakes that are injurious to online sales? Surely shome mishtake.