Ppl that ca’nt rite

When I took this job, I was given a small maths test as part of the interview process. I was allowed to use a calculator and I admit I ended up resorting to it, though I tried not to.

Now that I field 2nd line calls from helpdesk, it amazes me that they don’t consider a short written or typed English test as well. Some of the things we get through are just unreal – and virtually impossible to deal with as a result.

I thought at one point that one of the helpdesk staff had given up punctuation for Lent, but that’s been and gone now and there’s still not a capital letter, full stop or comma to be seen in any of their call logs. In all honesty, I’d not expect staff to have to run a 50-word word docket through a spellcheck and grammar check to make it meaningful, but I fear we may have to enforce it.

This kind of thing’s becoming almost a part of our culture. I know people who are pretty intelligent. They’re great to converse with. They have good jobs and qualifications. Yet I receive an email from them and it’s full of abbreviations, mis-spellings, bad punctuation, abysmal grammar… Are we forgetting things? Don’t we have the time? Or are they not being taught? I’ve noticed that the worst offenders are people a fair bit younger than me, but it’s too easy to point fingers at poor schooling. Of course, in a country where you can get a “B” in maths with a 17% exam result…

A few years ago, I actually saw a sign up outside a business advertising their services as advertisers and sign-writers. It has a spelling mistake and a stray apostrophe on it. You can’t walk through the town centre without seeing A-frames, menus and signs with cock-ups on them, and they’re all so inconsistent. On many, it’s like someone’s sprinkled apostrophes around like confetti with the idea that at least some of them will be in the right place.

I know my English isn’t as good as it once was. I’m having to look up words I should know how to spell, for instance. But at least I flipping try.

I confess to one that I use a lot on MSN, though. Abbreviating “OK” to “K”. I mean, how lazy is that?! And I still manage to spell it incorrectly at times.

C ya.