Friday, January 29, 2010

Pith and Polish

As a retired proofreader, or corrector-of-the-press, as the task was previously entitled, I am not quite so appalled as I am disheartened by the rampant misspellings taking place here in the on-line universe that I have dubbed (meaning nothing derogatory) the Cyberswamp.
Swamps have been proven to be very important parts of our ecological system and a superb habitat for a number of natural wonders. Much that is useful can be learned therein, if one only slogs around in it for awhile. (And slog around one will once bitten by the Cyberswamp bug.)
As a person with a particularly professional penchant for pedantry I pray that perhaps people will prepare and polish their pieces prior to posting them.
After correcting proofs for more than a half century, I had begun to proofhear people when they spoke. Let me tell you brother (as one pedant to another) people simply will not tolerate prooflisteners in their midst. Nothing else, save beerfarting (in certain quarters) can so quickly force one out of polite society and into a dreary life wandering the Cyberswamp.