Robert,
Thank you for "spelling it out" clearly. As I said before, I am a publisher
of an International magazine, and we produce videos and an upcoming TV show,
and as such, I see people that are not willing to use proper grammar, or
spelling, and it becomes a habit. That HABIT slops over into their speaking
skills, then eventually into their photography, their work station, and
eventually most other areas of their life. What makes anyone think the same
attitude will not show up in their filming and sound, lighting, ect?
The man from Mexico blamed his "dirty and dusty keyboard from all the
construction work they are doing around here" on his inability to properly
spell. Remember, this is the guy that lives in a grass shack, in a part of
Mexico where there are limited repair facilities, and he is going to do
precise surgery to his camera's internal working parts, AND produce a DVD to
the rest of us on how to repair OUR film cameras? I ask you? If his keyboard
is so dirty and crammed with dirt and dust that he accidentally hits the
wrong keys (several hundred times a day with 100 or more emails a day going
out) how dirt free will the inside of his camera be?
Using spell check is no different than using a light meter instead of
guessing at, or calculating exposure the old way. It is a tool for us to use
to avoid mistakes that others will see.
Just yesterday I sent a short reply and myself forgot to use it, and the
word analogy was off by ONE letter, and someone caught it, and they should,
for it is wrong, so we all make mistakes, but when someone purposely sends
out 100 or more emails a day, with literally dozens of misspelled and
improper words, it gives us ALL a black eye, believe it or not, to new
people joining this group. Like it or not, we ARE judged by the company we
keep, even on the Internet.
I find the people that speak articulately, both in the spoken and written
word, AND keep a clean working environment, usually have the same habits on
their photography and film making.
We see hundreds of videos each year, hundreds of stories and literally
thousands of photos. The habits tell the story more than any other fact.
Thanks,
Raymond F. Oelrich
President and Publisher
Big Game Adventures magazine
www.BGAMAG.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Latimer" <themoviehouse@hotmail.com>
To: <eclairacl@topica.com>
Sent: Friday, August 01, 2003 5:42 AM
Subject: Eclair Cameras: Bad Spelling on an ACL Forum?? Why not?
Eric,
At the risk of you writing another reply essay - I'm with Raymond on this.
Spelling is a common courtesy on the Internet as much as table manners are
a
common courtesy in a restaurant. It's called social etiquette.
If you don't have a spell check than can I recommend this web site:-
http://www.spellcheck.net/
You just cut and paste your text into the box and it only takes seconds.
You should also consider using a capital letter every once in a while to
start your sentences. Elementary grade information - not something I
would
have thought needed mentioning.
Now if you think people are getting at you, then you are probably right.
Bad spelling irritates some people more than others - just like smoking in
public places annoys some non-smokers more than others. I'm one of the
annoyed bunch. Also, I've had the same discussion with someone on another
forum who was adamant that it was his right to spell as badly as he
wanted.
It is completely your right, as much as it's our right to complain when
you
do. Furthermore, I personally feel loathe to assist you or encourage you
in
your DVD project because it makes me wonder if you will adopt the same
dismissive attitude to your film-making as you do to your writing. "Who
cares if it's badly lit and you can't see what's going on! I have to do a
hundred shots a day like this. People who complain have nothing better
going on in their lives..." Blah, blah, blah. People who defend bad
spelling, like people who defend bad film-making come across as being
arrogant and ignorant. And I wouldn't want to watch their films like I
don't want to read their texts.
You are entitled to disagree, but if you are going about the profession of
film-making can I suggest you adopt a professional attitude from the
outset.
As you are also working on a film about the delicate art of
engineering -
something that requires an almost religious exactitude to detail - this
advice might serve you in good stead. Take it as an insult if you want,
it's up to you.
Before anyone else mentions it, what's a thread about bad spelling doing
on
an ACL forum? I'd like to think that every once in a while we can express
a
little off-topic subjects being the like-minded (mostly) people that we
are.
Eric, before you go, pleease reaed thiss larst sentance. its thee
grumatikul eqivulunt of drivung ovver a catttle grid und itt makkes u
feell
nuseus, dusnt itt???
(All cut and pasted and spell checked in Microsoft word adding an extra
ten
seconds to my writing and a lot more comfort to your reading)
Regards
Robert Latimer
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