Archive for web writing
The plight of the uptight proofer
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I bought Florence a new toy yesterday. It’s a V-Tech talking teddy with flashing lights, buttons and a smiley face. It’s called Alfie, I think, which is odd because it has a female voice when it sings and speaks. I spent a good half hour playing with it before handing it over to Floss, who proceeded to try and eat it. So far, so good.
I turned my attention to the packaging, and started to laugh. The box revealed the various benefits which Alfie would bring to Floss, including a UK speaking voice, improvement of hand-eye coordination, and language development. Under the paragraph which detailed how great language development would take place, there was a spelling error. It promised ‘sustianable language development’.
Revamping your web content
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How long has your company website been up and running? Are you happy with it, or are there areas which you feel could be improved? My site reflects what people always say about builders, decorators and gardeners – they always have the worst-kept houses, and gardens. I guess as a writer this is because there is always something more important to do than spend time on Stilus itself. However, I am making a pledge to update the site and make sure it really reflects what I do.
3 Powerful Steps to Pervasive Positive Thought
Posted by: | CommentsThe following article is a guest post from Bejamin Langley. Benjamin has been studying meditation, self hypnosis, energy work, and personal development for over 15 years. Right now he is offering a free video which explains how you can use a simple meditation technique to reduce your stress by 90% or more in 1 minute or less. You can get it at http://peacefulprosperity.com/
It has been said about a billion times.
It has been a staple of personal development since there has been such a thing as personal development.
Tongue-twistingly terrible typos…
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An instrument of torture
Let’s face it, the English language is screwed up. I’ve been writing for some US clients recently, and the small nuances and pitfalls that come from being an English person writing in a US world never cease to amaze me.
I put a line of text in to someone’s web page the other day, which said ‘all this, for a one off payment of $250’. It was laughed right back at me. I had no idea Americans didn’t use that phrase! There are so many more little hiccups in the way I write that mark me out as being an English writer. I’m learning all the time, but it’s a long road!
On Txt spk…
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been thinking about texting recently, because it’s one of my favourite ways of keeping in touch with people. As a linguistic purist in some ways (pedantic, annoying), I have an ingrained loathing of ‘text speak’ – shortening words to make things more convenient.
PWND!
I’ve seen how our language is changing and evolving in line with technology, even over the past few years. Take the word ‘pwned’ for example. ‘Pwned’ is now in the dictionary, and it doesn’t make much sense. It comes from an error that an online gaming software programmer made. Instead of saying ‘Owned’ (as in, you’re a loser, I win, I OWN you ha ha), he or she typed it incorrectly and came up with ‘Pwned’.
