I share this image not to poke fun at Google but to serve as a useful reminder.
After all, we’ve all done it. That’s make a big, huge spelling mistake.
When I worked on a daily newspaper, a headline went to press with a mistake in it more times than I’ll admit to. Pages were checked by at least 3 people, but it still happened.
I’m know this blog has mistakes in it, too. After all, no one proof-reads this text except me. And everyone knows you can’t be trusted to check your own work.
So when something’s very important, it pays to get a professional proof-reader in. For my Ready to Go Newsletters I use a company called ProofreadNow.com, which provides a quick service at a reasonable price.
But if you don’t want (or can’t afford) a professional proof-reader, then follow this formula.
- Write it
- Spell-check it
- Put it away for a day
- Print it
- Read it again
- Read it backwards
- Read it word by word
- Cross your fingers and hope for the best
(Thanks to Seth for first sharing Google’s missing L with the world.)
3 Comments
I’d add “out loud” to stage 5 at least – having helped my wife with a number of essays, it’s always the best way to find mistakes. The trick is to read what it says out loud, not what you wrote, or what you think it says 🙂
OK, so I couldn’t believe it until I saw it myself.
But now I realize something. The stem of the strawberry was supposed to be the L (since it is the same green and all..)
A convincing L? I think not.. but it is still an L i guess..
Paul: Yes, I agree — out loud is very effective.
Tyler: I heard about the stem thing, too this morning. I’m not convinced either.
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