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That is a great issue, and I feel exactly the same way. Every time I see a
sign out in public that's punctuated wrong or has a misspelled word, I
cringe. I won't eat at the local "Country Dinning" restaurant or buy one of
the "VCR's on sale" because it irritates me so much. To anyone who notices,
I think, it sends a message that this company doesn't pay attention to
details and is not quality-oriented. What if the kitchen pays as much mind
to expiration dates on dairy as it does on the spelling of its name on the
huge sign out front? And if it really is embarrassing, like "pubic
information," some people could even be insulted.
Some people do take your advice when you mention a typo, right? Are those
documents then reproduced? Perhaps you could start a campaign to the right
ears that this costs the company money.
Be careful what you wish for, though: do you really want to be the company's
proofreader? You might suggest that you are available to proof important
documents as the *last step before it goes to the printer/web server/CD.*
That would be the best use of your time.
