At times unfortunately for those with whom I communicate by any of several channels, I tend to be something of a purist in things grammatical, punctuational, and just about every other kind of -al that might apply. I acknowledge that English (and particularly American English) is a living language, but I still insist (quixotically, at times) that there must be some solid basis for communication if messages are to get through—intact and effectively. Making up abbreviations or whole words (such as now commonly found in texting) just doesn’t cut it, unless or until everyone involved signs on to their use and agrees to their meaning.
In this light, this article from last June in the Wall Street Journal resonated with me: It seems that I’m not alone, a “voice crying in the wilderness”.
It seems to me that—particularly in formal settings—every efforts must be made to ensure clear, clean communications. This is especially valid in the technical realms in which I usually dwell, and filters down right to the level of coding software, where a misplaced or wrong anything can have results that can be (at the extreme) diastrous. It is not much of a stretch to consider how such inaccuracies and infidelities could have similarly dire consequences for activities in just about any endeavor.
Questions: How good are you at communicating exactly what you wish to convey? How do you ensure that your message gets across? Do you do any “error checking”?