Apparently "Sloppiness" is ok bro...

The LinkedIn article, "How Spelling Mistakes and Bad E-mail Etiquette Can Help You Get Ahead" by Kevin Roose, of  New York Magazine contradicts anything anyone in the journalism field has ever said about being professional and makes me want to relinquish my major. The great bulk of professional people say to be more formal in communicating with people whom they do not know: you have to remember first impressions. All eyes are on you and any mistake in an email or letter can cause a loss in credibility.

Everybody makes mistakes in emails and letters, but encouraging or cute-ifying them as it seems in the article, should really have no foot in the professional world of people reminiscent of the Edwardian bankers in “Mary Poppins,” crystal chandeliers and marble walls.

With the Zuckerberg example, if someone gets a time-sensitive email or message from anyone, be it a CEO or secretary, the probability of a more "informal" response is higher as compared to something like a cover letter that should be reviewed and edited. Also, you need to take into consideration how that person is responding.

 Is it an iPhone, PC, or laptop? That will make a difference on the level of “formality” on how one responds. Hand-held devices are more informal, therefore a more informal response. The great masses aren’t going to give a polished equivalent of a papal bull in a text message. Reply and we move on our way. What gets me is last names in reply emails from people who have time to read cover letters and resumes.

Whereas, in an email sent via pc or laptop by organization, that’s a whole different ball game on formality. There are people whom I email on a regular basis and screw up Wiesman, (pronounced Weez-man, just like the band Weezer) not the more common, WEISSman or WEISSman (pronounced Wise-man). (Wies- comes from German "Wiese" meaning meadow, "Weiss"- means white or smart in German. Man- means "one" but not numerically.) There’s your German lesson for the day.

Sometimes it's forgivable, if I know the person. Whereas, if it's a reply from a firm, company or job recruiter, who has time to read my resume and LinkedIn et.al., the misspelling of my last name just goes to show they didn't take the time to read how my last name is spelled or first.

 Then, to be bluntly honest folks, I think less of the organization or company if someone gets my name wrong. “Wiesman” might be a challenge for hr departments (even in Wisconsin, where there is a high German/Polish population) it seems, but at least it's not "Włotrzewiszczykowycki."