Posted On: April 21, 2004, 4:10 pm CDT

Posted By: Tracy

You certainly may have used the �spell/grammar checker�, but you can�t possibly have proofed this post yourself. I ordinarily would not be so critical, but your arrogance and self-righteousness irked me.
Please remember that the MS Word spelling and grammar utility is only a tool and cannot replace the human eye (and ear). Language is an art that no artificial (nor biological, it often seems) intelligence yet created can master. As one who claims to hold grammatical accuracy in high regard, you may find my annotations below helpful.
I tried to refrain from comment on matters of style, as opinion on that subject can vary widely. Moreover, this message board is a casual forum that cannot, and should not, be held to the highest rhetorical standards � with the exception of posts by writers who pompously trumpet their superior language skills, of course.

The original text, with annotations in brackets:

Wow! I figured this might be a very pensioned [impassioned?; note: MSWord grammar check suggested using �much� instead of �very�, but that, of course, would apply only to the incorrectly used �pensioned�] discussion, but not at this level.
I agree with allot [a lot] of what everyone is saying as far as "perceptions", and I think I [it] is very interesting that some of the comments talk about how unfair the system is, and how much education they have etc. But [In this sense, �but� is a conjunction, which means it must connect two clauses of the same sentence. Word Style suggests using �However,� or �Nevertheless,�.] the emails are riddled with misspellings, improper grammar, and definitely not proofread before hitting they [the] "send" button. I personally took the time to cut and paste this email to my word and use spell/grammar checker, re-cut and paste it back. It only took a second to do, [punctuation: use semicolon or new sentence] that is the extra step that it takes sometimes to advance, and what good managers look for in people we [subject disagreement � or at least ambiguity] want to advance.
Professionalism is 24/7. It is in [Awkward syntax reverses the intended sense. Off the top of my head, I would suggest �It encompasses/comprises/includes�� instead of �It is in��. Actually, I would rewrite the entire paragraph.] attitude, demeanor, and how you present yourself and your company/agency all the times [time]. That also includes how you send your missives. I truly understand the passion that some of the comments sent were penned with and give the authors the benefit of the doubt that they were sent in passion.
But [See first paragraph, above] there is a difference in producers and the account managers or customer service techs. There is a difference in the account manager and the principals of an agency. The fact that some CSRs' [plural, no possessive: CSRs] don't get what it is, a lack of that particular agencies [singular possessive: agency�s] training in how an agency runs and what part each individual plays in that agency. A great agency recognized [tense agreement: recognizes] the contribution of each employee, and nurtures Team Building [unnecessary capitalization, unless this is a specific program of which I am unaware], and growth opportunities for it's [its] employees. Now, opportunities are NOT entitlements. Just because you work somewhere for a very long time does not mean you have a RIGHT to advance. Advancement comes from initiative and growth, maturity and ambition. Entitlements have no part in the private sector.
For the most part- [punctuation: use comma, not dash] agency owners, principals and even producers are "entrepreneurs" [reason for quotation marks is unclear]. Most folks don't get how entrepreneurs operate, so maybe that's part of the problem.
Fostering team building, and letting employees know what their part in the agency means could make a difference in the overall perceptions. It certainly helps in the overall productivity of the agency, and a smart agency will trickle that profitability down to each employee. Otherwise, the really smart ones, be they accounting, customer service or producers [part of speech agreement among items in a list] will leave.