The unfortunate demise of grammar

Either I’m becoming a snob or the Land of Written Language has taken long service leave.

I have always been one of those people to get ticked off by apostrophes being used incorrectly, or the common misuse and spelling of homophones like ‘their’ and ‘there’. But I have always ground my teeth and put this down to being raised by a family of avid readers and writers.

I admit I let myself go when emailing friends or chatting online – there’s hardly time for capitals when one is in the midst of quick conversation (usually animated with ridiculous amounts of exclamation marks where possible). But is there a line being crossed somewhere when the general public are in full view of these grammatical mistakes?

Time after time I have picked up on newspaper print or online job postings filled with nonsensical fragmented sentencing. I have found flyers in my letterbox with words I’m positive aren’t real – ‘Is your lawn going unmowed?’ – and promotional signage in workplaces is often embarrassingly incorrect. My own workplace has a weekly intranet update with the ‘Reccommended Reading’ for each week. If I blush when reading these errors alone, you can imagine the pain when customers point them out on the shop floor, such as one particularly recent handwritten sign: ‘Childrens’ Favorites.’

Where does it end?

How to dig a virtual hole

While I don’t believe that eReaders or eBooks will lead to the demise of the paperback (or hardback) novel, I do believe in karma. Or at least the unfortunate consequences of trying to have your cake and eat it too. In this case, I am referring to the coming addition of the Kobo eReader to your local Angus & Robertson or Borders book store. http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/ebook-faqs

We knew eReaders were coming to market, no shock there. But teaming the old and the new – the physical page with the screen – is this really a positive move for bookshops? Many people believed that evil had surfaced with the coming of the Amazon’s Kindle. Given the cheaper nature of an electronically published book over print format, it was predicted such technology would lead to the decline of author recognition and sales. Not all books are produced in the eBook format, and due to the trend of screen scanning, as opposed to reading; customers may be sacrificing reading pleasure for quick referencing purposes.

While I respect the advantages of the Kobo, or any other eReading devices, I feel that their presence in bookstores is unsettling to say the least. One visits a bookstore or library to browse and peruse their options in the flesh. One surfs the internet to browse a broader list of options at their own convenience, from a distance. Items, such as international products, they may be otherwise unable to view. But to sell a ticket to online shopping within a physical shop – Borders and Angus & Robertson are practically leading customers out the door and to a computer. Or iPhone. Or eReader.