On the plus side, personal computers allow you to record your words faster than you can with a pencil, and the immediate visual display certainly beats the vacuum associated with dictating. In addition, it is easier and faster to revise copy than having to wait for someone to retype it. In many offices, the copy typing duties of the secretary are now deleted. Staff type their own correspondence and send it out themselves or hand it to the administrator to "pretty up." A saving in staff, time and money.

The downside is the amount of unprofessional material crossing managers', clients' and customers' desks. Because computers/printers turn what was once considered a "first draft" into a good-looking document, writers assume the content must be okay also and send it out-to the detriment of themselves and their organizations.

In one of my workshops, an engineer was stunned to find you can easily indent paragraphs by using the appropriate commands.

In addition, the number of times colons and semi-colons are misused is amazing. And what about the rules for quotation marks? Do you use the North American or the British version?

Are these things important? I think so. These rules were formulated years ago to make it easier for our readers to decipher our message. And they work just as well today.

An excuse I hear constantly is: "I'm too busy to spend time trying to write clearly." However, poor writing-scattering information on a page, throwing in a few commas and running a spell check-creates misunderstandings, poor customer relations and lowers the professional image of both writers and their organizations.

A bad first impression takes a lot of time to undo-if you are even given the chance. So take the time to do it right. And do it well!

From a business writing perspective, personal computers are definitely a mixed blessing.

On the plus side, personal computers allow you to record your words faster than you can with a pencil, and the immediate visual display certainly beats the vacuum associated with dictating. In addition, it is easier and faster to revise copy than having to wait for someone to retype it. In many offices, the copy typing duties of the secretary are now deleted. Staff type their own correspondence and send it out themselves or hand it to the administrator to "pretty up." A saving in staff, time and money.

The downside is the amount of unprofessional material crossing managers', clients' and customers' desks. Because computers/printers turn what was once considered a "first draft" into a good-looking document, writers assume the content must be okay also and send it out-to the detriment of themselves and their organizations.

In one of my workshops, an engineer was stunned to find you can easily indent paragraphs by using the appropriate commands.

In addition, the number of times colons and semi-colons are misused is amazing. And what about the rules for quotation marks? Do you use the North American or the British version?

Are these things important? I think so. These rules were formulated years ago to make it easier for our readers to decipher our message. And they work just as well today.

An excuse I hear constantly is: "I'm too busy to spend time trying to write clearly." However, poor writing-scattering information on a page, throwing in a few commas and running a spell check-creates misunderstandings, poor customer relations and lowers the professional image of both writers and their organizations.

A bad first impression takes a lot of time to undo-if you are even given the chance. So take the time to do it right. And do it well!