I find it amazing that people with a high school diploma seeking higher education cannot tell the difference between the word “pear” and the word “peer”. On this very website, under the Jobs section is listed the following ad:

Paid Political Canvasser – Pear to pear persuasion in Fort Lauderdale for March 8th ballot initiative. The position pays $12 per hour. For more information, call (954) 323-2819.

Not only should the person who placed the ad be ashamed of themselves and be sent back to third grade, but the person who proofed the ad and the person who posted it on the website should as well.

It is no wonder that a high school diploma, not to mention an undergraduate degree, mean less and less when students actually enter the workforce. We have lost the basic skills of communication and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively. I would wager that at least 25% of graduating high school seniors, and possibly even college seniors, cannot tell the difference between “to” “too” and “two” or similarly “its” and “it’s”.

If you want your online newsletter/newspaper to have any kind of credibility, you need to do a better job making sure that what you post on our screens is clear and accurate.

Conor Griffithc/o 2006