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Issue 14
September 2008
Misspelling for Fun and Profit
When we at The Awkward Adverb notice poor spelling online, we normally just sigh and try to figure out what the writer is intending to say. Now it seems we can profit from other people's sloppy writing.
A flurry of websites have emerged to capitalize off of eBay listings that include misspellings. For example, if someone is selling a diamond but describes the item for sale as a "diamon" or a "daimond," the auction is not going to show up in a typical search. This means that far fewer bidders will find the item, and so it will sell at a bargain price. TypoBuddy and Fat Fingers, to name just two of these blooper sites, help unearth hidden auctions by plugging likely typos into eBay's search engine.
Step right up, and save up to 80% off of other people's carelessness!
About this E-mail
The Awkward Adverb, an e-mail newsletter sent out once a month, highlights English-language flaws that have appeared on a sign, in print, on the Web, or anywhere in the public sphere. It may address grammatical errors, careless usage, bothersome buzzwords, punctuation problems, misspellings, or confusing writing in general.
Subscribers are encouraged to submit their findings for future editions of The Awkward Adverb by responding to this e-mail. Archived past issues of the newsletter are located here.
Henry Alpert, editor of The Awkward Adverb, is a New Orleans-based copywriter and business writer who works with businesses, ad agencies, and graphic design firms on a wide array of writing projects. For more information about his services, visit action-copy.com.
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