The Cost of Errors

What Can a Spelling or Grammar Error Cost You?

You can never proof-read a written piece too many times before submission. English grammar rules are complicated enough without having to worry about simple misspellings. With writing being the main means of communication, grammar checking software such as WhiteSmoke's all-in-one writing solution can be a huge help to everyone from students and professors to doctors and professionals.  

Errors in spelling or grammar can be costly. Aside from causing embarrassment, a misplaced comma or apostrophe can change the meaning of a sentence. Even the slightest mistake on a job application can cost a candidate his/her job. Several years ago, a lawyer lost $31,350 (as a lawyer,  I have to stop and say "OUCH!") when the judge ruled that he should not be paid in full due to overabundant typos. It’s certainly worth taking the extra moment to read over your work, or even better to scan it with a grammar checker.

However, the importance of good grammar extends beyond just paper and pen. Since The King’s Speech has been at the forefront of award season, there have been several articles published on the significance of grammar and stuttering. The movie focuses on King George VI and his stuttering problem. Having a screenwriter with a stutter, it accurately portrays many of the symptoms and difficulties of stuttering. According to an article by Pam Belluck in the New York Times, research has shown that there is a connection between stuttering and the complexity of language. In a study conducted by Dr. Anne Smith of Purdue University, children with stutters responded normally to contextual errors in speech, but did not pick up on grammatical errors.

Whether written or spoken, language can be a very powerful thing. As they say, “the pen is mightier than the sword”. Inaccuracy can cost money, jobs and speech. A spelling and grammar check is always worth it. 

This article is taken from WhiteSmoke's Scribd profile, of which I am a follower: http://www.scribd.com/karen_white_1

I just had to post it because of the lawyer thing, and because I've seen writing mistakes take their toll on others. So here's a lesson to you all :)

Jane out.

IPO Candidate WhiteSmoke Generates Revenue of $3.3 Million Last Quarter

Posted on GoArticles.com. See full article here

IPO Candidate WhiteSmoke Generates Revenue of $3.3 Million Last Quarter
By Katherine Belle
WhiteSmoke Inc., an English writing and translation software company seeking to go public in the U.S., published their latest numbers from quarter 1 of 2011 in the company's latest initial public offering prospectus on Monday, June 27th, 2011. The company offering is being underwritten by Rodman & Renshaw LLC and EarlyBirdCapital Inc., popular companies in the IPO scene.
WhiteSmoke has applied for Nasdaq listing under the ticker symbol “WHSM” while targeting the Education, Government and Business markets, all showing a growing demand for what this small hi-tech company offers. WhiteSmoke Inc. claims in their prospectus that though there are other companies they consider competitors in similar markets, they have yet to see anything similar to or at the level of their own solution. The Education, Government and Business markets are huge, and with the statistics in the “Industry” section of their prospectus showing the growing need for English as a common language on a worldwide scale, it seems this company has a bright future ahead of them.
The company has developed a PC solution that corrects grammar, spelling, style, punctuation and structure errors in texts as well as translates full texts and single words to and from nine languages. In addition, their product includes a Templates tab allowing the user to choose from a multitude of letter templates for instant use. A Mac version identical to their current PC version will be available by the end of this fiscal year. Also predicted to be launched by the end of this year is the WhiteSmoke Facebook application. In addition, applications for iPhone, iPad and Android are predicted to be launched by the end of 2012.
WhiteSmoke Inc., mentioned Monday that additional funding is needed to finance operations for the next 12 months. Evolution Venture Capital Fund, investors of WhiteSmoke Inc., have told the company that they are willing to provide the company with funding they require.
In addition to their flagship product, WhiteSmoke Writer, the company also offers a free trial version available for download together with toolbar applications from third-party monetization companies. Since the launch of this free product last year, it has become a huge revenue source for the company.
WhiteSmoke generated a total revenue of $3.3 million last quarter, a substantial grown from less than $1 million the year before and expect to continue to grow their operations by opening offices and hiring personnel worldwide.

Google API - Is there an alternative?

Ok, I admit, I didn't know what the Google API was until the news broke out and my brother, a super affiliate (I love saying that) started freaking out that this basically means the end of his website.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely internet-dumb. I do use Google Translate all the time, but the acronym API is a first for me.
So, since I am addicted to the WhiteSmoke Writer, and I have not failed to notice that there is a lovely little tab right beside it called the WhiteSmoke Translator, I hereby send out a request on behalf of my brother, Rick, please make your Translator available in an API sort of version thing.

There! See, Rick? I care :)

Oh, this is the WhiteSmoke Translator page I found on their website: www.whitesmoke.com/translator.html

And this is their homepage, obviously: www.WhiteSmoke.com

Good luck all you Translator API dependent people! I'm here if you need any legal help, Rick's got his own blog for technical stuff :)

Jane out!

P.S Curiosity got the best of me and a simple Google search led me to the following information: API=Application Programming Interface. I still don't know what it means though...

WhiteSmoke Grammar Checker

Hey,
so I thought I'd say again, in case there are people out there who don't know this yet - GRAMMAR MISTAKES ARE ANNOYING AS HELL! Please proofread your texts! Microsoft's checkers aren't enough so if you can't count on yourself to catch your own mistakes, use a grammar checker like ginger, grammarly or whitesmoke - personally, I can tell you after trying all three that WhiteSmoke is by far the best and cheapest.

So there, you know who you are....

Jane out.