How Important is Spelling, Really?

I was a student not too long ago (how long, I’m not going to say.) I can recall just how frustrating it is to deal with someone who’s a real stickler for correct language. I’m a big fan of language, myself, but there’s always somebody who thinks you’re getting it wrong. I feel so conflicted, then, when I come across a piece of writing, or even dialogue, with a little fragment that I feel in my guts, in my very core, is incorrect and wrong and awful. Has the oppressed become the oppressor?
Well, no, because apart from that initial visceral rejection, there’s very little going on that might be considered oppressive. In fact, in spite of some of the script decisions, I have a good deal of respect for many of these perpetrators. Take, for example, Mr. Perry Belcher. Researching the field of content creation and online business has brought my attention to his work with social networking and online marketing. He solves a problem for many involved in ebusiness – as he puts it; [how to] monetize social media, without pissing people off. In short, he uses the analogy of a party, conveying well understood social norms and expectations to describe the ideas of permission marketing and general etiquette.
It’s concise, it’s convincing, and it’s compelling.
So what do I do – me, a man who bases much of his social judgement on people’s eloquence – with a sentence like “Just contact them, let them know you have an audience and walla!”? (I suppose some people will wonder why I take exception to this. “Walla” is a misspelling of “Voila” which is french, translated literally as “see there.”) I would bet that more people were offended by that explanation I just gave than by the original mistake! I have come to understand that this is my problem, and not his.
This is because it is crucial to know your readership, particularly in the minefield of social marketing.
Emphasis on letting personality show through and being genuine is being hammered in, by the ubiquity of personal expression in publication. I would suggest that there is no such thing as personal expression.
Please, let me finish.
Embedded in every written work are indications of the feelings of the author for their audience. In the very same way that McDonalds has hijacked the phrase “I’m Lovin’ It” with that hedonistic apostrophe (Side-note, how on-the-nose would it be if one day Justin Timberlake was touting “I can has cheezburger” to the golden arches?) Writers try – try and fail – to produce authentic, personal work. The act of putting thoughts in print, however, forces writers to take their thoughts and organize them in such a way that they believe it will be satisfactorily, and as fully as possible, be received and understood by the outside world. This is why there are formats for academic writing: there are specific guidelines for how to express a point, respectfully, to a body of academics, for their review. I believe this is the key element of successful writing; respect. The rate at which language is evolving and expanding needs to allow for mutations and anglicism, such as “walla.” Business is reverting to personal relationships and matters of trust, so it’s entirely possible that the most respectful tone is a conversational tone, presented in clear, phonetic terms. Artistry and professionalism comes from fully understanding the confines and restrictions of a format and an audience and writing to fit that, as precisely as possible. I do not believe that this is a matter of compromised integrity. Taking the time to understand your audience is a matter of respect.
Respect for your readers, and respect enough for the subject matter to maximize clarity and understanding to the very best of your ability.

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