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Rat

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2010
Messages
977
Location
Silicon Valley
That subject line is the subject line of the Blink (Ecotality) survey email I just got. The survey itself is equality moronic. Question 6 asks you whether you charge using the timer on the Blink EVSE or on the car or both. I answered that I only use the timer on the car. Then Q7 asks how easy is it to use the Blink timer, while Q8 asks how easy it is to use the car timer. I only answered Q8 since I've never used the EVSE timer and there was no option for "not applicable" or "I don't know." When I tried to submit the survey it balked because I hadn't answered "required" Q7. I chose "average" for Q7 then left them a blistering comment in the final block that their data will be useless because they will end up getting fake responses like mine from everyone except those who have used both timing methods.

Then I replied to the email with this:
In addition to the poorly designed survey, the subject line on this misspells the word "your". Don't you have anyone in marketing who can get a passing grade in high school English? Here's a free lesson for you: "your" is the possessive pronoun; "you're" is the contraction for "you are."

I really don't understand how Ecotality stays in business, it is so poorly run. The Blink unit is still charging just fine, though.
 
Within a minute I got the following response:

Hi Russ,
I apologize for the type-o in the subject line, I personally take responsibility for this and will ensure it will not be repeated. I appreciate your time and efforts to complete this survey for The EV Project.
Best,
Sharon
Sharon Koval
Marketing Coordinator


I suspect Sharon is in fact responsible, and I don't have much confidence future communications will be any better since type-O is a blood grouping. "Typo" is the shortened form of typographical error. At least she is prompt, and appears to be trying.
 
Well, it won't be very hard for them to filter out the questions that don't match the answer in Q6, so they can probably salvage the results.
 
Rat said:
Within a minute I got the following response:

Hi Russ,
I apologize for the type-o in the subject line, I personally take responsibility for this and will ensure it will not be repeated. I appreciate your time and efforts to complete this survey for The EV Project.
Best,
Sharon
Sharon Koval
Marketing Coordinator


I suspect Sharon is in fact responsible, and I don't have much confidence future communications will be any better since type-O is a blood grouping. "Typo" is the shortened form of typographical error. At least she is prompt, and appears to be trying.

funny and sad, at the same time.
it isnt even a typo, but a grammatical error.
 
thankyouOB said:
Rat said:
Within a minute I got the following response:

Hi Russ,
I apologize for the type-o in the subject line, I personally take responsibility for this and will ensure it will not be repeated. I appreciate your time and efforts to complete this survey for The EV Project.
Best,
Sharon
Sharon Koval
Marketing Coordinator


I suspect Sharon is in fact responsible, and I don't have much confidence future communications will be any better since type-O is a blood grouping. "Typo" is the shortened form of typographical error. At least she is prompt, and appears to be trying.

funny and sad, at the same time.
it isnt even a typo, but a grammatical error.

True! Can't imagine what we'll see once they start responding using voice recognition software. I expect typing to disappear next, because cursive writing is already on the chopping block (say it isn't so!)...I give her credit for trying to be kind and apologetic after those confrontations.
 
TomT said:
It has nothing to do with stimulus money or political affiliation, it has to do with cheap and greedy corporations...

thankyouOB said:
TomT said:
Be happy you aren't talking to India!!!
only a republican administration would spend stimulus money in India.

However, the cheap and greedy corporations tend to favor 4:1 the republican party and its causes. There's gotta be some explanation for this...
 
Rat said:
Within a minute I got the following response:

Hi Russ,
I apologize for the type-o in the subject line, I personally take responsibility for this and will ensure it will not be repeated. I appreciate your time and efforts to complete this survey for The EV Project.
Best,
Sharon
Sharon Koval
Marketing Coordinator


I suspect Sharon is in fact responsible, and I don't have much confidence future communications will be any better since type-O is a blood grouping. "Typo" is the shortened form of typographical error. At least she is prompt, and appears to be trying.

Ahhh the rise of the gramma police. I tend to be a heck of an engineer, but I'm dyslexic, and have a very difficult time with things like grammer. Of course I don't often find myself working where grammer matters (or spelling for that matter). I also don't let our expert writers stick their head in a beam supply. I thought Sharon responded to your suggestion promptly, maybe she should hire you as a consultant. One question, did you understand what she was trying to type, or were you confused?

If the porpuse of langage is to get the pointe acrossed, and languize is man made, whose to sae wee kant mix it up a bit? (don't bother answering this, I've asked a professor or two, it is just something to ponder)
 
Rat said:
That subject line is the subject line of the Blink (Ecotality) survey email I just got. The survey itself is equality moronic. Question 6 asks you whether you charge using the timer on the Blink EVSE or on the car or both. I answered that I only use the timer on the car. Then Q7 asks how easy is it to use the Blink timer, while Q8 asks how easy it is to use the car timer. I only answered Q8 since I've never used the EVSE timer and there was no option for "not applicable" or "I don't know." When I tried to submit the survey it balked because I hadn't answered "required" Q7. I chose "average" for Q7 then left them a blistering comment in the final block that their data will be useless because they will end up getting fake responses like mine from everyone except those who have used both timing methods.

Then I replied to the email with this:
In addition to the poorly designed survey, the subject line on this misspells the word "your". Don't you have anyone in marketing who can get a passing grade in high school English? Here's a free lesson for you: "your" is the possessive pronoun; "you're" is the contraction for "you are."

I really don't understand how Ecotality stays in business, it is so poorly run. The Blink unit is still charging just fine, though.

equality moronic?

fwiw, I'd use the timer on the charger so I don't accidentally forget to disable the timer on the car at a public charger (it has happened)..
 
kentuckyleaf said:
Rat said:
Within a minute I got the following response:

Hi Russ,
I apologize for the type-o in the subject line, I personally take responsibility for this and will ensure it will not be repeated. I appreciate your time and efforts to complete this survey for The EV Project.
Best,
Sharon
Sharon Koval
Marketing Coordinator


I suspect Sharon is in fact responsible, and I don't have much confidence future communications will be any better since type-O is a blood grouping. "Typo" is the shortened form of typographical error. At least she is prompt, and appears to be trying.

Ahhh the rise of the gramma police. I tend to be a heck of an engineer, but I'm dyslexic, and have a very difficult time with things like grammer. Of course I don't often find myself working where grammer matters (or spelling for that matter). I also don't let our expert writers stick their head in a beam supply. I thought Sharon responded to your suggestion promptly, maybe she should hire you as a consultant. One question, did you understand what she was trying to type, or were you confused?

If the porpuse of langage is to get the pointe acrossed, and languize is man made, whose to sae wee kant mix it up a bit? (don't bother answering this, I've asked a professor or two, it is just something to ponder)

so your connection to all those news outlets is tangential?
 
Rat said:
Within a minute I got the following response:

Hi Russ,
I apologize for the type-o in the subject line, I personally take responsibility for this and will ensure it will not be repeated. I appreciate your time and efforts to complete this survey for The EV Project.
Best,
Sharon
Sharon Koval
Marketing Coordinator


I suspect Sharon is in fact responsible, and I don't have much confidence future communications will be any better since type-O is a blood grouping. "Typo" is the shortened form of typographical error. At least she is prompt, and appears to be trying.

Maybe she made a Type-O Graphical Error?
 
kentuckyleaf said:
Ahhh the rise of the gramma police. I tend to be a heck of an engineer, but I'm dyslexic, and have a very difficult time with things like grammer. Of course I don't often find myself working where grammer matters (or spelling for that matter). I also don't let our expert writers stick their head in a beam supply. I thought Sharon responded to your suggestion promptly, maybe she should hire you as a consultant. One question, did you understand what she was trying to type, or were you confused?

That is not the sole criterion of communication. This was a public-facing communication from the company. To have it contain such a fundamental grammatical mistake makes the company appear amateurish in the extreme. This is not even a High School lesson. It should have been learned much earlier. Hence, the term "Grammar School".


For an adult to make such mistakes is either a sign of illiteracy, or perhaps as in your case, dyslexia. But whatever the case may be, this person should not be in the position of composing public communications. A responsible company would not only take care to choose someone competent in written English, but the document would have been reviewed and proofread as well. This is a business enterprise, not the Little Rascals putting on a show in a barn.
 
nubo,
many geeks and nerds think grammar is for kids or not worth the trouble.
however, you can actually make a fine living as a writer, editor or wordsmith; make enough to buy a LEAF or Tesla or two.

bragging about and defending poor grammar is not a plus, in my view. Anti-intellectualism has a long history in our country. It is often the refuge of those who put out there that they are just country folk, or simple people. Usually they are neither, and are working some other agenda.
As to the general proposition that you can get along very well speaking and writing poorly, I want my children to express themselves well. Bad math and grammar skills often create roadblocks with employers, colleagues, and schools.
 
Nubo said:
kentuckyleaf said:
For an adult to make such mistakes is either a sign of illiteracy, or perhaps as in your case, dyslexia. But whatever the case may be, this person should not be in the position of composing public communications. A responsible company would not only take care to choose someone competent in written English, but the document would have been reviewed and proofread as well. This is a business enterprise, not the Little Rascals putting on a show in a barn.

I guess you haven't read any professional broadcast equipment documentation from Japan. I'm talking the likes of Panasonic and Sony. I suppose there is a reason us broadcast engineers don't understand proper grammar, we never deal with it in our line of work. I don't mind the struggle with dyslexia. I do mind it when people think they are more intelligent due to their language skills. We are in Baghdad. You go live in 30 seconds. Your ASI signal to the states is down. I'm your guy, not the reporter on the other side of the camera. I don't give a crap how well he communicates. :D
 
thankyouOB said:
nubo,
many geeks and nerds think grammar is for kids or not worth the trouble.
however, you can actually make a fine living as a writer, editor or wordsmith; make enough to buy a LEAF or Tesla or two.

bragging about and defending poor grammar is not a plus, in my view. Anti-intellectualism has a long history in our country. It is often the refuge of those who put out there that they are just country folk, or simple people. Usually they are neither, and are working some other agenda.
As to the general proposition that you can get along very well speaking and writing poorly, I want my children to express themselves well. Bad math and grammar skills often create roadblocks with employers, colleagues, and schools.

True, life is difficult if you have bad grammar skills. Schools, especially the schools that us country folk attended, do little to improve these skills. Parents, especially out in the country where there are cows to milk and plows to field, typically care little about grammar, and typically do little to encourage a broad vocabulary. There are exceptions, but they are exceptions. College might be in the future for children on a large farm, but not so much for the families that provide farm help. If someone from a poor farmer's family does go to college, it is one farm hand less to provide for the family. Getting yourself out of this situation takes work. It is not easy like farming. The government does little to help, the parents do nothing to help. Some teachers can identify the strong math and science skills, and back in the day, they could actually paddle you for the weak grammar and spelling skills (dyslexia was not an accepted excuse in the 70's) When you struggle to accomplish something that comes very easy to someone else, and then some folk comment on your poor grammar, you have to wonder if their mind is as capable as yours, do they understand complicated electrical, electronic, electromechanical, and fluid dynamics. Do they understand WHY something works? You think, maybe, maybe not. I certianly don't think any less of them for their lack of engineering ability, but they sure talk real sweet. I do think we should use caution when questioning someone's intelligence based on their grammar, vocabulary, or spelling. Sharon was attempting to respond and correct the questionnaire to the best of her ability. I thought that the response to her grammar skills could have used some compassion, we haven't a clue why she was selected to perform the work. We also don't know if anyone at ecotality is more able to perform the work. Perhaps they need to hire an English instructor. I wonder if they placed this in the operating budget?
 
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