LET'S COMMUNICATE 
Agriculture Communication Newsletter 
December 2001, No. 72

CONTENTS 

WRITE THE RIGHT WORD 
GET SERIOUS WITH E-MAIL SUBJECT LINES 
AG COMM HAS COLOR PLOTTER

WRITE THE RIGHT WORD

"A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after awhile he knows something."--Wilson Mizner

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The "Trained Professional Watch" that often appears in this space is an attempt to have a little fun with errors in word use that appear in the professional media, just to show how easy it is to miswrite. On the Opinion page of the Dec. 30 issue of The Forum, two Trained Professionals admit to past errors and pledge to do work hard to avoid future ones. First, Forum editor Lou Ziegler used his weekly Sunday column to present 10 New Year's resolutions for the paper's newsroom. Number one: Be as diligent as possible at proofing their work. Says Ziegler, "When we incorrectly use 'ancestor' instead of 'descendant,' as we've done twice in the past two months, when a 'shoot' slips by when we meant 'chute,' or when there is a typo in this column..., readers howl. It really does hurt our talented, well-educated group of writers and editors when mistakes occur. Take it from me that we take it personally."

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And on the same page syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman confessed to errors made in the past year. For example, "Yes dear readers, a vaccine is not a cure; it's a preventative. Yes, I did write 'mother load' when I meant 'mother lode' and bless the correspondent who thought it was a pun..." And, describing how in response to a comment by first lady Laura Bush she wrote, "here, here," Goodman wrote, "'Here, here?' Where, oh where was I? I should have written, 'hear, hear.' And so, ears open, keyboard cleansed, I leave 2001, humble refreshed and determined to be vigilant here, hear and everywear."

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So, Trained Professionals do recognize their errors, are embarrassed by them but able to laugh at themselves, and strive to improve. A good lesson for us all. Wishing you a happy, prosperous and communicative New Year.

GET SERIOUS WITH E-MAIL SUBJECT LINES

Many of us give little thought to what we put in the subject line of e-mail messages. Or worse, we use something "cute" or clever as the subject. Bryan Gion, extension agent in Steele County, thinks this is a bad idea.

His concern is that many virus-containing messages come with "cute" subject lines. He and his staff have arrived at a point of deleting messages with subject lines that don't clearly describe the contents of the message. The drawback is that it is very possible to delete important legitimate messages just because the sender tried to be clever.

Think about it. If there are virus scares about, and you get a message from a colleague, but with a totally ridiculous or inappropriate subject line, you might well think twice before opening it.

So, when you send e-mail, be professional and serious about the subject line. Make it clear just what the message is really about, and that it really comes from you.

AG COMM HAS COLOR PLOTTER

Agriculture Communication is now the proud owner of its own color plotter. This plotter can print out color posters and other graphics 36 inches high and any length on either matte or glossy paper. The cost is $2 per running foot of paper, and there's no charge for labor for faculty and staff under the VP for Agriculture. Laminating is an additional $2 per foot with a 24-inch maximum. Dry mounting is another option at $2 per square foot. Posters may include many colors, photographs, artwork, text and more. To see examples, stop by Morrill 4. For more information or to place an order, contact John Grindahl at 231-7898.

Consider this option for your next professional meeting poster session, display, educational poster or exhibit.