Lost and found – What will our writings say to future readers?
Recently, NPR broadcast a story about a Brown University student who resurrected a speech that Malcolm X delivered at the University in 1961. While the NPR account is a very interesting read, it caused me to wonder what could happen to all of the reports, presentations, and correspondence that we routinely prepare and distribute.
Just imagine if someone were to discover a report that we prepared 50 or 100 years from the time that you published it. Many people might say “oh well, I probably won’t be around any more, so what the heck?”
However, knowing that electronic information has a limitless shelf life, could our document stand the test of time? No doubt writing conventions will always evolve. New idioms will surface. Spelling accuracy might not carry the same importance as it does today. Nonetheless, would readers be able to have a clear understanding of what we were trying to convey?
I know that my musings about the NPR piece will not prompt anyone to add a ”stand the test of time” standard to their written correspondence. But consider this – you never know who might be referring to your document long past the time when it was published.
Check out the Brown University student’s account of the Malcolm X speech by clicking on the following link:
Monday, February 6th, 2012 | 3:04 pm
Filed under Communication.
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