Argueably, what people say and how they use language should be the standard by which we measure it's usage. However, a cultural relativist perspective can only go so far, especially when stray errors hinder communication or when copy sounds far prettier than the actual message it suposively conveys.

Here are some of my favourites from this weekend:

At a city tourist informational venue, there signage said, "Our delicacies can be enjoyed at the many restaurants, bars, parlors, cafes, stands and eateries on the harbor." What is the difference between eateries and restaurants, bars, parlors, cafes, and stands? Sounds like the synonym game to me.

How about this one? "This city offers many exciting opportunities; especially the warmth and generosity of its people." The use of the semi-colon here fails miserably since the semi-colon requires to complete clauses for it to function properly; even a substitution with a colon would be borderline questionable, which neither in the end would engender the high sense of sophistication that obviously is desired, but rather only leave a sense of false pretension behind.

How about that run-on sentence? Done it. Lovin' it.

Good copy is extremely important. Correct, clear and concise copy is even convalescently better when you want to ensure that your message is heard. Where others fall short, CrowdConnect insures your copy against the pitfalls of some creative (ab)uses of language itself.

In the latest installment of the Harry Potter series, we find that Harry and his wise mentor, Albus Dumbledore, forge a deeper relationship that is based upon mutual trust, care and the desire to scourge the world of an omnipresent evil.

In one telling moment, Dumbledore takes Harry to the house of an old friend, Slughorn, to persuade him to come back to the wizarding academy Hogwarts and take up his former post as Professor of Potions. Immediately, Slughorn declines the offer citing examples of how such a return would be tantamount to professional and personal suicide. Dumbledore suddenly stands up and requests to use the restroom, leaving Harry alone in the room with the ex-Professor and slightly dumbfounded as what to do next.

Slughorn begins engaging conversation with Harry, as Harry is the most famous wizard child who has faced the evil villain Voldemort on several occasions and survived every single time, while others have just buckled under his magical might. They begin discussing the school, all the famous people there, how Dumbledore runs it and their connection to the resistance against the Ministry of Magic's attempts to quell fears of the upsurging evil. After Dumbledore returns from the bathroom, they get up to leave and on the way out, Slughorn emphatically changes his mind and says that he'll take the position, adding off-handedly that he wants a pay raise.

As they walk away, Dumbledore lauds Harry for a job well done and Harry again is dumbfounded, not realizing what he did. Dumbledore replies that he showed Slughorn "exactly how much he stands to gain by returning to Hogwarts"...and how he "likes the company of the famous, the successful, and the powerful. He enjoys feelings that he influences these people. He never wanted to occupy the throne himself; he prefers the backseat -- more room to spread out." The life Slughorn currently has is one of a fugitive consistently hiding from the Death Eaters and those connected with Lord Voldemort, while one at Hogwarts will again place him in the limelight as well as offer him a certain level of personal security and protection against the looming evil.

What makes Dumbledore the greatest wizard in the world is not his capacity to cast powerful spells, but his understanding of the humanity behind it all. He wanted to hire an excellent teacher for his school but he needed to provide an incentive for him to return, an incentive that had nothing to do with any kind of economic return but rather one that focused upon what each would gain on the personal level.

Oftentimes people forget that bringing just a great offer to the table is not ever going to be enough.