Oh, The Embarassment – Technology and the making of mistakes
Bold has recently (like yesterday) launched a new authority link development service focused on creating highly targeted link bait content to garner link love from top trusted sites in a given keyword marketplace.
For the initial launch we have done a broad range of tactics that have all gone very well and have already begun to drub up interested parties.
For starters, we created a product page for our new Authority Link Development service (shameless I know) on BoldInteractive.com and an announcement post once it was up.
Then Garrett wrote a killer piece of link bait on Building Hub Links: a 5 Point Strategy Guide for Creative SEOs. That brilliant post earned us a quick bit of love from the Pilgrim himself, Andy Beal.
So far so good right?
Then cut to Friday night at 9:45 pm after I have been working to get an announcement out to my Linked-In network to announce the great new product.
I get the post written, get all my contacts lined up and get ready to send the post. I give it one last looksee before I hit the big send button and notice a typo in the title of the post.
A glaring, in your face, OMG what a joke, does this guy mean to be taken seriously kind typo. Luckily, I hadn’t sent anything and was able to correct the mistake before sending out the blast.
So corrected it in the available fields, and hit the send button.
Moments later, I go to my linked in homepage and what do I see there staring at me eating away at my very soul.
ITS THE F-NG TYPO!
“Do you know of anyone or are your self in need of some Authority Link Development?” Like I needed to bold it.
Not a minute earlier I had corrected it to read “Do you know of anyone in need of some Authority Link Development?” the “or are you yourself” line was awkward anyway. The important thing is that I thought I had fixed it.
Instant mortification. I know this is not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things but as a young entrepreneur in the beginning of my second year as a business owner, sending a product offering out to all of my past and present colleagues and clients, this sucks. As I type, Gmail notifier is blinking little messages in the corner of my screen form auto responders of people who have received my post but are out of town. It’s mocking me with with every flutter like the kids middle school laughing when my own snoring woke me up at my desk during a math lesson with a thud and a jerk.
I feel like I should close this post like an episode of The Wonder Years with some life’s lesson learned. Na. I’m just going to submit this post, close my computer, and wait until tomorrow for all of my friends, who care enough, who are hoping deep down that it’s not too late to fix before Monday, to notify me about the typo.
Fortunately, life, and business, goes on.
Update: (5 mins later) (No I didn’t close my computer but I will after this)
Apparently, my correction affected the subject line of the email that went out as a result of my post but the subject line that actually shows up in Linked-In still has the typo line. So, its not as bad as it could be, but still sucks.
Now it’s your turn.
Let’s go ahead and complete my embarrassment by linking to this post and adding your stories to the mix. I want to hear about your most agonizing irrevocable typo? Leave it in the comments or post on your own blog with a trackback for all to point and laugh at.
After all, the only thing more fun than laughing at others, is laughing at yourself. (How’s that for a Wonder Years closing)
To get the ball rolling, I’m gonna go ahead and do some tagging.
Garrett
Nathania
Cordster
Ben
Phil
Thad
Garrett French Said,
August 25, 2007 @ 7:15 am
My name is Garrett French and… I’m a typo-holic.
My most shameful typo in recent memory was to a potential side-gig employer seeking EDITORS for a medical site. In discussing my previous experience that made me a perfect fit for the gig I wrote that I’d been in Commmunications.
co-MMM-unications.
Oh buddy I got the gut-wrench off of that one when I saw it underlined red in my gmail sent box.
Irrevocable agony.
Thanks for the tag Adam – good to share some mortification with y’all
Nathania Said,
August 25, 2007 @ 10:48 am
Sigh. This is why you hired me. You’re paying me but not using me. It’s a pretty sweet gig.
adam schultz Said,
August 25, 2007 @ 2:21 pm
I like to hear what the readers of BoldInteractive.com and our clients think of that comment.
Don’t even try to play like you haven’t been kicking ass and taking names.
Adam Said,
August 26, 2007 @ 5:56 am
Garrett,
Thanks for sharing. The first step is admitting you have a problem. I think you are well on your way to recovery.
Stephen Ward Said,
August 27, 2007 @ 5:55 am
Sorry, Adam, but I don’t make tpyos.
Phil Said,
August 27, 2007 @ 11:17 pm
From a slightly different category of data-entry error: back in ‘95 I sent an email with a cc: to the person I was speaking poorly of. Ouch. Ever since, I have been very very careful to avoid saying things in email that I wouldn’t want repeated.
Regarding typos, I should also mention that I’m seeing lots of preventable mistakes in the resumes and cover letters I’m reviewing for an executive search gig. Unfortunately, some of these typos are showing up in the inquiries of folks who otherwise look like very strong candidates. My plan is to use these typos as an opportunity to play bad cop to see how the candidates deal with criticism/stress. I will ask them how they, themselves, have dealt with job applicants who have typos in their inquiries. Then I’ll enumerate the typos in their own applications. We’ll see how that goes…
Adam Said,
August 28, 2007 @ 7:30 am
Stephen,
The best part about your comment is that i believe you.
Phil,
That sounds like a killer social experiment. Be sure to comment a link to your post when you’re done.