The Lower Echelon of Spelling
I care about spelling. That does not necessarily mean I am good at it. But, when I am about to type an unfamiliar word, I pause momentarily and ask myself "is that the correct spelling?" and will consult a dictionary. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. That's how my spelling improves. I did this the other day when I was about to write the word echelon, and in doing so have concluded that everyone should avoid this word at all cost. I believe it triggers the yet-to-be-discovered "bad spelling gene" that infects so many careless spellers.
Let's start with simplicity itself. The Echelon Corporation. You can find them at www.echelon.com, just where you'd expect. Nowhere on their FAQ do they mention how to spell their company name, nor do they make any apologies or explanations for choosing such a name. Why should they? They spell the word correctly. I applaud them.
As far as I can tell, it seems they do not have a wholly-owned subsidiary called "Echelon Telecom", though even the FCC, Reuters, and the Department of Justice seem to believe they might. They (and many others) refer to "Echelon Telecom" in financial, business, and legal documents. Is Echelon trying to hide something? Oh wait! No, those are just mistakes! They are documents written by educated people who know how to spell echelon. But really, they meant to say "Eschelon Telecom"!
Eschelon Telcom (of Utah) has dibs on www.eschelon.com. Here is where things get interesting. When I went to their website, I was thankful that, right at the top, they have a link titled "Why Eschelon?" Thank God, I thought, they're going to explain! But, alas, nowhere do they answer the vital question "Why not Echelon?". The page simply talks about their business and ignores the pressing issue of the name itself! Nowhere on the "Eschelon's History" page do they talk about how they chose the name. They only mention that it was founded in 1996 by Chairman Cliff Williams.
In fairness, if you look back in history, today's word echelon has its origins in the Old French word eschelon. However, no dictionary I can find lists eschelon (or even eschalon) as alternative or even "incorrect" or "archaic" spellings. The word is echelon, folks. My guess is Cliff can't spell, or his branding advisors can't. I claim that they chose their name poorly.
In defense of my claim, I call your attention to Docket 01-2263-01 issued by the Public Service Commission of Utah which "replaces a previous Order issued on October 4, 2001 and corrects the spelling of the Applicant's name". What was the incorrect spelling? Eschalon! So, when the Utah PSC misspelled Eschelon, they tried Eschalon. I at least give the Justice Department credit for "misspelling correctly".
Eschalon Telecom is in Utah, too! Coincidence? I don't think so. A quick search of "utah spelling errors" in Google reveals the truth: Utah has trouble with spelling. It goes way back I think. Early copies of "Life in Utah" (Beadle) when archived, require special considerations by the archivist such as "I have retained the original spelling for most of the incorrectly spelled words". A blogger notes that fans at his Provo event did not know how to spell "Kick Their Asses" on the signs they were holding up. Worse, while driving home after the game he encountered the road sign "Icey roads ahead". And, as if that weren't enough, when searching for freelance proofreaders in Utah, we get the unfortunate result "0 Utah Proof Reading Specialists Found" from www.freelancedesigners.com.
Such tales, both historical and apocryphal, speak volumes for the state that not only spends the least per pupil on public education and had the highest percentage of voters bring Bush into office, but also gave us the "cold fusion" debacle. Suffice it to say that I believe they're aware of the problem. Provo knows about its misspelled street signs, and even mentions in their home page general policy that "Spelling errors will reflect on the image of Provo City". It's unclear whether they meant that as a positive or negative.
But, I digress. There may be worse offenders.
For example, what about Upper Eschelon Music Production Services at www.uppereschelon.com? Is that an intentional misspelling designed to make us think they're "kewl"? Ya think?
Certainly anybody trying to use Google to determine how to spell this word better look pretty hard. If you search for "upper eschelon", you'll find thousands of apparently literate people who don't know how to spell the word. I note the complete absence of the FCC, Reuters, and the Department of Justice in these searches. They were the ones who felt compelled to refer to the Echelon corporation. Maybe it renews my faith in government and media. At least they can spell.
A word of advice, though. If you're choosing a company name, why not pick one that people won't have any trouble spelling? You'll save filing fees to correct misspellings, and avoid having a dozen or two Google searches for your name taking you elsewhere. I know that I've probably opened myself up to criticism here. Go ahead, I welcome you to check my blog entries for spelling errors. I'm sure I've made a few outstanding mistakes.
If you report one, I'll be thankful. I'll correct it. At least I won't have to change my domain name.
