Punctuation frustration

None of us are perfect, and we all make typos (I once sent a press release saying my client was serving "shipped" potatoes instead of "whipped"), but I am becoming alarmed at the number of press releases I receive on a regular basis with punctuation errors, particularly the dreaded apostrophe S and my "why is this even an issue" pet peeve, your/you're.

Here's the latest:

Subject: Chef's that hunt

Hi Geri,

Chef’s Jacques Qualin of J&G Steakhouse, Robert McGrath of Renegade Canteen and Steve Freidkin of TEXAZ Grill are all avid hunters and fishermen. Would you be interested in composing a feature on these three Valley chefs that would discuss how they prepare the game that they take home?

Chef's? Twice? Really?

And I think most of you saw the release from the Arizona Animal Welfare League with the subject line, "Your Invited."

What should we do when these land in our inboxes? Send a note back? Post them on blogs in hopes of embarrassing the writers into learning proper English? Anonymously send the writers copies of "Eats, Shoots and Leaves"? Why aren't clients gnashing teeth and tearing out hair (and demanding proofreaders)? I am getting releases from some of the same people and agencies over and over with these glaring mistakes.

Do not get me started on Web site developers. They charge thousands of dollars, but can't shell out $200-$400 to a proofreader so their client doesn't look functionally illiterate? Highway robbery.

Alas, the scourge appears to be spreading. I recently returned from my vacation in New Zealand, where signs and menus were rife with spelling and punctuation errors. Among the things I saw for sale: "puppy's" and "egg's."