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Punctuation does matter.  As a misuser of commas, semicolons and the likes, I spend a lot of time reading books to improve my writing and proof reading skills.  But, we have to be honest; we live in a country where most people have no clue about writing.  How many times have you seen an advertisement that reads “3 DVD’s for $20.00” when it should read “3 DVDs for $20.00”? The main problem with a bad punctuation is that it can change the whole meaning of a sentence.  Case on point: An English professor wrote the words, “Woman without her man is nothing” on the blackboard and directed his students to punctuate it correctly.  The men wrote: “Woman, without her man, is nothing.”  The women wrote: “Woman: Without her, man is nothing.” Do you see what I see? Same words, different punctuation, different meaning! A bad punctuation that changes the meaning of a sentence not only can get you fired, but it can cost you or your company millions of dollars.  That was the issue surrounding the 2006 case of the “million dollar comma.”  The argument over whether Bell Aliant, a telephone company, can cancel a contract it had with Rogers Communications, the large cable television provider.  The dispute turned on a single comma in the 14-page contract. The dispute was worth 1 million Canadian dollars. The dispute was over this sentence: ‘This agreement shall be effective from the date it is made and shall continue in force for a period of five (5) years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five (5) year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.’ Bell Aliant argued that it could end its five-year agreement with Rogers at any time with a one year notice.  However, Rogers argued that the contract was for a minimum of five years and automatically renew for another five years, unless a telephone company cancels the agreement before the start of the final 12 months. Citing the ‘rules of punctuation,’ a regulator of Canada’s telecommunications ruled that the meaning of the clause was clear and unambiguous and that the comma “[the comma before ‘unless and until terminated’] meant that the part of the sentence describing the one-year notice for cancellation applied to both the five-year term as well as its renewal. Therefore, the regulator found, the phone company could end the contract after as little as one year. Well, not so clear and unambiguous after all.  On August 20, 2007, the 2006 interpretation of the comma was reversed. In the 2007 decision, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission issued a decision concluding that the French-Language version of the Bell Aliant-Rogers contract clearly indicated that Bell Aliant could terminate the contract only “upon notice one year prior to the end of the initial term or one year prior to the end of a renewed term.” To have some fun while learning, check out Lynne Truss’ Eats, Shoots & Leaves (my favorite punctuation book) or check out “Clear Writing with Mr. Clarity,“ a wonderful blog about writing maintained by Mr. Clarity, Joe Roy. http://www.gossipsecretaries.com/blog/item/punctuation_does_matter_the_case_of_the_million_dollar_comma/