The ad seems to have been removed from Craigslist so I have not read it. But as many people here know, wording can make a HUGE difference in how a reader perceives what is written. For people who pooh-pooh the relationship of wording to reader perception, this has been a beautiful example of how an apparently legitimate attempt to sell a decent boat can be met with all sorts of skepticism and negative reaction based solely on the wording of the ad. The end result is a bad taste in everyone's mouth and the potential loss of a sale.
A big part of my day job is writing, everything from scripts to interview questions to e-mails trying to persuade someone or some company or the government to do something they ordinarily would not want to do. And my night job is writing as well. I've learned--- sometimes the hard way--- just how effective words and phrasing can be in both positive and negative ways.
So if a person wants to sell something and has any doubt regarding their ability to word the ad or announcement effectively, or even if they
think they have the ability, it can be a good idea to run the proposed ad past someone who can read it objectively and can offer advice or suggestions as to how to maximize its effectiveness. Particularly someone familiar with the environment the ad addresses, selling a boat in this case.
A lot of people reading the exchange between Billy and the forum would come away with a fundamentally negative image of the boat, the seller, and the whole deal. I certainly did and I hadn't even read the ad. And, as all the bozos trying to be president have discovered, it takes a LOT more effort with far greater chances of failure to correct a negative perception than to create a positive one from the outset. The wording of something so simple as a Craigslist ad can make the entire difference between a sale and no sale.
So be careful at those keyboards out there.
