 sj |
||
|
||
BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary...
|
|
|
Subject: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 17 Feb 01 - 02:17 AM "Proofresding id the bane of litterary genius." After viewing the threads for several weaks, I have noticed various creative spelling and typo errors. They were only brought to my attention by the author of the thread in sicere embarrasing apologies. What the Hey! Shakespeare had many spellings for his own name. So, folks it don't mater to me if we goof up on the net. Jest don't apologise for your eras! Life goos on! If we don't get tit we will ask you what you meant. We're all pretty sivalized here on Mudcat. What's you're take on this Folks? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 17 Feb 01 - 02:23 AM OH GOD! I'm so sorry for not proofreading that thread. Of all threads not to proofraed! I'm so embarrassed! wdyat12 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Joe Offer Date: 17 Feb 01 - 06:12 AM It's a sign of age, Wydat. I used to be perfect - and now I'm over 50... -Joe Offer- |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: bill\sables Date: 17 Feb 01 - 08:19 AM Here is a true story concerning proofreading. A printing company near Newcastle England, who specialised in printing banknotes had a very large order from one of the Arab countries to print millions of pounds worth of their bills. When the first proofs were run off they were scrutinised for every line and squiggle as no one at the printers knew how to read Arabic. They were then loaded into a truck and driven to their destination. A few days later the manager of the printing firn had a letter from the customer rejecting all of thwm; it seemed they all had SPECIMIN written in arabic right across the front. Bill |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: kendall Date: 17 Feb 01 - 08:30 AM We all make minor spelling mistakes. Most are from carelessness or laziness. The problem for me is, sometimes a word makes no sense at all, so, I find it hard to understand what the poster is trying to say. Then, my own laziness prevents me from bothering to ask. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Hawker Date: 17 Feb 01 - 09:05 AM I used to proof read for a newspaper, one or two classics always slip through the net, it is I believe something to do with the brain actually reading the word correctly, as it is anticipatind the next word,so you do not see the mistake, and believe me when you are reading oft times rather tedious boring local tittle tattle, you do go a bit glazed after a time. I was replaced by a computer who did not know the difference between certain words and if it was spelt correctly would accept it, this was interesting! There were MANY MANY hilrious out takes, which I would have loved to leave in!!!Lucy |
|
Subject: Preaf rooding... From: Bernard Date: 17 Feb 01 - 10:08 AM I'm not normally too bad with my spelling, but I do find the errors creep in if I'm in a hurry... Combine that with an old, slow computer that slows down a bit more each time I copy and paste, and errors creep in because the computer can't keep up with my blisteringly slow typing... Anyway, who cares about the odd mispelling or 'typo'? It's what the person has to say that is important - and it is certainly not a mark of intelligence (or lack of it). I've always been good at spelling, but there are many people who I consider to be much more intelligent than I, but they can't spell to save their lives. Each to their own! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Clinton Hammond Date: 17 Feb 01 - 01:08 PM what's my take on it? a decent MB like uBB or eZBoard allows a poster to edit their posts afterwards, or preview them before they are posted... why mudcat doesn't use one of those formats I have no idea?!?!?!?! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Metchosin Date: 17 Feb 01 - 01:23 PM Well you could put the stuff in Word first and run a spell check then cut and paste, but I gave up on that as it takes too long because Canadian spelling always come up as errors and then I had to proof read the spell check. So, as usual, my posts are usually full of errors and gaffs. But then again, I usually don't see others' errors as per Hawker's explanation. And to think that I used to have a job as a proof reader too. I tend to read things differently when I am reading for structure and not for content, so I would never apply the standard here in the forum. My other excuse is as Joe suggested, age. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Clinton Hammond Date: 17 Feb 01 - 01:41 PM Metch... That's why I use Corel instead of Micro$oft... Corel comes with Canadian English installed... and it's really easy to set it up as the default... But I still think it's bad enough that we have to put in our own HTML tags on this primative, hack MB... Asking people to cut'n'paste back and forth is way over the top... |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 17 Feb 01 - 01:57 PM Age is no excuse. I am in denial to the end Joe. I'll go with Bernard's and kendall's take on this, laziness is the real answer. I'll be the first to admit that I'm really lazy about proofreading when I just can't wait to print or send copy. However, I would use a spellcheck if we had one here on Mudcat. I don't trust my ability to cut, paste, and export text off my screen yet. I lost a long thread yesterday doing that. wdyat12 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 17 Feb 01 - 03:10 PM Almost as bad as expecting people to tune their own guitars.
Since I got my proofreading plug-in http:www.hotlingo.com a few weeks ago, I have used no other. Life's a lot less embarassing these days.
I've found it quite useful having to learn the odd bit of HTML through the medium of the Mudcat. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 17 Feb 01 - 03:30 PM Thanks McGrath of Harlow, I just ordered my very own Hot Lingo. Now let's see if I'm not too lazy to use it. wdyat12 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Clinton Hammond Date: 17 Feb 01 - 04:37 PM I'd love to get Hotlingo, just as soon as they break with their Micro$oft infatuation... give me a Netscape plug in and I'd use it all the time... HTML is neat to learn, but you don't input codes manually when you use a word processor do you? No... and that's about the level that HTML knowledge is at now-a-days... |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 17 Feb 01 - 05:38 PM ok...once more...here IS a spell checker for Windows that does not require M$.... http://www.quinion.com/mqa/spell.htm when you are typing in ANY edit box, like the place you type Mudcat messages, you just hit alt-ctrl-F12 (default)...and it pops up the spell check....it has MANY differeny languages available, so you can be as American, UK, oe even French-Canadian as you wish..... |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 17 Feb 01 - 05:42 PM as you can see .. *grin* ... I didn't use it...I'm going back now to my original post and do it again ... "when you are typing in ANY edit box, like the place you type Mudcat messages, you just hit alt-ctrl-F12 (default)...and it pops up the spell check....it has MANY different languages available, so you can be as American, UK, or even French-Canadian as you wish....." |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Metchosin Date: 17 Feb 01 - 06:15 PM but not English-Canadian....hmmmm |
|
Subject: Whoooops!! From: Bernard Date: 17 Feb 01 - 06:21 PM My favourite proofreading error, which wasn't a spelling mistake, appeared in our local evening paper a few years ago. It was a very serious, straight article about the increase in the number of 'flashers' in our local parks. The article quoted the local police comment that 'there were more offences in the summer months, and it tended to fall off in the winter...' |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 17 Feb 01 - 06:29 PM are there serious differences between Canadian English and American English?...is Canadian English somewhere between UK English & American English?...I never notice spellings from our Canadian posters which seem very different from my own....
|
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Metchosin Date: 17 Feb 01 - 07:42 PM Bill I said that a bit tongue in cheek, there is a difference but it seems to be predicated upon age.
When I went to school here in Canada in the fifties and sixties, we were corrected if we spelled words such as favour or neighbourhood without the "u" and humiliated if one dared to use nite or lite. During the 70's there was an influx of American teachers in the public school system at least in B.C.and also an influx of American text books in Canadian schools, hence my daughters tend to use the American spelling for most words that differ from standard UK English. There have always been a few UK spellings however, that were never used here as far as I can recall, but the only one that comes to mind at the present is "divers" instead of "diverse" and some which use "z" in place of "s" or vice versa, but again, they are not on the tip of my tongue. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Metchosin Date: 17 Feb 01 - 07:57 PM Here is a table of words with American and UK spelling, and as noted Canadians tend to use a mixture of both. The problem with using a British edition of spell check for me, comes when you want to use symbols for money. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 18 Feb 01 - 12:02 AM hmmmm...an amazing number of words in that list seem to turn on whether to use 's' or 'z' and whether to use 'ae' instead of just 'e' in many words. And as you scroll down, ie seems that UK tends to go for the longer forms...added 'ae's and 'u's (colour)....maybe one aspect of "American" attitudes is the desire to whittle down and simplify. *shrug*... It would seem to me that just as a practical matter, Canada and the US would tend, over the years, to gravitate toward a common spelling as newspapers and TV programs, etc., push the simpler forms. (I was just trying on for size, the British vs. American 'sound' of the 's' and 'z'...and even though I am used to the z sound, the 's' sound is softer and seems to give a more 'subdued' feeling to words, which seems to relect cultural attitudes. Wish I had 2 or 3 more lives so I could research it all. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Metchosin Date: 18 Feb 01 - 12:27 AM To some in Canada Bill, the "U"'s are symbolic. They signify that the Canadian mouse hasn't totally been crushed by the American elephant. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 18 Feb 01 - 12:28 PM Bill D, Sorry I missed your breif, but informative post. I tried downloading the free spell checker you suggested. It gave me an option of either transferring to disc or using file in present location? How did you set this up for use on Mudcat? wdyat12 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 18 Feb 01 - 01:20 PM hmm...all I did was download it and 'install' it...you put(that is, unzip) it into a directory..(or let it put itself in the one it suggests..I forget) and put the dictionary in the same directory.(You do need to know where you put these things..*grin*) Now, you CAN go to that directory and open it to read the help, etc..but it is designed to simply be activated by a hot-key combination..(ctrl-alt-F12) is the default...so when you have typed a message in the Mudcat box..(or any 'editbox' as they are called), it just pops up and gives you suggested changes or tells you it has checked and found no errors..(or lets you add a word...like 'Mudcat'...to the dictionary)....it really is pretty automatic... If it gives you problems, maybe we can pick a time and go thru it by PMs or ICQ or something... have fun,,,, |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 18 Feb 01 - 01:22 PM ( I assume that 'unzipping' programs is something you have done...if not, we need to back up a step...) |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 18 Feb 01 - 02:11 PM Bill D, People should be licensed to use the internet, like they should be licensed to bring babies into this world. I'm licensed for niether. God Help Me! Bill never assume anything. I've just jumped into the internet by the seat of my pants. So, if I ask seemingly stupid questions, it's not that I'm stupid, just ignorant. If you're still with me, how do you unzip a zipfile? Please enlighten the ignorant! All I want are posts unriddled with typos and spelling errors. wdyat12
|
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 18 Feb 01 - 02:58 PM well, that's why I asked.. a zipped file is one that has been compressed by a programming trick to make it smaller according to a formula (or, ususally, MORE than one file made into a single file for the purpose of simple downloading)....unzipping sort of reverses that formula and puts all the individual files back out in full array. There are several programs that will do the trick, some with more bells & whistles, but all have to do about the same 'basic' things..Now you 'may' already have one on your machine, depending on where you got it. If you have a PC, and not a MAC (MACs can't use THAT spellchecker anyway)...you need to look in the Start menu and see if you have anything called WinZip, or anything with 'zip' in the name click 'start', then programs...you see lists of programs..if you have WinZip, it is a matter of opening it, telling it where the zipped file you want it to work on is located, and where you want the unzipped files to be put....(there is some default place where downloaded files will be put, and you can usually read that as you ask for the file to BE downloaded)..you **REALLY** need to learn to poke around in Windows Explorer and get familar with how the tree structure is arranged, so you know where things are...then YOU can make new folders and arrange it in the ways that suit your concept of filing...it's really easy, after you get the basic idea... So..if you have an unzip program...fine...if not you need to download one of those. (now...some programs come in a ".exe" format...and to install those, all you need to do is double click them in the download folder and follow the instructions onscreen...it is sort of a built in unzip program..(I have favorite programs that do this stuff, and I'll steer you to them when and if it seems useful...for now, just see if you can find Explorer and the lists of programs...if WinZip, or anything else like that is there, you may be able to click on the 'help' file and read how to do this by yourself... |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: GUEST,John Hardly Date: 18 Feb 01 - 04:13 PM I was proud of my clevertude after writing this yesterday.
Off coarse, oven spill cheque dozen oh weighs work. Sum thyme if seas a reel word.
I have a spelling chequer |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Grab Date: 18 Feb 01 - 07:00 PM John, I've seen that, only the last line has "my chicken..." :-) Graham. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Clinton Hammond Date: 18 Feb 01 - 09:42 PM BILLD! Ta' fer the heads upon that spell checker... I'll give it a whirl!!! ;-) |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 18 Feb 01 - 11:44 PM Thanks Guest John Hardly, I had a copy of that peom and lost it and now you have provided it here. Your rite their are many weighs two spell the same word. wdat12 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Wolfgang Date: 19 Feb 01 - 05:40 AM folks it don't mater to me if we goof up on the net
I strongly disagree with that opinion, wdyat12, for it interferes with one feature of the web that I enjoy a lot, namely the possibility to refind old information. I wouldn't mind at all in a PM and I do not mind at all in BS posts but I do mind in those parts of this forum that are dedicated to information. Wolfgang |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler Date: 19 Feb 01 - 06:03 AM Typos in thread title do make it difficult to search. I'm as guilty as most (or more so). I've discovered a new form of Sod's Law:However carefully you proofread a document it is only as copy 100 rolls off the photocopier that the glaring typo stares you in the face. RsT, er StR, er RtS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Clinton Hammond Date: 19 Feb 01 - 02:38 PM That spell checker is great BillD!! Ta very much eh!! |
|
Subject: Chell Specking... From: Bernard Date: 19 Feb 01 - 04:12 PM The version of the Spell Check poem I have goes thusly: Spell Checker I have a spelling checker It came with my P.C. It plane lee marks four my revue Miss steaks aye can knot sea. Eye ran this poem threw it Your sure reel glad two no Its very polished inn its weigh My chequer tolled me sew. A chequer is a blessing It freeze yew lodes of thyme It helps me right awl stiles two reed And aides me when aye rime. Each frays comes posed up on my screen Eye trussed too bee a joule The chequer pores o'er every word To cheque sum spelling rule. Bee four a veiling chequers Hour spelling mite decline And if we're lacks or have a laps We wood bee maid too wine. Butt now bee course my spelling Is checked with such grate flare Their are know faults with inn my cite Of nun eye am a wear. Now spelling does knot phase me It does knot bring a tier My pay purrs awl due gladden With wrapped words fare as hear. To rite with care is quite a feet Of witch won should bee proud And wee mussed dew the best wee can Sew floors are knot aloud. Sow ewe can sea wye aye dew prays Such soft wear four pea seas And why eye brake inn two averse Buy righting want too please. N E X T !! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: mousethief Date: 19 Feb 01 - 04:28 PM I hate hate hate misspellings! That said I do it as many as many, but not as much as most. As long as you can tell what they're trying to say, it's not such a big deal. But as has been said, if you're searching on a word, or if it's not at all clear which of 2 possible words somebody means, then it's not cool. How long does it take to go back and make sure you don't have any real gaffes? Maybe I'm just a quicker proofreader than most, but it doesn't take ME that long. Anyway, this is what we get when we let semi-literate people type. The democritization of spelling. ALex |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: John Hardly Date: 19 Feb 01 - 04:29 PM I m |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: John Hardly Date: 19 Feb 01 - 04:48 PM So much for being clever. My post was "I m speechless" though the literal was I am (less than symbol) speech. Two stew peed too live. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 19 Feb 01 - 06:37 PM glad it works, Clinton...I like it..I just have to remember to USE it before I post! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 19 Feb 01 - 06:48 PM Any luck with it all, wydat?.. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: SINSULL Date: 19 Feb 01 - 07:02 PM I was just recently requested to do a final proofread on a new mailing set to go out in two weeks. Lots of money went into the design and text. Keep in mind, we are a networking company doing about 95% of our business by email and through our website. The one mistake I found: Our website address had been mispelled in two different places. The equivalent os SPECIMEN backwards in Arabic. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: SINSULL Date: 19 Feb 01 - 07:03 PM of |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 20 Feb 01 - 03:24 AM Bill D, After downloading your free spell checker source, I found two files in folder form on my desktop. spel302e showed up as a regular folder icon and a zipfile folder icon. Which one should I use? How can I access the right one from this field when I need it? Give me the magic feather, so I can fly. Thanks. wdyat12 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Mark Cohen Date: 20 Feb 01 - 04:07 AM I agree with Clinton, and have been saying for some time that it would really help if we had a "preview" button so we could see our posts as they will appear, before submitting them. It would save having to post twice, once misformatted and once correctly formatted, which has happened to me more than once when posting lyrics. It also would reduce the workload for Joe and the Clones. (For those who don't know, Joe Offer has long performed the thankless job of editing posts in which mistyped HTML tags had left the whole message in large bold letters, or with no line breaks, etc. Subsequently several other angels have been given the power to perform this service.) I'm not as bothered as Clinton seems to be, however, about having to learn a few HTML codes to do line breaks and links and such. I think the absence of RTF-type formatting is a good thing for the 'Cat--it keeps the posts clean and simple for the most part, free of useless formatting doodads, and focusing on the message instead of the medium. (And yes, I realize that our having to use HTML tags makes MORE work for Joe and the Clones when we goof up. But in the words of the Good Gray Poet, "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself." Or, as Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.") Aloha, Mark |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 20 Feb 01 - 04:25 AM John Hardly and SINSUL, How would you guys like a fulltime job? Just kidding. Mudcat's British contingent must be having a good Larf at this thread. wdyat12 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: Bill D Date: 20 Feb 01 - 03:10 PM hmmm...I never downloaded TO the desktop....thing to do is click away at those folders...both of them!...see what's inside. If something happens, it may be some unzipping program at work..(you never said if you found one)..and it could even be an installation happening..in which case, you'll see info on screen. If NOTHING happens, you still should be able to look 'inside' the folder(s) and see what is there...try RIGHT clicking on it/them ..you should get a menu with stuff like 'open' 'copy' 'delete'..etc..including one that says 'properties'...click THAT and see where it says the folder is located...and then go to Windows Explorer (did you ever find it?)and see if you find that folder there (the desktop is only one location among others) ..in order to learn this, you just have to look around in the menus and see whats there...and eventually YOU can control where most things are and how you access them probably the fastest way to start this is if you KNOW someone who already does it, and have them poke and point with you till you get the basics..... |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: SINSULL Date: 20 Feb 01 - 03:32 PM wdyat 12 - it's SINSULL...2 LLs I have offered my services to Ebay where typos, mispelins, and gramaticful errors are rampant. No response. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 20 Feb 01 - 04:02 PM BIll D, Thanks again. Back to the folders for me. wdyat12 |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Proofresding id the bane of litterary... From: wdyat12 Date: 20 Feb 01 - 04:04 PM Just another era SINSULL, I think I know why you were rejected. They have no sense of humor. wdyat12 |