Re: Editing Marks - Please Help!!!

Subject: Re: Editing Marks - Please Help!!!
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 12:13:26 -0800

Janice Gelb wrote:

> I didn't realize it was a choice. I certainly expand on what I mean by a mark if it needs more explanation than just a delete sign or something, but I'm still a bit
confused on how you mark up text without some sort of marks system. And if you're using one, why the standard one would be any more confusing than a made-up one.

In extreme cases, I've found it necessary to give explanations for every error, and, instead of using any system of marks, to spell out "parallelism" or "lack of agreement." Again, let me stress that this isn't an ideal way to work. In fact, it's very cumbersome. But, at times, it's the only way I've found to be reasonably sure that the editing wasn't ignored.

> |Also, I've been using the same marks for over 20 years -- I've |never had a writer feel that they got in the way or |were difficult to understand.

Our experiences do seem to be polar opposites, don't they? Maybe you edit a more knowledgable group of people than I do.


|> Even if they're not, aren't most of them relatively self-explanatory? Where are people getting confused?

They probably only seem self-explanatory because you're used to them and have been using them for a long time. However, if you step back and imagine that you're seeing them for the first time, I think you'll find that they're no more self-explanatory than the alphabet.

Sorry to drag this on but it fascinates me that something
that I've never seen or experienced as a problem is such a big one for other people.

No problem. For my part, I'm amazed that you're experience is so different from mine. But isn't that part of what the list's about?



--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"Microsoft manuals, for example, are listed at the 19,669th most useless thing in the world,which sounds like a boost for the boys from Seattle until you realize that #19,668 is a bottomless bucket and #19,760 is a one-lira coin."
-Tom Holt, "Nothing But Blue Skies"


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Collect Royalties, Not Rejection Letters! Tell us your rejection story when you submit your manuscript to iUniverse Nov. 6 -Dec. 15 and get five free copies of your book. What are you waiting for? http://www.iuniverse.com/media/techwr

Have you looked at the new content on TECHWR-L lately?
See http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ and check it out.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Follow-Ups:

References:
Re: Editing Marks - Please Help!!!: From: Janice Gelb

Previous by Author: Re: job interview question: ethical issues about portfolio
Next by Author: Re: job interview question: ethical issues about portfolio
Previous by Thread: Re: Editing Marks - Please Help!!!
Next by Thread: RE: Editing Marks - Please Help!!!


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads