RE: What's the significance of a draft

[Kim Roper <kim -dot- roper -at- vitana -dot- com>]

Anonymous asked:

> Background: I ask because over the holiday weekend, my boss 
> pulled a rough
> draft from my cube that I had printed on Friday (for my own 
> review when I returned on Wednesday), and went through it. 

THAT was rude.

> Of course there were many
> errors. I was shocked to walk in this morning and be confronted about
> this. Moreover, this individual began to question my editing 
> skills, and said that my rough draft was too 'rough'. 

Oh fer ... *pahhh*

> We were not pressed for a
> deadline, and I cannot help but feel set up. 

Yes, I think your feeling is justified.  Welcome to the wonderful world of
micromanagement.

> I tried to explain that it
> was a rough draft not meant for any one's eyes, but he/she 
> wanted to know
> why I had even bothered to print it out. I suppose that I 
> could get with the times and edit online, but I find that I 
> personally edit better from printed materials. 

And THAT is a good enough reason, especially since this person has
questioned your editing skills.

> We never edit each other's work here, we do not have an
> Editor, and I have never had any one go into my desk and hunt 
> around for incriminating draft work.

I wonder if this person would criticize a prenatal ultrasound ...

> How do all of you handle draft material? Do you edit at home 
> to avoid this type of situation? 

That's a nice option to have, but it's an unreasonable working condition
unless you're a consultant.

> Has this scenario ever happened to any one else? 

Only when someone demanded that I send him a draft. Afterward, he demanded
that all drafts be typo-free.  THAT is a waste of time.

> Do you edit online 

Prelims.

> or in print 

Later versions.

> and why do you prefer doing that way? 

I can spot stuff in print that I can't spot on screen, and I can move the
printout to a more comfortable location (like my bathtub).

> If you print the draft out on paper, do you mark it a certain way to 
> identify it as an editor's copy? - I had written on it in red pen (a note 
> to myself concerning various items to look specifically for), and the word

> "Draft" was in the header.

If someone can find something on my desk <grin>, it's a draft.  My finals
are submitted electronically or left on someone else's desk.  There's the
odd thing that's stuffed into a folder, but that's about the only exception.

Sláinte ... Kim

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