Re: Online vs paper-based editing

[Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM>]

Jeannine Klein wrote:
> Do most of you edit on the computer screen or on a paper printout? And is
> the answer different depending on whether the material you're editing was
> written by you or by someone else? (I know the answer changes for me.) Also,
> do you know of any studies on the question? (I can't find anything in the
> STC archives.)
> 

If I am editing my own work, or work authored by
someone who is required to make all of the corrections,
then I edit online. However, my work environment is
such that the authors are not bound to incorporate
all of my edits. Therefore, I do the majority of my
editing on paper unless the piece is brief.

I am geographically distant from many of my authors,
so if a piece is very brief, I will sometimes just
send the corrections to be made in an email message or
use change-tracking online. If a piece is longer but
still needs a relatively quick turnaround time, I scan
the paper markup and send the scanned file (which
unfortunately loses the contrast of red ink...)

I very much dislike editing online when I have to
show all the corrections rather than just making
them. I find it strange to have to delete something
in one place and then insert it in another in order
to show that a suggestion that text be moved. I also
find it much more difficult to make punctuation
corrections. Finally, I also find it *much* more
of a physical strain to read large amounts of text
online and to have to use very fine motor movements
to place the cursor exactly where I need it to strike
out a punctuation mark or small word, for example.

Also, adding explanatory text about the edit is more
difficult online than just writing in the margin on
a printed copy.

I should note that I work in a UNIX environment so
possibly better tools are available than the process
I've described. However, I think many of my objections
would still apply. /(/h/i/,///G/e/o/f/f//[/g/]/)/

-- Janice

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Janice Gelb          | The only connection Sun has with
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