Online vs paper-based editing

[Ned Bedinger]

Diane Haugen wrote:

> 
> once the document grows to a few pages, the large 
> organizational changes that are needed simply do not show up without 
> printing out the document and looking at it, preferably a day or so 
> later.

Before editing my own work, I usually need to step back from the 
document and let the sentences fade from my neurons, before I can take a 
fresh look.

After writing a document on a computer, I find that looking at a hard 
copy of the document helps me to read it more critically and 
objectively. I'm habituated to the document on a screen, so the hard 
copy gives it a slight novelty that is useful when I edit.


> fixed. However, I suspect some of your difficulty is that the whole 
> issue of online editing versus paper editing involves a lot of 
> variables which make it difficult to generalize.


Amen.

I think there's also another twist. After thinking about why I prefer 
editing on paper and what a survey might reveal, I believe that the 
variable 'occupation' (editor or writer) ought to also be gathered in 
any survey of editing preference, as it could be confounding.


BTW Diane, I sent you a link to Christina Haas's Thesis at CMU English 
Department. The CMU library system has it on fiche (I think you can 
order a copy, for a fee). Several other works with her name on them are 
in various CMU library stacks. My curiosity is especially piqued by this 
title of hers:

"Social dynamics, or scientific truth, or sheer human cussedness : 
design decisions in the evolution of the Andrew user interface "



With regard for sheer human cussedness,

Ned Bedinger
doc at edwordsmith.com