It's called a Spell-Check, people.
Is it too much to ask of people? Am I just being picky and anal-retentive about this? Maybe it comes from my own experience being misquoted and/or my name being misspelled in write-ups about shows and stuff, but it pisses me off to NO END when I see spelling mistakes in publications.
There is a local D/FW guy that puts out a tri-weekly column for (what he claims to be) over 40,000 subscribers nation- and worldwide. It's really a great source of information for Broadway Buzz, Hollywood Buzz, what shows are coming to town, and upcoming auditions, etc....but it also contains his own personal reviews of his 25 favorite shows that he TiVos every week.
Granted, I understand that writing such a huge Column three times a week while going to see shows, writing reviews, and working a day job can be tiresome. But it doesn't take you 3 minutes to click on the little "ABC" tab in Microsoft Word and run through the spell-check.
Now, this has been bugging me for months. One of my favorites of his is saying "loose" when he means "lose." For example: "I think that Leonardo DiCaprio will loose the Oscar to Jamie Foxx." That drives me effing crazy.
But it bugs me more when he misspells people's names...and especially when he spells it two different (wrong) ways in the SAME PARAGRAPH! The example I am speaking of (at least the most recent one from this morning's issue) was his review of the 12 male finalists of American Idol last night. One of the contestants names is Scott Savol. He's pretty good, but that doesn't matter right now. This author spelled it "Scott Sobel" in one paragraph...then not two paragraphs down wrote it as "Scott Sobol." BOTH are wrong. Here's a hint: www.idolonfox.com That will even give you everyone ELSE'S name for future reference!
Seriously...if it were just a few of his buddies reading this, it wouldnt' bug me so much...but he's making a fool out of himself for apparently thousands upon thousands of loyal readers. It just drives me up the wall....
There is a local D/FW guy that puts out a tri-weekly column for (what he claims to be) over 40,000 subscribers nation- and worldwide. It's really a great source of information for Broadway Buzz, Hollywood Buzz, what shows are coming to town, and upcoming auditions, etc....but it also contains his own personal reviews of his 25 favorite shows that he TiVos every week.
Granted, I understand that writing such a huge Column three times a week while going to see shows, writing reviews, and working a day job can be tiresome. But it doesn't take you 3 minutes to click on the little "ABC" tab in Microsoft Word and run through the spell-check.
Now, this has been bugging me for months. One of my favorites of his is saying "loose" when he means "lose." For example: "I think that Leonardo DiCaprio will loose the Oscar to Jamie Foxx." That drives me effing crazy.
But it bugs me more when he misspells people's names...and especially when he spells it two different (wrong) ways in the SAME PARAGRAPH! The example I am speaking of (at least the most recent one from this morning's issue) was his review of the 12 male finalists of American Idol last night. One of the contestants names is Scott Savol. He's pretty good, but that doesn't matter right now. This author spelled it "Scott Sobel" in one paragraph...then not two paragraphs down wrote it as "Scott Sobol." BOTH are wrong. Here's a hint: www.idolonfox.com That will even give you everyone ELSE'S name for future reference!
Seriously...if it were just a few of his buddies reading this, it wouldnt' bug me so much...but he's making a fool out of himself for apparently thousands upon thousands of loyal readers. It just drives me up the wall....
posted by Sassy at 9:44 AM
6 Comments:
Personally, he is such a boon to people like myself, who are not connected professionaly with the DFW audition scene and theatre scene. He keeps average Janes like us very up to speed with what is going on. This is a rarity, and the fact that he sifts through thousands upon thousands of emails and junk mails and god knows what else to bring us a very concise and helpful resource goes so far above and beyond, I am totally willing to excuse spelling and grammar errors. The fact that he does what he is doing simply because he wants to and because he loves to is a wonderful thing and I think that fact should be taken into consideration.
Don't be too hard on him... :-)
I've actually considered volunteering for the job!
And what you must remember is this: editing/proofreading is not just part of my job...it IS my job. I think it is extremely important, especially when you have a huge reading audience. When it's a personal email to a friend or family member, I don't care; if you plan on publishing it for a large mass of people, I think it is imperative.
If you do volunteer for the job, just remember that you are walking a very fine line. He could be thrilled that someone wants to help him, or he could be offended, because basically you are telling him that his work needs editing. So consider your wording very carefully when you offer. :-)
Having been in a similar situation in the past (offering my services to someone in this manner), if you want any tips, I'll be happy to pass them along!
Also, just FYI, his column goes out to "4,770 SUBSCRIBERS WORLDWIDE" (as it says on the latest edition)... That doesn't make it a small number, just not AS big as you may have thought...
Cheers! :-D
My POINT is that it's a national (so he claims) publication, and therefore I think he should proofread it. I am not going to ACTUALLY volunteer for the job. Thanks, though.
Good question. :) I'm still wondering that, myself!
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