[lbo-talk] Typos and selfishness (was Twitter 40%)

Gar Lipow the.typo.boy at gmail.com
Fri Aug 14 19:06:45 PDT 2009


On 8/14/09, Michael Pollak <mpollak at panix.com> wrote:
>
>> Michael Pollak once told me that they make me look careless (as in
>> uncaring about other people) and maybe a little ignorant. Oh well. I
>> figure that's your problem if you think so.
>
> Ha! I don't remember saying that stuff about appearing not to care about
> other people, but if I did, that last sentence makes my case :-)
>
I don't know. I have bad eyes, an RSI, and even before those afflictions had a real problem with typos creeping into my work. It especially happens when I edit. Fragments of the first version tend to hang around and mix with the final version of the sentence. To prevent this I can print out the work, hand edit, enter the corrections, print out again, read out loud, find more errors, make corrections - rinse, lather repeat. I do this for stuff I submit for publication in actual periodicals. But should I really do this every time I post to lbo-talk? Having to go through all that I'd never post, other than to forward copies of stuff I submit other places. Maybe it would be a plus. But I think my comments are useful enough to be worth having to wince at an occasional typo.

And to bring this back to Shag, I think my stuff on average has more typos than her. But I don't think I'm being selfish to send it. And I don't think Shag is being selfish to share her thoughts with us, especially since she her unique skill sets of interescting knowledge provides insight I don't see anyone else on this list providing - or really any off this list either. I'll take her stuff typos and all over her not posting it. And given that Shag does not have unlimited time, I suspect that is the choice.



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