Re: Typos of the week!
In our previous episode at 02:22 PM 9/28/01, CC wrote:
A document is lying face-up, and
instantaneously, almost unconsciously, you look it
over and say "Typo!" before you can stop yourself.
Yep. I do that, and you're right about the annoyance it can sometimes cause. I excuse myself by saying that everyone has a superpower (generally useless) and that one is mine.
I can do it - and point out bad design practice, too. But I keep the observations to myself unless I'm asked.
Too often, this kind of observation is used as a kind of ad hominem attack, putting people down as ignorant without addressing the content of their writing. At the very least, the person who makes the observation looks as if they're making a claim to superior knowledge and bragging. With the grammar neurosis that inflicts our schools, it could hardly be otherwise. I don't care to be the focus of that resentment, or appear to be putting on airs.
I remember some extraordinarily vicious English department meetings at a community college where I worked for a couple of years. The department had several factions, and anyone who placed a document in front of the meeting had to endure ten minutes of nitpicking from rival factions before anyone actually discussed the contents. Once or twice, nobody even got to the contents. And, since everyone was highly skilled, the game of Gotcha became very convoluted and anal-retentive indeed.
The experience left a very bad taste in my mouth, even though, as a sessional instructor, I rarely had any input, so rarely had to endure the attack. But, after a few meetings, I decided to keep my observations to myself.
--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com
"Getting even is one reason for writing."
- William Gass
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References:
Re: Typos of the week!: From: Tracy Boyington
Re: Typos of the week!: From: Beth Friedman
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