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Subject:Editing and the Internet: Questions for Research From:C Cone <jablonsk -at- RT66 -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 10 Nov 1994 22:08:42 GMT
I am preparing a paper for a graduate class in editing, and I'd
appreciate your comments about editing and online communication. I've
prepared several questions regarding both traditional editing and new
avenues for editing electronic products. I'm also interested in your
general opinions and speculations--especially if you think I'm not asking
the right questions.
1. Traditional Editing Applied to Online Stuff
-Casual Correspondence
How much do you edit your email, BBS postings, mail list messages, etc.?
Do you proofread or spell-check? Does the software you use for
correspondence facilitate or hinder such editing? How do you respond to
errors in correspondence from others?
-Formal Online Documents and Electronic Product
How much do you edit online documents and electronic products intended
for sale or repeated distribution? If they are edited, who edits them,
and to what extent? Are there policies for editing these products, or is
each one treated individually? Are they edited online? Is any specific
software used for editing? Do you respond differently to errors in
online or electronic products than you would to errors in traditionally
printed matter?
2. New Roles for Editors in Online/Electronic Publishing
-What kind of edits do multimedia, hypertext, or CD Rom documents
undergo? Are editors involved in the production/development of these
media? How are "bugs" discovered? What kind of training is necessary to
edit these media?
-How does electronic/online publishing change the mindset of editing?
How does it change the expectations and responsibilities of editors?
-A recent Publisher's Weekly article mentioned the value of a consistent
"editorial voice" in electronic products. What do you think editors can
contribute to electronic publishing?
