tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post253224150428852422..comments2024-03-28T10:08:38.560-04:00Comments on The Adventures of Roberta X: Dear NBC:Roberta Xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956807794520627885noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-61669419381840813612014-03-14T09:06:42.056-04:002014-03-14T09:06:42.056-04:00Two more thoughts:
I remember back when journalis...Two more thoughts:<br /><br />I remember back when journalists turned in their typewriters for word processors. It was very obvious when they began using spell checking; malapropisms began appearing frequently. But these were _big_ words that in the old days you wouldn't use unless you were willing to pull out the dictionary and look it up. Obviously, they were trying to type it and then picking something out of the list of suggestions from the spell checker, and their proofreaders were not familiar enough with the word to recognize the mis-use. What I did not see in those early days was mistakes in little words like brake/break; they knew how to spell those, and their editors and proofreaders would catch it if they didn't. Now, it's like they're college-educated semi-literates - even though this is what they majored in! If they can foul this up, what are the chances that they understand the story?<br /><br />Long ago when I went to engineering school, engineers' alleged lack of communications skills was a running joke. E.g., "I used to cudnt spel enginnier, now I are one." (I might be atypical - my SAT scores were 800 verbal, 790 math - but I'm also rather autistic so knowing grammar and spelling doesn't mean I can communicate.) But I haven't noticed engineers mixing up "brakes" and "breaks". Details like that are important if you want to avoid breaking things... <br /><br />markmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-27527380100716233032014-03-13T20:30:41.070-04:002014-03-13T20:30:41.070-04:0075% of the people on the internet don't know t...75% of the people on the internet don't know the difference. You wouldn't expect journalists to have paid more attention in English class than all the other fools out there, would you?markmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-88536909050336299892014-03-13T10:37:44.707-04:002014-03-13T10:37:44.707-04:00The results can be hilarious, if not outright mock...The results can be hilarious, if not <a href="http://eb-misfit.blogspot.com/2013/03/fun-with-captions.html" rel="nofollow">outright mockable</a>.Comrade Misfithttp://eb-misfit.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-79539311510279254082014-03-12T20:42:18.608-04:002014-03-12T20:42:18.608-04:00Drifter: ah, see, there's a kind of algebra of...Drifter: ah, see, there's a kind of algebra of ambition and exploitation at work: a star-struck New Yorker knows what a living wage in the Big City is; a non-star-struck Flyoverite (me, for instance) won't move to the Big City. Nope, for your toilers-in-the-darkness, what you want are kids from the Heartland with their eyes on the stars. You pay 'em in hope and a chance to rub shoulders with (or at least clean up after) Greatness.<br /><br /> The attrition rate is, naturally, horrendous. Somehow, there are always plenty more where those came from. Most of them can't spell, either.Roberta Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09956807794520627885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-73410916183289199212014-03-12T19:24:34.838-04:002014-03-12T19:24:34.838-04:00This drives me crazy, I see it in our local daily ...This drives me crazy, I see it in our local daily newspaper from time to time. Didn't used to EVER happen. <><br />jdunmyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09304517693383396419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-69536645919205330292014-03-12T17:34:52.974-04:002014-03-12T17:34:52.974-04:00That is a much better informed explanation than wh...That is a much better informed explanation than what I guessed, which is that some sort of crappy voice-recognition software was involved, such as an early version of Dragon Naturally Speaking.<br /><br /><a href="http://americandigest.org/sidelines/2014/03/#a025806" rel="nofollow">Here's another example which might amuse you.</a><br /><br />Mike JamesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-54966035259720175132014-03-12T14:42:52.186-04:002014-03-12T14:42:52.186-04:00Why does it have to be someone from the sticks? I...Why does it have to be someone from the sticks? I grew up deep, deep in flyover country, and we had the best English teacher around.<br /><br />-DrifterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-7711589712224915432014-03-12T13:36:01.951-04:002014-03-12T13:36:01.951-04:00Muzzle BRAKES, too. Dunno how many time I see som...Muzzle BRAKES, too. Dunno how many time I see something referring to a broken muzzle...Gewehr98https://www.blogger.com/profile/14440119702457734221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-17526625470317073662014-03-12T12:49:07.116-04:002014-03-12T12:49:07.116-04:00Sadly, we gunnies are just as guilty. I don't...Sadly, we gunnies are just as guilty. I don't know how many times I've ground my teeth over "muzzle break."<br /><br />But then again, most of us are not professional wordsmiths with a vast audience.rickn8orhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911803300343351338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-2001562923184263932014-03-12T10:33:59.919-04:002014-03-12T10:33:59.919-04:00Both our local stations suck in this regard. The ...Both our local stations suck in this regard. The worst one lately was reporting on the local spelling bee while the chyron read "Speling Bee."Sdv1949https://www.blogger.com/profile/10328393603099830913noreply@blogger.com