I am about to share with you what I believe is the hardest part of “blogging” for me here on steemit.com. Now, I am sure there are some of you who think that it might be properly constructing my sentences, or having the right tense of the verb I am trying to use and all that which goes along with grammar. I couldn’t care less about grammar; if I did I would have gotten signed up for that Grammerly program that seems to keep popping up all the time when I Google search stuff.
Where I struggle the most is proof reading, as a proof reader of other people’s stuff I am pretty good at spotting typos and words that may have been left out but when it comes to my own writing and proofing my Daily Dose I flat suck at it.
I think that I am not alone in this case either, others I have seen make the same mistakes I do. I have to believe that it is 10 times harder to proof read your own writing simply because your brain knows what is suppose to be there even though the words your eyes are showing may not be what is supposed to be there. So the brain just overrides what it is seeing and moves on, which are how the word “in” can end up in a spot were “is” should have been. They are both two letter words, starting with the letter “I” and so the brain just let it slide or at least mine does in some cases. Who here agrees with my take on proof reading your own stuff?
So when you see a mistake in another person’s blog post how do you go about handling it? Do you just call it out down below in a comment?
I appreciate when people let me know that I have screwed up, I honestly do. I myself have a hard time though putting it right below in the comments. It can come across the wrong way to the person who wrote the post, for the most part people really do care about posting quality content, that is how the rewards system is suppose to work, so I won’t just chunk a reply saying “hey dude, fix your screw up” and then tell them what I see wrong with it.
There are people that will do that, I’m just not one of those if at all possible. I try my best to find the writer in a discord channel and drop them a direct message, and almost always the person is very appreciative of my tracking them down and letting them know.
If I can’t find them to DM them I will go find a real old post of theirs and write a comment so that it probably would never even be seen by others, but I just give them the heads up on the current situation. Once they have acknowledged it, I go back and delete my comment. That is a pretty clean way of doing it and also where you don’t embarrass them or yourself by calling out someone’s error.
How many times have you seen a mistake and just let it go when reading someone else’s post? I hate to admit it but I have early on here in my steemit days, not so much anymore though. I won’t even touch grammar for the most part, I stick to stuff that I am absolutely sure of. I know that you don’t get a “price” for winning a contest so I will, and have, slipped a message to the person that they might want to change it to “prize”. That same person looks out for me also and so does another person that recently we have been helping each other out by keeping a close eye on what we each post.
We are all here to earn and learn so if you come across something of mine that could use some fixin’ just let me know. Even if you have to write it in the comments rather than track me down or use an old post, I will appreciate it and you can always delete the comment later if you like.
Seeing that this is Saturday and my normal day for giving away some SBI I have decided to give the SBI to some people who have regularly taken the time to help me by letting me know when I have some errors in my Daily Dose. This week’s folks who I have sponsored into the Steem Basic Income program are @movement19 , @paparodin and @buttcoins.
There are others of you that have on occasion taken the time to point some things out I’m sure and I do appreciate it; but these folks make a real effort on a regular basis to keep my daily dose in the best shape it can be, and that is a pretty tough thing to do considering who is writing this thing. So thanks for all you have done and will continue to do I’m sure.
For those of you who are about to message me about the lack of the “g” on fixin’ , don’t bother. In Texas and other places in the south the “ ‘ “ takes the place of the “g” and it is silent.
Ya’ll have a great day and weekend and stay safe.
Until next time,
@sultnpapper
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https://www.mannabase.com/?ref=43f11540d8
Full disclosure : I do receive a benefit if you sign up for either program using these referral links provided here.
I worked as a copy editor for years, and as a result it's like having a nervous tic when I see mistakes like the wrong use of affect/effect, etc. But I just bite my tongue and let it pass, as in my experience, people don't like being pulled up on their grammar, no matter how gently and tactfully I try to put it!
The one that gets me most is the misuse of the apostrophe. I can't help it! Many people just use apostrophes for decorative effect. I think it's because they think the use of apostrophes is a really complex subject - but it's not! I used to be pretty clueless about it too, and the way I learned how not to use apostrophes was that whenever I was wondering whether to write "it's or its", I would say to myself "Put the dog in it is kennel".
These days I'm more relaxed about grammar. Bad grammar can slow you down when reading as it can be difficult to work out what the writer is really trying to say, but if it's just a few mistakes you generally get the jist.
And as for poetic license - eg, "fixin'" - I love it. One of my favourite YouTubers, who sadly died recently, was Dutch, and he had a creative way of writing his video titles. He always used to drop the 'g' at the end of a word, and use the definite article. So instead of "Bagging Ben More", he would write: "Baggin the Ben More". I love that.
Of course I make grammatical errors too, and you're right that it can be almost impossible to edit your own work. I find it helps to glance over it again 24 hours later.
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It seems to be pretty much the consensus that proofing your own work is difficult. I didn't believe that I was alone in that boat, and I don't mind if people toss me a line that I need to correct, I'll gladly accept it and make the corrections.
I am glad that they have an "edit" button for sure, mine gets a pretty regular workout.
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Yeah I'm glad for that "edit" button too! If I see any "howlers" on your posts I will gently point them out, but so far I've never noticed any. I will ignore minor errors, as this is part of my therapy to try and disengage from my former copy-editing grammar mania!
I have a good friend who has a habit of mispronouncing words, often quite hilariously, but if anyone corrects her, she gets really upset. She's very intelligent, and it could be a kind of dyslexia. So I just bite my tongue when she calls Lake Garda "Lake Giardia" or a friend's dog called Diego, "Dago".
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Congratulations! This post has been chosen as one of the daily Whistle Stops for The STEEM Engine!
You can see your post's place along the track here: The Daily Whistle Stops, Issue #175 (6/24/18)
The STEEM Engine is an initiative dedicated to promoting meaningful engagement across Steemit. Find out more about us and join us today.
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I like when the Whistle makes me a stop on the line, thanks.
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When someone else calls attention to an error in my writing, I am grateful for both their helping to polish my work as well as for the learning experience. Sadly, I know some here who simply "flag" such comments and thereby damage the reputation of those who are merely trying to help. For that reason, I have stopped trying to help those I do not know well, but I would still do it for folks like you. Contacting via DM on Discord is definitely better than leaving a comment on posts, yes, indeed!
Now, regarding the grammar, spelling, and punctuation issue... Sometimes, it doesn't really matter in the grand-scheme of things, but sometimes it does! I have seen people make a rather simple error in grammar or punctuation that completely changes the meaning of the sentence. I am therefore, often left scratching-my-head and wondering what they were trying to say. If I have to read something more than two or three times to try to derive the meaning, I will likely abandon their writing, completely without continuing.
As a child, I was taught to do my best in all things, as that reflects on one's reputation in the world. Those who constantly complain about "grammar nazis" and have a "don't care" attitude when it comes to their writing reveal that they probably have a "don't care" attitude about other things, too.
Someone who doesn't try when it comes to grammar, punctuation, or spelling will never be chosen by me for my banker, politician, sheriff, or contractor to work on my home. If they don't care enough to be articulate in what they say, how can they be trusted? However, if someone tries and doesn't complain when corrected, then they have shown that they truly wish to better themselves and they care how they are perceived by others.
I cut a lot of slack to ESL folks (i.e., those who have English as a Second Language), and appreciate their trying to communicate in a tongue which I understand. And in a reciprocal manner: since there are people here from all over the world, I think we owe it to them to try to be clear with our own language, for their sake!
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I think if I had more time at the end of the day I might be inclined to put a little more effort into making the daily dose as close to perfect as I could but sometimes I literally can't keep my eyes open to even finish it. It's not so much that I don't care but I have to sort of put that at a last priority in the grand scheme of things as it relates to me.
I know you do a great job with the works you publish on here, I can't recall ever seeing something that was an error that I could spot, and your quality of content and correctness get reward well and deservedly so. You are really talented lady and a pleasure to know on here.
The ESL folks deserve a whole lot of credit, I don't know that I could even attempt writing in another language if I thought I was even pretty well spoken in it. If you get a chance check out this young man from Germany named @paparodin , he found his over to the daily dose on a referral and I think he is a quality writer that you might also enjoy.
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I think you do quite well with your blogs, with only an occasional small error, so don't sweat it! You're doing fine! And thanks for the comment on my own work! 😊
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@enchantedspirit has the same problem despite being an incredibly good writer. When proofreading she, like you, knows what it says and cannot see the error. She sometimes gets me to proofread for her, and I often catch something.
As for your posts, I see your errors but I read through them, that is to say, they don't interfere with my comprehension at all.
I do highly recommend Grammarly as long as you don't take it as gospel. If it flags "sy" in " I say I say I sy" I know I goofed. On the other hand, it insists that center as an html tag should comply with my British English dictionary. Basically, you either recognise the flag as correctly marking an error and change it or you don't and you leave well enough alone. Grammarly does not always know best. It does help me though, to catch most of my mistakes.
Trust me, I'm a doctor.
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Proofreading your own work is very difficult! For me, typos usually jump out at me AFTER I press the "post" button so I have to edit (and often re-edit.) I don't mind people pointing out my errors at all.
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Well we share the same boat on edit and re-edit after hitting the "post" button that's for sure. How do you go about it with the books that you publish, I am thinking that you have to have professional proofreaders that handle that for you, is that correct?
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Back in the days when my Facebook author page was getting great engagement (2009-2015/pre-Steemit) I would use volunteer beta-readers to weed through most typos and readability issues and then it would go on to an editor. I would offer the beta readers a free autographed book or something like that in return for their services.
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I proof read my posts many times, and still, sometimes something slips through. The grammarnazi stopped by my post the second I posted it to let me know I misspelled a word. Not sure how I missed it, but hey, it happens.
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Don't be summoning that piece of crap around the daily dose please. I haven't had a run in yet with him but I hear he is a pain in the ass. I saw him pointing out errors in peoples posts and I just don't like his style or demeanor. I much prefer to quietly let people know that there might be an issue and let them tend to it .
I do have errors that get thru my checks and double checks when I can stay awake, but seeing that the daily dose is the last thing I do before bed there are some days that don't get looked at for accuracy.
Thanks for stopping by, I always enjoy hearing from you.
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So sorry! I didn't mean to summon him! I just edited out the '@' so hes not tagged anymore... A little late perhaps.
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No problem. I have perfect command of the English language with perfecto pronunciation and punctuation. He doesn't frighten me in the least little way, besides, I might just be looking for a place to open a new boot shop and his rear end might be the place.
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Hahaha! Excellent way to put it! :D
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I would also appreciate someone pointing out errors, I proof read, post, then still edit dozens of times! It's good to have someone else doing that as a new pair of eyes picks up typos, grammar etc immediately!
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vary good
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The Cambridge study is, I think, pushing our autocorrect ability pretty much to its limit. It does prove that typos are the least important errors in writing. If the reader has a high skill level in the language. Since for many of our readers English is not their first language they may have a low autocorrect threshold.
Fo rexample. See what I did? You automatically read that as "for example." If you were learning English at an early stage you would not find "rexample" in your faithful dictionary, your only true friend in the muddy waters that are the internet. In short, my sentence would have no meaning to you.
Ideally, we should be more tolerant of errors from foreigners than from ourselves. I show that in my curation. If a Filipino has a really good idea, well written apart from errors I can read through easily I may include their post. On the other hand, there are posters I do not even bother to read save once in a while to see if they have improved because I feel they should know better.
@sultnpapper, it is my understanding that writing has not been a regular part of your life until Daily Dose. (I am, of course, prepared to be proven wrong; I often am when I make assumptions about you.) Your thoughts are always worth reading and often worth promoting. You have in fact carved yourself a nice little niche. If your linguistics was perfect it would not improve your chances of inclusion. For now.
Trust me, I'm a doctor.
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You are correct, I have never been one to write, like reading really well but the only writing I have done is on here with the daily dose and a couple short stories for some contests.
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I agree, @sultnpapper. It is really difficult to edit your own work. And I am sure I have made the same mistakes too. I do appreciate when people let me know, then I can go back and correct it. I am a bit of a prefectionist and I like my work to look good and make sense.
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So far it looks like we are all pretty much in agreement on it being difficult. I never claimed to be a writer or blogger but since I am here and posting things I do want those things to be as free of error as I can have them. I would not call myself a perfectionist by any sense of the imagination but I try and respect what this platform is about with posting quality content and spelling and correct wording is the least I can try to do to help uphold some semblance of quality.
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You do have to take extra care when proof-reading your own work. The number of times I post and then have to edit to fix something. I tend to always read it AFTER posting to make double sure.
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I read them to after I post them and that is after my "proof reading" prior to posting, but some things still manage to slip past me. Nice to know I am not alone in this regard.
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Thank you for the SBI share! Do you know how long it takes until they take effect? The SBI from my contest last week are still being processed apparently.
Also, I feel like I should take this as a subtle hint for proof reading my recent posts right now. Heh. I must ask @buttcoin and @movement19 whether they feel the same.
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I know that as of last week it was taking about seven days for the enrolls to get put into the system, it is all done by manual data entry and not automated at this point yet, it will be soon.
No hint and the Butt has moved into more video stuff now where in the past he was all written, 19'er and I have been keeping a pretty close eye on each others works and sharing our finds through DM over on discord.
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In that case, they should be processed soon, great.
I was actually quite annoying when it came to addressing spelling mistakes. I slowed my roll regarding that topic for a bit. If absolute accuracy is required, I crank it up again of course.
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To me it is just a good habit to be into and it helps in other parts of your life as well when you pay attention to the details. Like the saying goes, "the devil is in the details".
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It's true. Usually, when I am on Steemit, I read rather fast. That allows me to grasp the concept and topics behind posts really fast, but I do not waste time on focusing on any group of words or sentences long enough to notice the mistakes.
It's like reading this.
You notice that the order is all mixed up, but you still understand what the word is meant to mean somewhat easily. The mistake or the correctness isn't that important to my reading experience as long as I can comprehend what I read.
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Yes, I have seen that before and I am able to read and comprehend that as well. That is what the brain is able to do, it basically auto corrects what the eyes have delivered for it, otherwise you couldn't get anywhere in reading that.
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Exactly. And reading fast does basically the same once you get a bit accustomed to. It's a useful skill to have if you happen to read a lot. One needs to find and cultivate his own tempo though.
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Hey, I sent you a DM over on discord, check it out.
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Hi, sultnpapper.. Very good writing and the good idea of blogging.I
appreciate you.
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Well thanks for dropping by and giving me the compliment @robinsonfayedd , I don't recognize your name as someone I have seen here before so welcome to the Daily Dose of Sultnpapper.
As the name implies, I write this blog daily. It is mainly my thoughts and take of things I see and do in my little corner of existence from the perspective of an aging older Texan.
Feel free to stop back anytime and make your presence known, I like to share ideas back and forth with folks so don't be shy about telling what you think when it comes to the things I post about.
Thanks again.
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