Monday 21 April 2014

The Hindu Reader's Editor on crossword errors



23 comments:

  1. Regular blog of the day will be published at 8:40 AM to enable everyone to read and respond to the Readers Editor's post in today's paper

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  2. If Kavimani can become Caveman, what else can one say! Hope things improve ...

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    1. On a positive note, things certainly will improve, as someone out there has acknowledged these goof ups.

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    2. That the Hindu still uses Caveman age machinery for printing , despite its cost per copy being the highest amongst all the National mainstream dailies. Surely, Kavimani will be corrected as Caveman by the spell chequer, which is artificial intelligence but where is the natural intelligence of the proof readers and editors? This has been my main grouse even in Nairobi, where I used to rap ( and not rape !) the knuckles of the editors there for such gaffes !!

      Again, one can always use the [phrase upper case and lower case instead of 'capitalizing'. which has also got several meanings ! It is like within and without, in the context of interior and exterior, where without can also mean 'sans' !!

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  3. Which is better?
    Printing clues with errors such as "export" for "expert" or "film" for "firm"
    or
    Totally omitting an entire clue as it happened recently?

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  4. At last here is a proof that we are heard!

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  5. If you write "Periamma Sani..." as part of a sentence, it could be printed as "Perry Mason", thanks to the Spellchecker and careless acceptance.
    (I should probably thank N. Rengaswamy or some other friend for this idea.)

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    Replies
    1. CV ji, in Google I wrote Periammasani, and I got the reply as -
      Did you mean:
      pemmasani
      priyamani
      perry mason
      parmesan

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    2. I am familiar with all choices but the second-mentioned - which is beyond my pale.

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    3. How does spellcheck accept 'priyamani'? Is it because it is frequently googled?

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    4. Googled? 'Ogled' is the word.
      - Confessions of a Boob Addict.

      Wait a minute! It is a misprint for Book.

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    5. Intentional misprint? Can we expect similar misprints if you are Xword Editor? We will enjoy it.

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    6. Carrying on The Hindu tradition or TH has even corrupted you?

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    7. Like Sheshappaier for Shakespeare?

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  6. Let us hope The Hindu appoints Crossword Experts with firm hands instead of Cavemen to handle all the errors without omission.

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  7. Errors do happen and while it may be humanly impossible to avoid errors 100% (from editors and setters alike), if proper systems and checks are in place, it'd help in minizing them greatly. And I think this is what we can hope for.

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    Replies
    1. VJ's is a very sane comment and a reasonable expectation.

      Errors cannot be eliminated 100 per cent but 100 per cent efforts must be in place. A sincere resolve on the part of the last-stage staffer after the bosses have ensured that there is a due system in place.

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  8. Let us be optimistic that some good comes out of it.

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  9. Talking about unavoidable errors. ISO slogan is

    Zero error is the ultimate aim of a consultant. But it is the minimum requirement of a customer.

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  10. Today, when setters submit their puzzles in soft copy, it is keyed in again into the publishing system. Maybe Hindu can start asking setters to submit puzzles in a format that can be ingested directly into the publishing system, instead of having to key it in again. If that could be achieved, errors would become limited to what the setters make (assuming that the ingestion process is flawless)

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  11. Thanks CV for this wake up call to the Readers Editor. Stonenwalls do even break by persistence !!!

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  12. There's an Editor for the Crossword section?! Why isn't this news on the front page?

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