A message from Artist's for World Peace, an organization founded by Middletown resident and multi talented artist & teacher Wendy Black Nasta, from the group's website:
"Fundraiser event with live music, African crafts (for children of all ages) and ice cream! Cold Stone Creamery will donate 25% of its proceeds. Artists for World Peace and the Good Hope Foundation (in Tanzania) are presenting this fundraiser to construct a roof for a community health center in Moshi, Tanzania. Foundation and walls are in, all that is left is to “raise the roof”. For info, visitwww.artistsforworldpeace.org or on Facebook: Artists for World Peace. The event will be held at Cold Stone Creamery, 100 Riverview Center, Middletown, CT.
We are also looking for the following donations to the community health center. Artists for World Peace will be traveling to Tanzania in August. If anyone would like to donate any of the following, please drop them off at Cold Stone Creamery on Friday, June 25th between the hours of 6:00-9:00 p.m. or call our office and we will arrange another time. (860) 347-4219:"
I know it makes some people crazy when we comment on grammar, but it makes me crazy when people mistake a plural "s" for a possessive "s"
ReplyDelete-- maybe the Eye should let people write for free, but charge a quarter for each apostrophe. What grammarians call the "greengrocer's apostrophe" ("Tomatoe's 3 for a dollar")might become scarcer. We could send all that money in to the fireworks fund.
Jane,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you and feel no shame for fighting the good fight!
Instead of public scolding for whatever motive which you have yetto demonstrate as you seem more cruel than witty, volunteer to be a grammar editor. I am sure authors try very hard. Please make your critques useful not a nuisance.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jake. TO Jane and MJS - it would be so helpful if you create a tracking log to document all the mistakes you find. You can send us a weekly report detailing the name of the article where the mistake is contained, the nature of the mistake, the name of the author and the date and time of the post. Then you can also create a trending chart so we can see if the volume of errors is increasing or decreasing over time, and then we can allocate resources to spelling and grammar improvement education as needed. Or.... Perhaps you want to write some articles with your time instead.? We do try very hard to have mistake-free postings and I would venture a guess that our rate of mistakes is actually very low. (which makes it all the more annoying that you are insistent on pointing them out).
ReplyDeleteWow. That's a lot of vitriol. I saw nothing aggressive in Jane's remark. Proper grammar in the written form is important and the media outlets should be held to a higher standard, as their chosen profession is the written medium.
ReplyDeleteFor the people who leave comments, it is also important. The degeneration of written English is sad to see, especially among the students I teach who make more and more simple common mistakes. We, who choose to participate in the written form, should also try to do it well.
If it can be approached with a little good humor, then so much the better. Or to quote my favorite movie from the early 80s (Stripes): "lighten up Francis". :)
Or, to say what I said above a little more succinctly and to the point: of course we all make mistakes. When we do, it's OK if we get a little razzed.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, while I am sorry if people's feelings got hurt, I'm not sorry for thinking that eliminating common grammar errors (not just simple typos)is a worthy goal.
Let me take the time and remind everyone that this "blog" is contributed to by people of varying degree of education in our community. I find it humorous that people sit and correct simple mistakes made by those who post here. I am not a "grammarian" by any stretch of the imagination. I make mistakes, for I am only human.
ReplyDeleteIn fact I have been trained in certain pieces of written word to be sure to include a mistake or two. Yes, it surely takes away from the piece written if it is read by others who wish to correct my work. However it shows that you have read my piece, and in this venue that is exactly what I want to have happen.
Most adults do not desire the so called "correction" of the mistake. I remind you that this is not a staff of professional writers. It is a group of hard working adults who have taken the time to report on things they find critical in their community. So yes I agree, lighten up "Francis".
By the way, I am a product of all my "education professionals' ". Maybe you should try harder to correct my mistakes when you actually have the influence on me to do so. :-)
As the one who started this, let me say I did not intend to scold or humiliate anyone. In fact, I thought I had made a small joke in suggesting the Eye should charge for apostrophes!
ReplyDeleteMuch of my information about Middletown comes from the Eye and I am a big fan. I have occasionally offered items for publication. So, please accept my apologies for all the hurt feelings -- they were not intended.
It does occur to me that this could have been a discussion of whether people care about grammar and puctuation, instead of a series of personal attacks.
I apologize for the sarcasm but my point was to please take a step back and see the big picture. I am not opposed to correct spelling and grammar. Thanks for the discussion.
ReplyDeleteJane, I am sorry, I was trying to be funny and get everyone to see the big picture. Please do not take it personal.
ReplyDeletePeople, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm in the minority of EYE writers, but I would really appreciate any corrections of my work! I know it really bugs me when I read misspellings and obvious mistakes in other people's posts, but I am fully capable of missing them in my own.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, wish for a better way to get those corrections. When it's a comment, it kind of hurts, especially when it's the only comment you get on a piece that's taken hours to write.
If there is anyone who reads the EYE regularly and has reliable grammar skills, please consider becoming a grammar editor. Some authors might want to opt out of this service, but I wouldn't mind if someone went into my posts from the back end of blogspot and fixed minor mistakes. No doubt this would take some trust and a learning curve, especially in the area of style, but it would help the EYE.
If that seems like too much of a commitment, then send any corrections to me at mieyejen@gmail.com and I'll get to them as soon as I can.
In fact, Ed, if you're reading this, you could add a little line to the sidebar that says: Send corrections to: mieyejen@gmail.com.
I'm sorry if anyone's feelings have been hurt by this debate, but frankly, I think it's thrilling that people care enough about the EYE to even discuss this!!
-Jen Alexander
Dear Jen et al.,
ReplyDeleteI am a professional editor and writer. When I have a writing assignment, I hire an editor to read my work because I know I cannot do both jobs at the same time. I am always amazed at what I miss and the errors I commit: dangles, its/it’s, you’re/your, capping errors—the list can seem endless. I read the Eye almost every day and would be happy to read copy for anyone who wants fresh eyes. I am readily available except for Wednesdays and Sundays until late afternoon and can work in the mode that suits each writer: Track Changes, color coding, or a system yet to evolve.
Kathleen White
katwhite@earthlink.net
860-344-1239
EYEditor needed now!
ReplyDeleteJeen; I agree, and feal the same weigh. I two would be happy too recieve correction's from the eyeditors.I could yous some help.
All mistakes aside, Jen thanks for your well reasoned comments and suggestions.I am happy to receive corrections at ctladycyclist@gmail.com. If the eye can find an editor, I give permission for them to correct my work.
by all means have at it and correct mine too.
ReplyDeleteOK, enough of this love fest. I enjoyed this more when you were all sniping at each other.
ReplyDelete