🚀 go-pugleaf

Linda Berris wrote:
> 
> In <31BB8E62.7BAC@concentric.net> "S. A. Maas" <smaas@concentric.net>
> writes:
> 
> >If you're going to write a book, you need to learn a little about
> grammar,
> >spelling, syntax, and usage.
> >
> >Good luck, though.
> 
> That was an incredibly arrogant, mean-spirited and uncalled-for remark!
> By the way, when one writes a book, one gets a professional editor to
> help with errors of spelling and grammar.  If you had ever written a
> book yourself you might be aware of this.

STEVE's email was mean-spirited?  Perhaps you would care to imply that
he is a racist and a sexist while you're at it?  That last remark was
really cheap.

I have to object to the implication that authors of books don't need to
worry about spelling and grammar because there is always someone else to
clean up the mess.  Good writing skills are AT LEAST as important in
this business as scientific skills.  One does not generally hire
professional editors for much more important documents like professional
correspondence, grant proposals, and (some) journal articles.

Also, an editor is likely to do a much better job of suggesting
structural improvements when they are working with a well-written text
(which is what they are trained for) than when they have to play a
fifth-grade grammar teacher (which would certainly give me a bad
attitude about my job).  Even if you have a housekeeper, your home will
still show if you are a slob.

Kudos to the original author for accepting criticism well.  I've seen
really bad flame wars started over genuine, helpful advice.

-Jim Phillips
 jcphill@uiuc.edu