I have no idea what happened to the thread where we were discussing editorial policies. Somebody deleted it, wrongly in my opinion. There was no real nastiness in any of the posts; indeed, there was much useful information.
I've tried to set the record straight with one last message referring to material posted by GarthB and TBBlue.
I hope it lasts long enough for everyone to read.
Carl
Quote:
Originally posted by GarthB
Quote:
Originally posted by TBBlue
Sorry Garth...you are correct...the editor can not do "anything" to someone's work. That was an over generaliztion, and I stand corrected. The editor can, however, delete anything he wants to delete, which a lot of times changes the meaning of what the writer is trying say.
In this instance, however, there was nothing malicious in what Carl did. It seems that he was just trying to help a writer clarify a point, and insert something to improve an article, in his judgement, for the benefit of the readers.
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Obviously that is the policy at officiating.com. In my experience, however, editors have not done this using the author's voice. Beginning such an insertion with the word "I" and not identifying it as an editor's note may be legal, but it's also misleading.
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Garth, I had decided to let this thread go, but you continue to complain that I am "misleading" readers.
So I thought I'd go back to one of your articles and let the readers compare what YOU wrote with how it looked after MY edit.
I took the passage from the first article I reviewed, "Fitness for Officials Part I," which you submitted on November 12, 2002, and we published November 25, same year. I picked that one because it was the start of the last series you wrote for us, other than an interview of Steve Wilson, an NFL official. You had already written 35 pieces for us, so when you submitted that piece, you were well acquainted with my editing "style."
You wrote:
When I taught beginning band in an elementary school I used to tell students that there was a magical solution to all the problems they were having with their instruments. I would guarantee them that they could overcome these difficulties in just fifteen to thirty minutes a day. The magical solution? Practice. Spending time getting their hands, fingers and lips in shape.
I wrote:
When I taught beginning band in an elementary school I always had one or two students who just weren't getting the fingerings right on the first three notes. I used to tell them there was a magical solution to that problem that would guarantee they could overcome their difficulties in just one week. The magical solution? Practice. Every day.
The aftermath of the edit is also interesting -- to me. You asked that I delete Part I (which I had alredy edited and put in the hopper) and replace it with a new Part I. I argued we should keep the old Part I and make the new piece Part II, lengthening the series by one article. (More content for me, more money for you.)
On 11/23, two days before publication, I wrote you and said:
I have re-worked from THE MAGICAL SOLUTION to the end on the first part one, henceforth referred to as Part I. I also re-worded the last paragraph of the new part I, henceforth referred to as Part II, changing reference to the following installment from the second installment to "the next installment." Got it?
You replied:
Looks fine.
Of course, in those days, I was your friend ... and Peter Osborne was the enemy. (grin)
[Edited by Carl Childress on Aug 19th, 2004 at 02:33 PM]