Why doesn't my SE know how to write?

First off, great handle. Do you also shoot with three guys on you, forgetting that baskets made by your teammates count for the same amount of points as those made by you? I think if there is an all-time ball-domination team, Sirvaliant Brown is my MVP.

Anyway, as usual, Tom is over the top ... but I kind of thought the same thing until you posted the passage your SE edited. Yeah, that was awful. The bottom line ... and the point I believe Tom was perhaps trying to make, though his good points are often lost in nonsense ... is that there are countless know-nothing interns who think they are ready to start, not only at a metro, but on the referenced "Steelers beat." Just by being an intern and saying your SE blows makes you a walking, talking stereotype.

You may think it, but it's just not such a great idea to say it out loud too often lest you be lumped in with every whiney-ass intern who can't get his/her apostrophes in the right spots.

 

Nope, VJ, it wasn't. I know that's stunning, but it's true. It was all the copy editor that time.

 

Thanks for the props on the handle.

And I know what you're saying. Absolutely. I now regret starting this thread...I did it immediately after seeing a feature I spent ten hours on rendered ridiculous. To date, I have complained 1) to my dear mother and 2) to you all. And that will be all. I even avoid saying anything when my full-time, experienced sports colleagues rant to me about the SE.

If you can manage, I hope you can avoid lumping me in with the obnoxious kids.

 

Oh, PS - and this is no joke - he keeps putting apostrophes in the wrong spots.

(K, I'm done. Done.)

 

Totally understandable. When I was 22 I landed a great job and was FLOORED at how bad the SE was. And it was like the elephant in the middle of the room at our paper. Everybody bitched about the guy. And I had (have) a big enough mouth that I joined in. He drove me totally batshit and I eventually left the place after eight months, in large part, because of him. In hindsight, I don't think there's anything I could have learned from the guy and I made the right decision for my career, but I regret being petty enough to get involved in the bashing of the guy. He sucked. Had been there forever. My rookie ass wasn't going to change that.

Sometimes, all you can do is bust your ass and grit your teeth. The one thing I pulled from the situation is that when I became an editor I knew what not to do. When you go back to your college paper -- assuming you are not already done -- the experience with this guy will make you a much better journalist. Sometimes you learn more form the dolts than you do from the effin' studs.

 

no siree, bob. absolutely, positively not. i've worked only with the creme de la creme. . .

but i've heard things in my day, let me tell ya... 8) 8) 8)

 

sir - roughly, what size of paper do you work at?

 

It almost sounds like this SE is green lighting any wacky-ass change that spellcheck wants to make.

 

What DO SEs know how to do?

I believe many would like to know, in the interest of gaining more knowledge of the business practices, yes? ;D

 

Tom: 20k circ.

Also, I really liked "The Last DJ"...it's right up there with your old stuff.

 

hey lester, blow me ... i think :-\

 

alright sir, yes that could happen at a paper that size, but not at too many. but, please, and you seem like a nice kid, coming from a guy who won't use his left pinkie to hit the shift key unless he's getting paid, always use numerals when referring to the number 10 and not the letters when you bitch about editing.