Website...One Small Step for Man

I'm a modern thinker.
I believe things are changing.
And for the same reason I occasionally choose to eat dessert before dinner, I don't like when conventions are followed just because they're the normal way to go.

So when AP Style decided to change "Web site" to "website," at first I was indifferent. Granted, I had never known that it was two words to begin with. I always assumed it was just "website" because that's the way it seemed to make sense to me. But when I considered the news of the change (broken to me by twitter) I appreciated the decision a little more.

It shows that the organization is paying attention. However these decisions are reached, someone is noticing the way people talk and write online. And the way we talk online is often the way we think. So it would make sense for us to want to see "website" over "Web site" because the latter would seem unnatural.

This isn't to say that everything in the Stylebook should change to reflect our online reading habits. On the contrary, one of the most important reasons for the guide to exist is to maintain consistency. If all of a sudden every other word were being updated, I think the purpose of AP Style would be defeated.

So maybe it's safe to say that words that have room for growth, words that are everyday and relevant and that aren't concrete and have interpretative spellings are more likely for potential change.

For example, on a random flip through my Stylebook, I come across the word "gingerbread." That's a word I can probably go for a while without hearing or reading. But "website?" That's much more common and has more of an impact and relevance.

What I think I'm trying to say is this. Only certain words and spellings should change. Changing the spelling to "website" is okay, because the word is still new and the technological landscape is still growing. There's room for switch-ups. But other words should and do stay because they've settled in for a long enough time. If all of a sudden, AP Style had decided to change "gingerbread" to "ginger bread," I doubt the public would have responded as favorably. There's no reason for changing that word because it's already been cemented and yeah, it would change the meaning of the word so maybe that's more of an err on the side of my example...

AP Style does need to be flexible on words. And the big one that comes to mind is "e-mail." Not so coincidentally, it's another technology word. Personally, I think it looks better and is used most often as "email." At this point in time, the dash is no longer necessary because people have grown accustomed to the invention, have been typing the word for years, and the dash is distracting. I think the word can function on its own.

And this is exactly a case of the media influencing the AP institution. I'm sure by now they've caught wind of the use of "e-mail" as one word so I wouldn't be surprised if they make the change sometime soon. We, the public, know what we're talking about. And while it's great to follow the institution on most things, when it comes to words that we know best, words that are still evolving, I'd be happy if they kept listening to us.

"Website" is a good first step in what's bound to be a series of technological word changes.

Who's Gonna Edit?

According to a survey about magazine websites in the Columbia Journalism Review, 59 percent of magazine editors say there is no such thing as online copy editing.

And I'm not surprised. If you think about how much of a demand there is for instantaneous news, it's easy to see how editors can forget all about the copy editors. Because unfortunately, it's not the quality that counts. It's the quantity. And sacrifices have to be made to ensure that something is getting posted on a daily basis.

So what, if anything, can be done to keep the copy editors in business?

For one thing, online magazine editors should step up and acknowledge the fact that without proof reading, fact checking, and second readers, an online publication will lose valuable credibility. If errors are made consistently within articles, readers will shy away from the publication and go elsewhere for news. It might be a little melodramatic to say, but without the copy editors, the publication risks falling apart. Sure, the news would get up and out without them, but the quality and flawlessness in the writing may not be there. And with no quality, there's no credibility.
As long as editors realize this, the editing position will remain open.

But that doesn't solve HOW the editing can be conducted. Like I mentioned, the news media is a fast paced world. Sometimes there's no time for the copy editing and it's a whole lot easier to click that post button, trust what's been written is correct, and not even bother taking the copy to be edited. So what if the copy editor was brought even closer to the reporters?
What if they worked at the same time?
Writing and editing on the spot?
In direct communication as the writing is being conducted?
It might be tough for writers to adjust to and it's not like I really know the logistics of a news room or how the process works in real life. All I know is that if the time between finished article and proofreading is squeezed a bit, made closer together, the news may still be able to go out fast and accurately.

And well, let's face reality. The Internet is making people dumber. It's sad to say, but I almost expect things I read online to have a sort of error somewhere. I've learned to take what I read with a grain of salt. So there is some room for error online and since editing can be done at any time and be fixed without hassle, at the very worst, copy editors could be asked to read over already published material. But it shouldn't have to get that far.

Why can't copy editors be emailed with drafts of posts? Then they could look them over, make changes, and get the material out. Even though the medium has changed, why not stick to the tried and true? Editors will have to be comfortable enough to allow processing time and not expect fastest delivery. And there's nothing wrong with that. Fast news delivery is best left to Twitter and the people who know news best - the people.

Copy editors won't go anywhere as long as they are working for publications that respect credibility. They can still be vital legs of business as long as they are brought closer to reporters and, above all, recognized as essential for quality.

A Little Introduction

I could say that I'm a 21 year old Writing Arts student here at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey.
I could add that I'm taking up a minor in Journalism and preparing myself for the rapidly approaching, frighteningly real, and scary situation that will be me in the workforce in two years time.
I could also say that I live on campus, have a home and a family in Mt. Holly, have 3 younger siblings, a pet, 2 goldfish, and a bed that absolutely loves me.

But that's all surface stuff.

The real me loves nothing more for lunch than 2 slices of white American cheese on grilled bread coated with hot jalapeno bell peppers and chips on the side.
I'm certified compulsive with downloading new music and stretching my itunes library to the breaking point.
I also read a hefty ton of books in my free time. I'm able to spend countless hours in a bookstore, drink lots of coffee, and impulsively buy books that I know I'll never get the time to read.
(It's why I work at Borders when I am at home over breaks)

This blog will be here for me to post and write about all things that have to do with copy editing.
On the side, I have a personal blog here that I've somehow maintained since I started it way back in 2003.
This is what I've grown up doing. I kinda like it. And I'll probably always be writing something somewhere (at sometime) for someone some way or another.

But COPY EDITING.
It's what I'm going to learn. And after being raised by my mom who made me read the Scrabble dictionary and know Strunk & White from the womb, I have a lot to live up to.

But that's all side stuff.

For more than you'd ever want to know about me, my other blog is the place.
And that's all you really need to know. I'm pretty predictable. I like predictable things. I like structure, organization, and above all, I like my sandwiches with American cheese.