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So are you actually hired by the AP Stylebook publishers to harass people and force them to buy the iPhone app or an online subscription to the actual style guide?
Interesting marketing tactics if that is the case.
... but you fail to realize we care more about communication and personal style here... and less about JOURNALISM.
Interesting marketing tactics if that is the case.
... but you fail to realize we care more about communication and personal style here... and less about JOURNALISM.
The AP Writing style only works with highly argumentative essay's.
It makes everything else batshit boring. Trust me, I have to do this type of writing EVERY DAY I GO TO SCHOOL.
It makes everything else batshit boring. Trust me, I have to do this type of writing EVERY DAY I GO TO SCHOOL.
@ Daxelman No. AP Style is used in every major newspaper and other journalistic publication. Not used in essays.
I said ONLY WORKS WITH, not only used with. My comment was only 2 sentences, man.
And explain the AP Synthesis Essay every pre-AP/AP kid in highschool (in Texas, at least) must pay 20-30 bucks to take.
And explain the AP Synthesis Essay every pre-AP/AP kid in highschool (in Texas, at least) must pay 20-30 bucks to take.
You do know that this is a site based around entertainment features, yes?
AP Style doesn't really apply there, there is room to inject opinion into gaming news and blogging. Blogging isn't about the inverted pyramid approach or brevity, which the AP style is.
AP Style doesn't really apply there, there is room to inject opinion into gaming news and blogging. Blogging isn't about the inverted pyramid approach or brevity, which the AP style is.
If you're really in it for the glory of grammar and the good of the site, then you (and any of our readers) can PM us any and all typo-alerts that you find threatening. If you're just doing this to make yourself look smart in front of our highly grammar-hunger readers, then I bet you'll ignore the option to send a PM, and continue to make your corrections in the comments.
It will be interesting to see which you choose.
Also, do you like videogames?
I do.
It will be interesting to see which you choose.
Also, do you like videogames?
I do.
I acknowledge Destructoid is an entertainment site. It has opinion, Internet phrases and other oddities. That said, grammar, fact checking and improving overall fluency remain important issues to tackle.
I adore video games. I hold an editorial position at two Web sites. I'm traveling to Boston next week for PAX and I own every console and portable on the market (except the PSPgo). Also, I am a copy-editor for a newspaper with a circulation of 10,000.
I am in no way attempting to look smart for Destructoid's readers. However, there is a certain level of inherent smugness attached to the position of copy-editor. I have found this in my newspaper work and I am already seeing it here. It's rare someone enjoys being told they spelled this wrong, missed that comma, or attributed some quote incorrectly. But that does not atone for the sin itself. I am merely that guy who finds the errors, fixes them and makes the publication more believable, readable and enjoyable.
@ The AP Stylist- Well, in that case, I expect that you will be be sending all your AP-style suggestions to the editors of Destructoid via email or PM, as opposed to dropping them in the comments of the posts you find them in.
It's one thing to take me aside and tell me that I have a booger in my nose, and it's another to stand on top of a table and in the middle of the cafeteria (in this case, a cafeteria filled with thousands of people) and yell "Hey everybody! Holmes has a booger in his nose! It's big and green! Check it out quick, before you picks it!", then claim that you're doing me so sort of favor.
One is a genuine attempt to help a friend, the other is a passive aggressive attack.
Again, it will be interesting to see which you choose. It will also be interesting to see how the other editors respond to your suggestions, especially Samit.
It's one thing to take me aside and tell me that I have a booger in my nose, and it's another to stand on top of a table and in the middle of the cafeteria (in this case, a cafeteria filled with thousands of people) and yell "Hey everybody! Holmes has a booger in his nose! It's big and green! Check it out quick, before you picks it!", then claim that you're doing me so sort of favor.
One is a genuine attempt to help a friend, the other is a passive aggressive attack.
Again, it will be interesting to see which you choose. It will also be interesting to see how the other editors respond to your suggestions, especially Samit.
"So, as any literary establishment should recognize, the importance of a copy-editor (someone who maintains AP Style in posts), is integral to its success."
On a purely technical level, there shouldn't be a comma after you close your parenthesis: "is integral to its success" isn't an independent clause. There shouldn't be a hyphen connecting copy and editor, either.
Stylistically, your opening sentence is a disaster. I would've written it like this: "All literary establishments should recognize the importance of a copy editor: he is integral to the publication's success." I use less words with less appositives muddying your syntax.
Not to mention that maintaining AP style isn't what a copy editor does. A copy editor maintains whichever style the publication chooses to maintain, including style decisions made by the editor in chief -- which may not subscribe to any established style at all.
Cool mohawk, bro.
On a purely technical level, there shouldn't be a comma after you close your parenthesis: "is integral to its success" isn't an independent clause. There shouldn't be a hyphen connecting copy and editor, either.
Stylistically, your opening sentence is a disaster. I would've written it like this: "All literary establishments should recognize the importance of a copy editor: he is integral to the publication's success." I use less words with less appositives muddying your syntax.
Not to mention that maintaining AP style isn't what a copy editor does. A copy editor maintains whichever style the publication chooses to maintain, including style decisions made by the editor in chief -- which may not subscribe to any established style at all.
Cool mohawk, bro.
All, I fret we're missing the point here. The English language is a tough one. Its intricacies are numerous and the fact it evolves makes it a dynamic beast. I simply aim to keep the journalistic integrity of this site as high as humanly possible.
@Joseph Leray Assessment acknowledged. I was wrong to assume Destructoid adhered to styles I'm familiar with.
Destructoid writers are very conversational in their writing styles and I love this. My blog entry was an attempt to mirror, to an extent, that conversational style.
I really don't think it's necessary to do this. There's a reason why the forums got rid of the Grammar Nazi badge: it encourages nitpicking and one-upmanship, and allows people the chance to avoid discussion by simply criticizing their writing. Of course, there are many people in the cblogs whose writing skills are definitely weak, and it is reasonable to offer general advice on how to improve their writing. However, I believe that the Destructoid editors are not those types of people.
The regular thing that happens here is this:
-An editor posts an article with a glaring spelling error that either creates confusion (e.g., "Final Fantasy III" instead of "Final Fantasy XIII") or humour (e.g., "Heavy Ran")).
-Someone points out the error in the comments.
-The article is corrected and updated.
-Everyone moves on.
What we don't do is try to criticize their overall writing, or do the equivalent of "this is how I would write this". Marking undergraduate essays myself, I have to take great steps to avoid falling into the latter fallacy. We have to accept that a core concept of news blogging is getting breaking news up as soon as possible, and there isn't always enough time to make the article "perfect". After the article is out, the task of the editor (providing information) is complete, and they move on to writing about the next piece of news, rather than continually tweaking and improving their older posts. We also accept that different people have different writing styles, and that this variety is one of the benefits of reading a site like Destructoid. Destructoid isn't like a newspaper, where the author's "voice" is all but invisible. We want to see each editor's uniqueness. Whether we agree with them or not is another thing altogether, but usually complaints should be about content, not style.
So, in conclusion, you can go ahead and send PM's to the editors with your complaints, and stick around in the cblogs and provide constructive (and not condescending) criticism on community members' posts. But writing full blog posts as an "unofficial copy-editor" is unneeded. How about writing about video games instead? That's why we're here, aren't we?
(Note: I know my writing isn't perfect. My sentences are too long, and I overuse parentheses, among other things. However, that's just how I write, damnit!)
The regular thing that happens here is this:
-An editor posts an article with a glaring spelling error that either creates confusion (e.g., "Final Fantasy III" instead of "Final Fantasy XIII") or humour (e.g., "Heavy Ran")).
-Someone points out the error in the comments.
-The article is corrected and updated.
-Everyone moves on.
What we don't do is try to criticize their overall writing, or do the equivalent of "this is how I would write this". Marking undergraduate essays myself, I have to take great steps to avoid falling into the latter fallacy. We have to accept that a core concept of news blogging is getting breaking news up as soon as possible, and there isn't always enough time to make the article "perfect". After the article is out, the task of the editor (providing information) is complete, and they move on to writing about the next piece of news, rather than continually tweaking and improving their older posts. We also accept that different people have different writing styles, and that this variety is one of the benefits of reading a site like Destructoid. Destructoid isn't like a newspaper, where the author's "voice" is all but invisible. We want to see each editor's uniqueness. Whether we agree with them or not is another thing altogether, but usually complaints should be about content, not style.
So, in conclusion, you can go ahead and send PM's to the editors with your complaints, and stick around in the cblogs and provide constructive (and not condescending) criticism on community members' posts. But writing full blog posts as an "unofficial copy-editor" is unneeded. How about writing about video games instead? That's why we're here, aren't we?
(Note: I know my writing isn't perfect. My sentences are too long, and I overuse parentheses, among other things. However, that's just how I write, damnit!)
Ironically enough, I used to notice far many more grammatical and spelling errors over at Brian Crecente's Hair Palace than I ever have here. Perhaps it's the shift in tone, or perhaps it's just honest-to-goodness frequency, but whatever the case..
Wait.
Nope. Didn't have a point.
Wait.
Nope. Didn't have a point.
Everyone, thanks so much for the input. All points have been duly considered and in all likelihood I'll rethink before moving forward. And you're right, Kotaku is messy.
You remind me of someone else that used to be on this site. Something about the underlying air of douche contained between the words you write.
If you are new and definately not one of the old trolls, my apologies.
If you are new and definately not one of the old trolls, my apologies.
I wish I had a free copy editor. Lucky assholes getting people that work for them at no expense.
The D-boys gets all dem biatches.
The D-boys gets all dem biatches.
