The tribune letter page

pretty*monster

panda100 wrote:

Care to elaborate? Do you really think most letters are worthy of publishing?Most of them dont have anything to do with the last issue and there always a bit silly

I think it's a college letters page. The letters usually put a smile on my face. I don't agonise over them. I just reads 'em and likes 'em.

singingstranger wrote:

Hmm. Pretty*monster's in 3rd Arts. So were the two letter writers of the last edition (btw, cheers, dajaffa!), who both started their letters with "I am writing to complain". One might think they could have been the same person.

Would but that I had the time to write letter. Besides I have my own arm of the media with which to vent my complaints these days.
And as a lady in the know I know the author of both thise letters.

Incidentally I also know the lad who claims to have started wearing the PLO scarf before it became cool. He was doing ironically. No doubt he is delighted that the papers are taking note.

delta_bravo

hullaballoo wrote:

But it's generally accepted that the standard of the Tribune is this year better than any other publication on campus. The Observer is nowhere to be seen this year in terms of standard.

By the way, your sentence contains two punctuation errors, which in the space of 15 words is astounding considering the fingers you're pointing.

This is not about me and also never start a sentence with "but". The error in the Tribune was not regarding punctuation. It was a fundamental flaw in the proofreading system. I doubt spell check could rectify a spelling error that different from the correct spelling.

I agree with you that the Tribune is better and more interesting than the Observer. It's a good paper. They just need to be a bit more careful.

gubbie

delta_bravo wrote:

I agree with you that the Tribune is better and more interesting than the Observer. It's a good paper. They just need to be a bit more careful.

What are you on? That paper is pure rubbish. There is about 4 pages of news which I could hardly call news (I'm looking for this weeks paper but I can't find it so excuse me if theres any mistakes) - 24% of students drink three times a week... :eek: Thats definitely news to me. And their piece on the campus food could have been so well expanded. 70% of students think that the quality of food is terrible... its just got the answers to everything in life

And everyone knows 37% of statistics is made up

hullaballoo

delta_bravo wrote:

never start a sentence with "but".

You give me one reason why not.

The title of your thread was "The Tribune - Can't Spell?", so my point stands. If you're going to pick holes in the writing of a decent article, in an amateur newspaper, you'd want to make damn sure everything you write anywhere is grammatically flawless. I'm watching you.

Garret

i refuse to believe that what 14% dont know how to change a lightbulb

given the task i think anyone full function of their arms could do so

delta_bravo

hullaballoo wrote:

You give me one reason why not.

The title of your thread was "The Tribune - Can't Spell?", so my point stands. If you're going to pick holes in the writing of a decent article, in an amateur newspaper, you'd want to make damn sure everything you write anywhere is grammatically flawless. I'm watching you.

Good man, keep watching.

pretty*monster

Garret wrote:

i refuse to believe that what 14% dont know how to change a lightbulb

I'm pretty sure I can't change a lightbulb. I've never tried.

The_Minister

pretty*monster wrote:

I'm pretty sure I can't change a lightbulb. I've never tried.

It is rediculously easy. The mechanics are simple. Just don't do what I did on my first try, and screw out the light:eek:

terry mac

pretty*monster wrote:

I'm pretty sure I can't change a lightbulb. I've never tried.

The most important thing is to make sure that the bulb needs changing and that it isn't just a problem with the electrical connection.

To do this, first make sure the light is "switched to on". Get a chair, table, preferably step ladder, face need to be right up beside the bulb. Remove the bulb (I'm going to skip this bit, trial and error works best first time out). Now, to ensure that the connection is working, stick your tongue up the inside of the light connection and try and lick the back of this cavity. You should now be able to tell whether there is power getting to the connection.

Stabshauptmann

Vainglory wrote:

That was my point - that it was the editor's fault and insults shouldn't be directed at the reporter in question - which you initially did.

No, its both the journalist's and the editors fault.

Just in time for sabbatical elections that I will thankfully have nothing to do with, yeah.

Just in time is right, 3 mins earlier you were part of a campaign team!

Pity Chris Bond pulled out, he would have done a great job.

arbeitsscheuer

The words "off-topic" don't really do justice to the direction this thread has taken...
EDIT: Above was written prior to Redeye's response

Personally I reckon the Tribune has, in the last few years, surpassed the Observer as the premier student paper, for content if not presentation. Their articles are more interesting, more creative and, by and large, better written.

As for spelling errors being indicative of "unprofessionalism" at the paper... In the words of Outspan in the Commitments;
"How are we professional if we've never been paid?!"

beanyb

Serabuls palsey, or however they spelt it, was in the editorial too. So it's possible that the journalist wrote it correctly but the editor thought it was wrong. Which is clearly a total long shot, but the editor definitely couldnt spell it either.

singingstranger

arbeitsscheuer wrote:

The words "off-topic" don't really do justice to the direction this thread has taken...

I'm with Seb on this... I can't believe that I, of all people, am the one saying this but: guys, this isn't Spell Czechs. There's a point to be made about picking holes in the grammatical standard of college media but this doesn't mean that the person pointing out the errors is showing a superiority complex. It just means that they feel the grammatical and/or spelling quality of the paper isn't up to scratch for people who proactively pursue such a hobby or potential career in UCD.

It's like being an Oasis fan, and saying, "Oh, their stuff these days isn't nearly as good". It doesn't mean you think you can do better, it just means that for people in the position that Oasis are in, their quality doesn't do their position justice.

Vainglory

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

No, its both the journalist's and the editors fault..

Good grief. It was not the journalist's fault. Journalists are EXPECTED to make spelling and typographical errors. If they were not expected to do so, there would be no need for an editor, or a sub-editor. But eminently, there is, and every newspaper employs them, to do their job and EDIT. If every single word in that article had been spelt incorrectly, it would still have been the fault of the editor that it went to print. If you contacted the editors of literally any newspaper in the country (with the possible exception of the College Tribune) they would confirm this fact to you.

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

Just in time is right, 3 mins earlier you were part of a campaign team!

Pity Chris Bond pulled out, he would have done a great job.

3 minutes earlier I was also slap bang in the middle of finals so wouldn't have been that much involved anyway. But yes he would have done a great job.

Chakar

terry mac wrote:

The most important thing is to make sure that the bulb needs changing and that it isn't just a problem with the electrical connection.

To do this, first make sure the light is "switched to on". Get a chair, table, preferably step ladder, face need to be right up beside the bulb. Remove the bulb (I'm going to skip this bit, trial and error works best first time out). Now, to ensure that the connection is working, stick your tongue up the inside of the light connection and try and lick the back of this cavity. You should now be able to tell whether there is power getting to the connection.

If that rocks your boat I think it would be wise to have the light switch to 'off'.

Vainglory

*watches the point fly by Chakar's head*

The_Minister

*Stands beside Vainglory and stares in astonishment, as it comes in for another pass, and misses*

passive

*wanders into the conversation to czech spellingz and gets hit in the face by an errant and most pointy point*

:eek: ARGH!MY FACE! my unconventionally pretty face...

singingstranger

*takes cover behind passive*

Close one, that...

passive

*clutches his bleeding face while throwing in his 2c* I don't know if this has been suggested, but maybe the fact that the word was SO wrong and utterly different to the correct word made the editor assume it was a different ailment/form of Palsy (non existent as that most likely is)? Rather than taking it as a typo, then, the editor may have believed it to be part of the research done by the journalist...

singingstranger

passive wrote:

maybe the fact that the word was SO wrong and utterly different to the correct word made the editor assume it was a different ailment/form of Palsy (non existent as that most likely is)? Rather than taking it as a typo, then, the editor may have believed it to be part of the research done by the journalist...

The Editor could, at the least, have then Googled for the term (no results) or quickly called the contributor asking to be sure. I'd think the Editor would have enough pride in his publication to take the smaller steps to maintain its quality.

cast_iron

hullaballoo wrote:

But it's generally accepted that the standard of the Tribune is this year better than any other publication on campus. The Observer is nowhere to be seen this year in terms of standard.

By the way, your sentence contains two punctuation errors, which in the space of 15 words is astounding considering the fingers you're pointing.

While the first sentence may be grammatically correct, it certainly reads a bit odd.
Also, your last sentence appears to have at least one punctuation error.


*Waits for somebody to point out possible errors in the above.*

hullaballoo

cast_iron wrote:

While the first sentence may be grammatically correct, it certainly reads a bit odd.
Also, your last sentence appears to have at least one punctuation error.


*Waits for somebody to point out possible errors in the above.*

For fcuk sake. Who cares? I was pointing out to him that he can't go around tirading people for not being able to spell, when he can't spell himself. Aside from that, there's nothing wrong with my grammar, although my spelling is sometimes a bit gack.

singingstranger

hullaballoo wrote:

For fcuk sake. Who cares? I was pointing out to him that he can't go around tirading people for not being able to spell, when he can't spell himself. Aside from that, there's nothing wrong with my grammar, although my spelling is sometimes a bit gack.

/refers to own post #44 above

Scraggs

Wow some people really accept criticism well ¬_¬

OT: When I read the article I had to ask my friend [Elmyra actually] was Serebals Palsy a different disease or just a spelling error. They do look unprofessional and tbh even though its an amateur publication it really shouldn't have gone to print with obvious errors but of course shit happens.



oh and I totally agree with S.Stranger's post :P

funktastic

Editing in the Tribune has been terrible for the past three years. I wrote an article on Radiohead a few years ago that they decided to re-vamp and reword it by ADDING their own spelling mistakes.

In their defence they do run to a tight deadline and they have nothing like the resources of the Observer. Having said that the entire paper is way too left-wing. Nothing wrong with taking a bit of a stand but making EVERY single editorial side with whatever slightly leftist campaign/person that is going into the SU is a bit ridiculous.

However, stuff like the Turbine used to be funnier back when i started in UCD, oh six years ago now, but then wasn't I younger then? Ah yes. Grass is greener, senility, memories...

delta_bravo

hullaballoo wrote:

For fcuk sake. Who cares? I was pointing out to him that he can't go around tirading people for not being able to spell, when he can't spell himself. Aside from that, there's nothing wrong with my grammar, although my spelling is sometimes a bit gack.

Calm down. Take it easy. It is Friday:) If you are talking about me in that post I will inform that I can spell.

Eoin Mac Aodha

As a former editor of the Tribune I felt it might be useful to add a bit of informed perspective to this 'debate'.
I think it is important for people to step back and realise that the mistake was an honest one, and occured as a result of a noble objective. Indeed the paper has printed more about the plight of disabled people in UCD than any college media had in my previous six years in UCD. I don't think anyone mentioned that.
I think it is particularly sad, as mentioned in a previous post, that there is a problem with UCD's attitude to disabled students, and indeed staff and visitors, but instead of debating this issue your attentions have instead focused on a spelling mistake.
In addition, people seem to be under impression that Tribune has sub-editors. All the final editing is done by the Editor. Last year I counted one paper came to roughly 40,000 words. Seeing that the paper is even bigger this year and you will get some idea of the scale of the task facing the editor. If you add the fact that all of this editing is done between saturday and sunday under extreme pressure it is a testament to the Editors professionalism that even more mistakes don't come through. Again the editor is also repsonsible for a multitude of other tasks, including writing all those articles nobody else wanted to do.
I'm not sure if anybody posting on this thread has ever edited a newspaper but I feel confident in saying that no past editor of the Tribune or Observer can say that a mistake like that would never have happened during their tenure.
I don't think anybody at the Tribune minds constructive, not personal, criticism.
This thread could not be described as such.

Chakar

Vainglory wrote:

*watches the point fly by Chakar's head*

I was joking!

Easygainer

Pantsless wrote:

Yeah I noticed this in the tribune myself . Not cool for a colege newspapor .

Also the BelfieldFM magazine was full of terrible spelling mistakes and grammer but thats excused by the fact that Graham Harkness is an idiot the Tribume editore isnt

/irony