Anyone know where to report these?
For example this page has a couple:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4558
"All to often, cyclists are shunted into narrow cyclelanes or onto shared-use paths with pedestrians." Simple grammar mistake.
"Motorbikes and other motorised vehicles should not be allowed into bus lanes, designated cycle lanes or other cycle facilities" Erm... aren't buses motorised?!
Mistakes on CTC pages
the simple thing is to e-mail your correction to the webtastic Matt Mallinder at CTC.
matt.mallinder@ctc.org.uk
please don't expect a quick result. Matt labours under the most immense pressure piled on him by National Councillors who care nothing for the fact that he is doing the work of three....
matt.mallinder@ctc.org.uk
please don't expect a quick result. Matt labours under the most immense pressure piled on him by National Councillors who care nothing for the fact that he is doing the work of three....
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36740
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Jimbo 
When it comes to pedantry and nit-picking, I can be as pedantic and pick as many nits as the next person. May I suggest, however, with due deference to everybody's sensibilities and without wishing to write anything liable to bring on a burst of moderation, that the typo 'to' instead of 'too' is really not worth bothering about?
Putting on my humblest and most non-confrontational hat, I further suggest that the second sentence is absolutely clear. The addition of some sort of circumlocution such as 'except for motorised omnibuses, which, according to the regulations governing bus lanes are allowed to use them," would add nothing to the clarity of the case, and might make everybody look silly.
PS I had to go back and edit this. (Too many 'ares' in one sentence.) Glad I spotted them in time. 
When it comes to pedantry and nit-picking, I can be as pedantic and pick as many nits as the next person. May I suggest, however, with due deference to everybody's sensibilities and without wishing to write anything liable to bring on a burst of moderation, that the typo 'to' instead of 'too' is really not worth bothering about?
Putting on my humblest and most non-confrontational hat, I further suggest that the second sentence is absolutely clear. The addition of some sort of circumlocution such as 'except for motorised omnibuses, which, according to the regulations governing bus lanes are allowed to use them," would add nothing to the clarity of the case, and might make everybody look silly.
PS I had to go back and edit this. (Too many 'ares' in one sentence.)
Glad I spotted them in time. 
I agree about the second para, TC, but not necessarily the first.
If the printed word can't educate grammar properly, some of us will never learn. Grammar wasn't specifically taught in schools throughout the 70s and 80s.
To. Two. Too. Were. Where. We're. Wear. Witch. Which. Of. Off. Your. You're. Yours.
The list is practically endless!
Editors are paid to edit.
Mick F. Cornwall
If the printed word can't educate grammar properly, some of us will never learn. Grammar wasn't specifically taught in schools throughout the 70s and 80s.
To. Two. Too. Were. Where. We're. Wear. Witch. Which. Of. Off. Your. You're. Yours.
The list is practically endless!
Editors are paid to edit.
Mick F. Cornwall
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36740
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
MickF
I am sure that grammar and spelling are both very important. I would be the first person to complain if the website were full of spelling or gramatical mistakes. Having had two sons go through school during the period you mention, I well remember my annoyance at finding ""it's" (in the sense "belonging to it" i.e. the genitive case) in a school report critising one of my sons' spelling.
When I was small, my dear old dad used to have me chanting the spelling of words he felt were important but difficult to spell. One was 'immediately.' In Bamburgh, Northumberland, there is a small museum, run by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, dedicated to Grace Darling. One exhibit, is her father's short, hand-written report on the famous rescue. He knew that if he launched his boat, they would be unable to return to safety unless there were additional men on the oars. He kept careful watch through his telescope and on seeing signs of life, "Amediately (sic) launched the boat." Spelling is all very important but in the right place. I just thought a rambling anecdote was more interesting than the topic.
I am sure that grammar and spelling are both very important. I would be the first person to complain if the website were full of spelling or gramatical mistakes. Having had two sons go through school during the period you mention, I well remember my annoyance at finding ""it's" (in the sense "belonging to it" i.e. the genitive case) in a school report critising one of my sons' spelling.
When I was small, my dear old dad used to have me chanting the spelling of words he felt were important but difficult to spell. One was 'immediately.' In Bamburgh, Northumberland, there is a small museum, run by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, dedicated to Grace Darling. One exhibit, is her father's short, hand-written report on the famous rescue. He knew that if he launched his boat, they would be unable to return to safety unless there were additional men on the oars. He kept careful watch through his telescope and on seeing signs of life, "Amediately (sic) launched the boat." Spelling is all very important but in the right place. I just thought a rambling anecdote was more interesting than the topic.
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eileithyia
- Posts: 8445
- Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
- Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)
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ThomasDylan
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Reynard
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36740
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Reynard
One problem for anyone presenting themselves as an authority* on orthography or grammar, is that they must then ensure that they write entirely without errors. 'Dont' (sic) is a contraction of 'do not' and is traditionally spelt with an apostrophe, as I'm sure you knew. A single exclamation mark at the end of a sentence is the most that is ever needed and even one is often redundant.
ThosD
I think the point is that mistakes divert the reader's attention from the points being made and also lead to an assumption that the writer is poorly educated.
* NB I am aware that my own posts on here frequently contain errors. I have no excuse and little concern
One problem for anyone presenting themselves as an authority* on orthography or grammar, is that they must then ensure that they write entirely without errors. 'Dont' (sic) is a contraction of 'do not' and is traditionally spelt with an apostrophe, as I'm sure you knew. A single exclamation mark at the end of a sentence is the most that is ever needed and even one is often redundant.
ThosD
I think the point is that mistakes divert the reader's attention from the points being made and also lead to an assumption that the writer is poorly educated.
* NB I am aware that my own posts on here frequently contain errors. I have no excuse and little concern
eileithyia wrote:i receive the CTC email newsletter and it never ceases to amaze me how many typos there are that could be simply eliminated by use of the spell check, for such a big, professional(?) organisation I did find it surprising that they put out such error laden script.
I don't think that's fair at all. You can, if you wish, cite chapter and verse, but Newsnet is a marvel of economy in an age of verbosity.
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36740
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
I have just cast a critical eye over last week's edition. Apart from a couple of 'my English teacher would not have let that go' things (a sentence with no main verb, sequence of tenses not followed) which are really issues of style, I noticed only one glaring error: there is a 'you' missing in the middle of the item entitled 'The good, the bad and the ugly.' So, I am with SimonL6 on this and I am not known as a sycophant towards the moderstors.
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ThomasDylan
thirdcrank wrote:ThosD
I think the point is that mistakes divert the reader's attention from the points being made and also lead to an assumption that the writer is poorly educated.
In this particular gentleman's case, it screamed "I don't care about you, to the extent I'll send out any gibberish to you". I had to write back for clarification of one whole (important) sentence - and even that took a reminder to get. Arrogance is the main assumption I make about him.
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eileithyia
- Posts: 8445
- Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
- Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)
That is precisely the point I was trying to make about the e-newsletter, repeatedly there are no spaces between words, it diverts from what is the message, looks unprofessional and makes the writer appear uneducated when a moment of care to re-read/spell check the whole publication should be perfectly possible. The CTC is supposed to be a creditable professional organisation representing all cyclists. Comments I have made re spelling mistakes have gone unheeded.
For my sins I occasionally deliver training courses on professional report writing. What I teach is that, for some reason, the human eye/brain is able to spot minor errors in language with quite amazing alacrity. The closest analogy is listening to a piece of music and hearing a wrong note - it stands out a mile.
My advice to CTC writers is: check, check and check again - every mistake, however minor, will be noticed by someone; it will undoubtedly cause annoyance and will definitely reduce the impact of what you have to say.
My advice to CTC readers, on the other hand, is to try to be tolerant (I know it's hard) as getting it right is immensely time consuming and costly for the writer.
Personally, I cringe at the spelling errors on this MB but I would much rather enjoy the humour and information with all the mistakes included than lose the contributions of so many witty and well informed people.
My advice to CTC writers is: check, check and check again - every mistake, however minor, will be noticed by someone; it will undoubtedly cause annoyance and will definitely reduce the impact of what you have to say.
My advice to CTC readers, on the other hand, is to try to be tolerant (I know it's hard) as getting it right is immensely time consuming and costly for the writer.
Personally, I cringe at the spelling errors on this MB but I would much rather enjoy the humour and information with all the mistakes included than lose the contributions of so many witty and well informed people.
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Reynard