h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

But I think it may be a moot point as the Entry has been recommended now

MJ -

>>1. I think some Sub Editor's prefer to work off-site and don't log on to h2g2 as often as they like. In this case perhap they miss some of the comments raised by Peer Review.<<

This is true, but they're still supposed to read the PR thread all the way through

>>2. Do some Sub Editor's automatically assume everything major has been tidied up in Peer Review and just do the 'tidying'?<<

I'm not saying it can't happen, but I wouldn't have thought it was common practice.

>>3. Some Sub Editor's may be down on the Sub list and get allocated Entries but are in fact on 'sabbatical's so the work is then not done and the Entry just goes through the processes and comes out the other end with all the errors...<<

I don't think that can happen - the Sub has actively to pass it back to the Eds.

>>4. Some sub's are new to the game and are not as experienced as others?<<

Almost certainly - me for one

>>I know the Scouting business is anonymous, but is there any need for the Subbing business to be? That way everyone can contribute to the final outcome of an Edited Guide Entry, making it a true community effort, but still giving the author the kudos they deserve?<<

Well, Subbing isn't anonymous, in fact - go to the recommended version and there's the Sub. But I think there would be a problem in making that part of the process a 'community effort' - the Sub has to go with the guidelines, follow editorial policy, etc.

Perhaps then I should build the 'Sub's Mess Hall';

Sub? Come here and over a plate of piping hot gravy and haggis discuss problems or queries concerning an Entry your subbing. You never know, there might be a passing rocket scientist who could help you understand the latest Entry about hyperspace you have to edit for the Guide!

Would that help things you think?

MJ

I still think it is worth discussing MJ, for the next time. I have been meaning to pop over to the thread and point the here. I think he felt, in his words, toasted, which wasn't my intent at all.

Drop him a note, I hate to think we're all talking about him behind his back

If there were a way of attracting passing rocket scientists and asking them to cast an expert eye over the rocket science Entry, that would definitely help

Not sure haggis will do it, though

On the other hand, I suspect the underlying idea is that all the expertise should go into the Peer Reviewing, while the Sub stands in the position of the lay reader who then checks that it reads correctly. (I mean, you *hope*, with rocket science entries, that contacting the author will be enough if something technical comes up).

I still think a central point for Sub-editors to come and ask for guidance other than from the author (who may not have great grammar knowledge) or other subs in the off-site forum (who may not have subject knowledge) is worthwhile, so I'm going to make it

Stay tuned

The sub-editors have presumably got their own place off-site for discussing sub-editing issues. I know the scouts and the curators do, so I presume the sub-eds do too.

I don't know much about the sub-editing process, MJ, but it never happens that an entry gets to the Front Page without being sub-edited just because the sub-editor didn't have time.

>>The sub-editors have presumably got their own place off-site for discussing sub-editing issues<<

They have - but they're not encouraged to rant and moan in it. Which is why this forum feels very liberating

hmmm, just as long as there's no burning of ladies underwear Trin

Oh

I don't approve of Dr Matt's cut-and-paste approach at all.

'Subbies' Mess Hall up and running here; A9964092

Suggestions more than welcome, I'll post the Entry to the Sub's Page, Misc Chat and at some point

MJ

Have you posted this to the Clubs and societies page MJ? cos Titania will be doing it today, otherwise it'll be the next issue, or you could bang out a piece about this place and what you hope to achieve by it for the next edition, too late for this one I'm afraid

I've sent in two Ads to the classified ads section of the Post here; F76577?thread=252394 RG. Will that do the job?

And I sent the first one off last week, so I was kind of hoping it'd be in the next edition of the Post...

Ok, if you got them early enough they will be in this week

Brill - a new page to subscribe to!

There's no rason why those announcements shouldn't be in .

As to subbing: I have to confess that I get the feeling that there are a lot of subs who really aren't all that experienced with grammar and that sort of thing. Obviously, we can't help it - we're amateurs, not trained professionals - but I have very high standards and even I can miss things. Whenever I look through an entry I see things that I would have done differently: the placement of commas, for instance, or whether something should be a parenthetical statement or a footnote. It's always going to be very difficult to arrive at a 'presentation' (if you like) that everyone's happy with, especially if it's something not covered in the h2g2 style and if the subs aren't trained on all aspects of grammar.

That's why I thought a central meeting place that was actually USED would be a good idea emr That way those subs with less expereince about writing for the EG can have a conflab with other researchers wihtout feeling like 'divvies' in the sub-eds forum