| When it comes to proofreading copy, whether it's | | | | their names and degree-subjects - not any of the |
| intended to be published online or in print, there's | | | | 'standard information'. |
| no room for error. As soon as that copy is out in | | | | 5. When corrections become errors |
| the public domain, it stands as a representation of | | | | A poem by W.B. Yeats, 'Among School Children', |
| whoever has written it. | | | | contained a reference to the 'solider Aristotle'. An |
| The job of a proofreader is to act as a safety | | | | over-zealous printer assumed the poet had made |
| net for these errors, catching and modifying | | | | a spelling error and corrected it to 'soldier |
| mistakes before they can be allowed to slip | | | | Aristotle' - a correction that stayed in print for |
| through - but sometimes, mistakes slip through | | | | years and gave the sentence an entirely different |
| regardless. Even the most diminutive of | | | | meaning. |
| proofreading errors can cause huge repercussions, | | | | 6. Adulterated text |
| at the very least making the author seem | | | | In the 1632 edition of the King James Bible the |
| careless and uninformed, and at the worst | | | | omission of the word 'not' gave whole new |
| changing the meaning of what is being said | | | | meaning to the seventh commandment, appearing |
| entirely. | | | | as 'Thou shalt commit adultery'. The printer of this |
| Although this can be amusing in some | | | | error was fined £300 for his mistake. |
| circumstances, ultimately this casts a bright light | | | | 7. Web figures gone awry |
| on just why proofreading is so important to your | | | | Several products at Comet's online store were |
| business. | | | | advertised at bargain prices in 2002, when some |
| Read on for ten of my favorite famous | | | | obviously incorrect figures were left unnoticed and |
| proofreading gaffes, where small instances of | | | | went live on the site. This resulted in some lucky |
| poor proofreading have gone on to cause | | | | shoppers being able to buy, for example, an Aiwa |
| widespread chagrin for the red-faced authors. | | | | hi-fi worth £89 for £8.43. |
| 1. Proofreaders wanted | | | | 8. The costly comma |
| When posting an advert looking for proofreaders, | | | | The case of a comma cost a Canadian cable |
| you would expect the job description to be | | | | television provider over a million dollars in 2006, |
| grammatically flawless. However, a job advert | | | | when it lost a court case in a contract dispute |
| posted recently seeking a 'Copy Editor for | | | | with a telephone company. This was due to the |
| Women's Magazine Site' contained no less than 3 | | | | inclusion of the second comma in the line of the |
| spelling errors: twice asking for 'editting' | | | | contract which stated that the agreement "shall |
| experience, and going on to cite the name of the | | | | continue in force for a period of five years from |
| magazine incorrectly as 'Women's World' instead | | | | the date it is made, and thereafter for successive |
| of 'Woman's World'. | | | | five year terms, unless and until terminated by |
| 2. Continuity error | | | | one year prior notice in writing by either party." |
| Of course, it isn't only orthographical gaffes that | | | | Though the cable television company believed that |
| need to be picked up on by the proofreader - | | | | the first five years of the deal were secured, the |
| maintaining continuity is just as important. An early | | | | inclusion of the second comma changed the |
| edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein contains the | | | | meaning of the sentence, which allowed the |
| phrase 'the latter days of December'. However, a | | | | telephone company to terminate the contract at |
| vigilant proofreader would have altered this to | | | | any time with one year's notice. |
| 'September', which was the month being referred | | | | 9. Checking failure |
| to in the rest of the passage. Later editions of | | | | GCSE students across England were left in the |
| the novel carried the correct date. | | | | lurch in 2008, when their exam papers contained |
| 3. Grauniad or Guardian? | | | | a significant disparity between question and |
| The Guardian newspaper has garnered an | | | | answer booklets. The exam board responsible for |
| impressive reputation for frequent typographical | | | | the papers had failed to pick up on this and |
| errors, so much so that it has earned the | | | | allowed some hundred thousand exam booklets |
| nickname 'The Grauniad' (first used in Private Eye | | | | to be printed before school invigilators noticed the |
| magazine). Often cited is The Guardian's first ever | | | | mistake. |
| issue, which contained the spelling error 'atction' | | | | 10. Not consulting a dictionary |
| for 'auction'. | | | | A newspaper headline touting the benefits of |
| 4. Mis-stated | | | | reading Webster's Dictionary in 2000 can hardly |
| In 1988 the University of Wisconsin awarded | | | | have done much for the Jackson Citizen Patriot's |
| thousands of diplomas with the glaring error | | | | credibility. The published story about an avid |
| 'Wisconson' typed on every one. Six months | | | | reader of the famous dictionary was accompanied |
| passed before anyone picked up on this blunder. | | | | by the headline: 'Want to spell like a champ? Read |
| An official at the time defended this by saying the | | | | Wenster's dictionary. |
| certificates had been proofread, but only to check | | | | |