Forum: Author Hangout

The one which annoys me is stationery (which you write on) for stationary (when you stop writing).

Or "stationery stationary", for when you stop using stationary.

There is a website that provides a useful and very extensive of similar sounding words with different spellings.
http://www.opundo.com/homophones.htm

For when you want to confuse readers, or to recall all the words you never notice you misspell anyway? ')

Autocrit offers an extensive list of ALL the homophones is any given story/chapter. So far, I've never been able to get through more than a couple paragraphs, as it's SO extensive, repetitive and pointless, as there are few actual mistakes.

I think you made most of those up. Although I recently noticed a 'shore' used in a SOL story where 'sure' would have been correct.

AJ

But they're not mistakes frequently overlooked by authors and editors.

AJ

Although I recently noticed a 'shore' used in a SOL story where 'sure' would have been correct.

In some parts of the US, "sure" is pronounced as "shore"

That's how it's pronounced in my part of the UK. How else is it pronounced? Shooer?

AJ

Shooer

Webster's shows it as:

ˈshu̇r, especially Southern ˈshȯr

shu̇r, especially Southern ˈshȯr

Or more likely: "S'ho nuff!"

But at least, that makes the difference (as a regionalism) easier to recognize, and not just another typo.

In some parts of the US, "sure" is pronounced as "shore"

The verbal sound most Aussies make when saying sure and shore is the same. Thus the two words in the sentences "Sure I'll meet you at the sea shore." is the same, just as meet and meat sound the same.

"What are your Christian names?"

"George Bernard."

"Are you Shaw?"

;)

AJ

Thus the two words in the sentences "Sure I'll meet you at the sea shore." is the same, just as meet and meat sound the same.

"Sure, I'd like to meet your meat at the seashore!" replied the sailor, winking at me. "I be getting tired of the fishy taste of oysters all the time!"

Obviously hoping you'll mete out some meat when you meet.

AJ

"Sure, I'd like to meet your meat at the seashore!" replied the sailor, winking at me. "I be getting tired of the fishy taste of oysters all the time!"

So they arrange to have dinner at the Sunny Shores Steakhouse at six that night.

Many of us in the US pronounce the two words differently.

Many of us in the US pronounce the two words differently.

I'm not surprised since you can pronounce potato properly or how to properly spell socks. hehehehehe

how to properly spell socks

S U C K S

How did I do? :)

S U C K S

How did I do? :)

that sucks

I'm not surprised since you can pronounce potato properly or how to properly spell socks. hehehehehe

You mean how we "sell spocks"? hehehehe

I treat dialog as a free-fire zone. Write it like they say it.

That is pretty much what I do. It also seems to be the consensus of most of the people here in the Forum.

That is pretty much what I do. It also seems to be the consensus of most of the people here in the Forum.

Within reason. The rules aren't as rigid, but what the characters say still has to make sense, and there's got to be an internal consistency to it. One character can't talk with a German accent in one scene, and then a Scottish one the next.

abandoning

True, and I accepted that as a given.

My post was a response to Ezrick's comment:

Really though it's only valid in dialog to show the speakers pronunciation.

I treat dialog as a free-fire zone. Write it like they say it

It took me a while to pickup on the errors. It is very easy to miss them.

"Are you really going on a date with that looser?" Asked Carol.

"He's quite interesting when you get to know him," Jessica replied, intending it to be a complement.

Carol chocked back a snort of derision. "You've just waved you're rite to membership of the sisterhood."

Or, better yet ...

"Are you really going on a date with that looser?" Asked Carol.

"He's even worse once you get to know him, and he 'loosens' up even more!"

Carol stared at her friend in confusion. "Sometimes, I don't get you at all. Why would you stick with him at all?"

"Good point," Jessica says, walking away.

"You've just waved you're rite to membership of the sisterhood."

One must take care to write the right rite when writing about religious ceremonies.

By far the worst for me when reading is loose instead of lose.

The frightening thing about this one is how frequently the spell check software in one of my editor's MS Word software wants to change it to the wrong choice. That makes me wonder how often it's due to an author going with a spell check option.

"Are you really going on a date with that looser?" Asked Carol.

The capital 'A' in 'Asked' is a common fault in SOL stories, but I wonder how many times it's the fault of WP software. When I started using OpenOffice, it tried to insist on converting the 'a' to a capital in that situation. (The version I'm currently using doesn't seem to have that problem.)

AJ

The capital 'A' in 'Asked' is a common fault in SOL stories, but I wonder how many times it's the fault of WP software. When I started using OpenOffice, it tried to insist on converting the 'a' to a capital in that situation. (The version I'm currently using doesn't seem to have that problem.)

I've noticed that. It's because the software sees the final punctuation ("?") and assumes the previous sentence ended.

Autocrit, as useful as it is, is forever listing hundreds of "attributions" that are actually action attributions (i.e. not part of the sentence, but of the following sentence). It severely limits the usefulness of the entire tool.

an author going with a spell check option

I always checkout what it suggests. I rarely accept the suggestion.

I always checkout what it suggests. I rarely accept the suggestion.

I agree. But it wasn't until I spoke with the editor that he learned his system was still at the default setting of 'Auto change' for the spell check in Word, and I told him how to turn the damn thing off because it was making changes on its own. Which explained why he couldn't explain some of the changes he made prior to that.

Yeah, that automatic feature should be deleted from all text processing applications.

Yeah, that automatic feature should be deleted from all text processing applications.

Better yet, everything written by M$hit should be deleted from the computer, as they haven't added anything of value (aside from the "Review" function, which everyone else also added), since 2003.

Frankly, it's a company lost past it's prime, no longer adding anything of value or products that anyone cares about, continuing to insist everyone continue spoon feeding huge profits into its craw. It's time we called their bluff, and moved on to other platforms (which is why you never see non-paid endorsements in TV shows where anyone uses anything other than a MAC).

PCs have lost all their credibility a long time ago.

Apple doesn't pay for the endorsement as such, they just give them the hardware to use via a 3rd party they use to get their products screen time.

No, but the only time you see any MS product on a TV show or movie nowadays is because they pay the companies to promote their crappy products.

And giving away their products to the show to get air time would be different, how?

It at least shows that consumers are willing to accept your products. The only way most production companies will even accept PC products anymore is if they're paid.

One is good marketing to gain exposure for your product, and one is bad marketing of a terrible product (because it's so obvious).

@Grant

You really do have issues with M$ don't you?
Strange that the company with the greatest market share of products would have the greatest share of errors in documents, since they are used by the greatest number of people (assuming your assertion is even correct, and even then they could still have the lowest percentage of misspelt words).
And any product is only as good as it's user, certainly it can't be any better.

My 'issues' with M$ is that, while I defended them for a long time, I eventually got to the point that I no longer could when they stopped innovating.

The problem isn't that they have a faulty spell-checker, or even that it's dated, it's that, after introducing the concept to the world, they essentially abandoned it as 'good enough' and decided to ignore it's many flaws, rather than continuing to innovate.

When they offered decent products cheaper than everyone else (their PCs, at least), I could support them, but when they churn out products that no one wants, and then force everyone to use them whether they want to or not (thru forced upgrades), I can no longer defend them.

I'm still using a PC, because I had a custom Win 7 machine built a few years ago which still runs like a champ, but as soon as it dies, I'm abandoning the PC world forever.

Unless "automatic updates" is turned off, MS is destroying Windows 7 installations by degrees.

Part of their long term plan to shift everyone over to monthly rental software working over the Internet.

has anyone paid particular attention to MS effective crippling

I still run Windows and have MSN as my homepage. Has anyone else noticed MS having problems linking to their homepages. I keep getting "MSN cannot respond" error messages. Once they do respond, I get "website X does not respond" error messages. Not to mention that when I a link opens and I try to page down, I get "MSN not responding due to a long running script" messages.

Personally, I think Windows has become buggier than hell. Most likely caused by so many patches. It needs a complete overhaul. The long running script is usually me sitting for 1-2 minute while the ads are downloaded to my computer. If ads take so long to download, they should fix the script so I can scroll down while the ads download; some process similar to streaming.

Personally, I think Windows has become buggier than hell. Most likely caused by so many patches. It needs a complete overhaul.

M$ has always been "buggier than hell". Whereas Apple has always focused on "better design", M$ has focused on 'making it good enough for the masses'. However, once upon a time, they focused on innovation as a driver of sales, but they've given up on any 'new sales', and instead focus on continued business sales, since everyone is giving up on new PCs in favor of tablet and phones instead.

M$ has always been "buggier than hell".

I meant even buggier than usual.

Remember, people screaming about DOS being so bad. MS brought out a new product called Windows. People stopped screaming so much. What most of them did not realize was Windows was just and interface for running DOS. It is still an interface and it still runs DOS.

And the only reason they take those Apple systems is because they are given them. They're props on a set, not actual systems in use in most cases (other than the odd one used to provide a screen shot)

Please, let's NOT restart the entire PC vs. Apple arguments from the '90s. I was sick of it at the time, and I'm not eager to repeat all the same old arguments now.

If you prefer PCs, then I have no objection to your using them. However, although my sticking with, and continually defending them, I've lost faith in M$ to offer anything of value, so I've joined those railing against them because they no longer offer anything I can defend them with.

'Nuff said. It's assumed we'll disagree with each other no matter which arguments we offer. I dislike M$, you still like them.

For me it is not a question of which I prefer, but which I can afford.

That's understandable. Macs are incredibly expensive, though given their much longer lifetime, and the reduced crashes and failures, the costs supposedly even out over time. However, there's also the cost of familiarizing yourself with an entirely new tool, something I'm still working through. I still use my Win 7 PC 95% of the time, simply because I'm more productive on it.

When it finally dies, it'll be a difficult final adjustment.

Truth told, it [should] boil down to the applications. The operating system doesn't produce the work. So, if you've got a suite of apps that you prefer, find a way to keep the OS of choice running. Even on a replacement PC.

Macs (and Linux) support most common programs, including OpenOffice, Calibre and most writing tools. Macs also allow dual booting, which helps ex-PC users.

@John Demille
That's the wrong way to transition onto a new platform. You're wasting that Mac that you have. While I do understand the reluctance to give up something familiar, no matter how awful it is compared to the unfamiliar, but such a transition sometime requires some tough love, or a cold turkey jump. Moving away from Windows is much like quitting smoking:a gradual move takes a very long time and most times leads to failure.

My main issue is that I bought a Mac laptop when my old laptop died and I got sick of constantly replacing/reinstalling them. However, my main desktop was custom build, and works like a sturdy stallion, thus I prefer the full screen, fully powered system over the smaller laptop. I know I can attach the laptop to a larger display, but I still prefer the larger systems on a sit down desk.

I still use my Win 7 PC 95% of the time, simply because I'm more productive on it.

When it finally dies, it'll be a difficult final adjustment.

That's the wrong way to transition onto a new platform. You're wasting that Mac that you have. While I do understand the reluctance to give up something familiar, no matter how awful it is compared to the unfamiliar, but such a transition sometime requires some tough love, or a cold turkey jump. Moving away from Windows is much like quitting smoking:a gradual move takes a very long time and most times leads to failure.

I've had friends move to the Mac and the ones that failed or took the longest to make the move were the ones that kept using their windows boxes out of familiarity or perceived productivity advantage. If you don't force yourself to rely solely on the Mac, then you won't take advantage of what the Mac has over windows. Usually, a cold turkey transition phase is about 20 days. If you can force yourself to not jump back to your PC for 20 days, then you won't go back to the PC because you won't need to and you'll be much more comfortable on the Mac.

Usually, if you make the transition before you're actually forced (by the death of the PC), then it's mentally easier to accomplish.

I made the transition cold turkey style way back when in 2005.

I always checkout what it suggests. I rarely accept the suggestion.

I frequently don't, but I'm always conflicted when it recommends semicolons when I don't think they fit. Guaranteed, if I stick to my guns, a couple editors will mark it as being incorrect again.

It's not always just the software!

If you lose your trowsers it's much more embarrassing. :)

Lost trousers (U.S. Spelling) sink relationships!

Lost trousers (U.S. Spelling) sink relationships

Especially when the husband finds them.

Especially when the husband finds them.

Or the wife finds them in that 'chippie's' apartment!

Which is probably why I should never write about any rite after imbibing adult beverages, because I don't get things right. But my waist is not wasting away.

Follow Hemmingway's famous advice: Write drunk, but always edit sober.

It would require a bit of true artificial intelligence to overcome. Short of that, a sharp-eyed editor, or an author with a dictionary.

If authors and editors, trained in this kind of thing, don't catch homophones, what chance do you think some programmer will have (especially since they're tasked with making writing business letters easier)?

Also, don't forget, M$ has never (well, maybe once, early on) attempted to upgrade their loser spell-check, which is recognized world wide as the source of most errors in electronic communications.

And any product is only as good as it's user

That's very true Grant. One of the problems is Word, which I use, overwhelms me with suggestions based on possible alternatives. My usage is valid, but the idiot software keeps prompting me to tell me that I may not have selected the proper word. The same thing with punctuation and sentence structure.

Word

Up!

Seriously, though, I use Open Office Writer. Easy to add those odd names to the dictionary, and it doesn't bitch at me with a lot of suggestions. It'll auto correct some of the simple words that I mess up, and just underline those it doesn't recognize.

Does it have all the fun features that some of the programs out there have? Nope, but it does have one key thing - I was able to download it at work as well, so when I'm at lunch I can still work on my writing.

I was able to download it at work as well, so when I'm at lunch I can still work on my writing.

Some employers do not have a problem with their employees using company property for personal uses such as you described. Some companies object to it.

Those who allow it, may not approve of uses that they deem immoral; I am not saying writing erotic fiction is immoral, but some people think it is.

it could be deemed sexual harassment

Only if his monitor was positioned so someone passing/entering his office/cubicle could read what was on the monitor.

Companies, especially the larger ones, have their IT departments do periodic "keyword" searches on their file servers' hard drives looking for words that indicate potential inappropriate/immoral content. There is a morality clause in many employment contracts, that is what would most likely get him fired.

Of course, using a thumb drive would help protect him from such a charge.

I recall helping a coworker with her company-owned computer one day. We were talking about inappropriate content on work computers. I forget why, but I did a search for .jpg files, and found a number of files. I opened one at random and it turned out to be an almost nude photo of a prior employee's wife; the lady I was helping knew them socially. He had quit several months prior and the lady had inherited his computer.

, it's the fact that an employee can be fired without cause

True and the employee can just walk away without notice or reason.

US are "at will" employees. They don't have a contract.

In many companies, a new employee signs an offer letter and in doing so they agree to a specified salary/hourly rate, a benefit package, and compliance with company policies. I consider that to be a contract even if they aren't senior executives.

At-will employment is a term used in U.S. labor law for contractual relationships in which an employee can be dismissed by an employer for any reason (that is, without having to establish "just cause" for termination), and without warning.[1] When an employee is acknowledged as being hired "at will", courts deny the employee any claim for loss resulting from the dismissal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At-will_employment

When an employee is hired as an "At-will employee" the company and employee sign an employment agreement/contract that defines the employee's employment status as "at-will".

Edited to fix quote of DS's original comment

I've never signed anything of the sort.

My daughter was an "at will" employee, and her status was specified in her offer letter. Things may be different in other states; but here in CA, if that employment status is not specified in an employment document, the new employee is not an "at will" employee, and the employee can sue the company for improper dismal.

but the burden of proof is a bit higher.

Here in CA, the employer does not have to give a reason or justification for letting an employee go. If he doesn't say why, it is impossible to prove why the employee was let go, so the courts won't even hear such a case.

When I said "If he doesn't say why" I meant never states it to anyone, not just to the dismissed employee.

Of course many people can't keep something like that to themselves.

Of course, using a thumb drive would help protect him from such a charge.

Exactly. I don't have a browser open with lots of nude pictures on it - our IT department takes care of not allowing that. I have a document open that a simple mouse click conceals, and that's it. And as long as we do our job and can pass the random drug screen, we're pretty well left alone anyway. You have to REALLY fuck up to get fired - or not do your job.

Mind you, in our industry, the general mentality is that of a junior high school locker room. And that includes the women.

Apple are the world's biggest tax avoiders. They have also somehow managed to avoid prosecution for their price-fixing. They are not an ethical company.

AJ

Apple are the world's biggest tax avoiders. They have also somehow managed to avoid prosecution for their price-fixing. They are not an ethical company.

I'm sorry, but I can't think of a single company that is. Corporations are not moral entities, and the only ones which pretend to be, try to impose their own ideas of 'morality' on the rest of us, like PayPal.

That's also why we need government regulators, because we can't trust the 'free market' to protect us from scratch (though the g'ovt regulators are usually in the pockets of the corporations anyway, but at least they're pretending to look out for us, rather than aiding and abetting their abdication of responsibility.

Hint: the Sherman Antitrust Act was passed in 1890, more than ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE years ago!

Ah, the Sherman Antitrust Act, which officially revoked our trust in tanks. 'D Maybe that's why you never see them in stories or movies anymore.

Hard evidence is hard to come by,

No personal insult intended DS,

But, every time I read that statement, or one similar to it, I equate it to Trump telling the DOJ that the evidence of Obama wiretapping him during the campaign is out there, all they have to do is go find it.

Hard evidence is hard to come by, but there has been evidence out that the federal government was running a secret whisper campaign to cut certain illegal and legal but politically disfavored industries off from any kind of financial services.

The whole 'bit coin' conflict arose much later than the initial PayPal/Adult Entertainment fight. They're essentially two different arguments. (Though not that I review your message--which I was sure included a 'bit coin' reference--I see didn't.)

I hate to burst your bubble, but PayPal's bar on processing payments for adult entertainment sites was not instituted by PayPal's choosing.

Excuse me, but PayPal led the charge against adult sites of their own volition, rather than playing catch-up after the fact. They were routinely critiqued for their approach, but declared that they didn't care, since it was based on their [leader's] religious views.

The Stuff M$ was up to in the 90's and earlier pales in comparison to what Apple and Google can do today.

Take a guess as to who taught them to behave that way! It was Bill Gates.

notice of their business practices

About 10 years back, I worked out heavily and listened to music while I did so. One Christmas, my wife gave me an Apple MP3 player. I carried it in an armband in a fashion similar to that shown on their ads and the band was often saturated by sweat.

One day, it quit working and I took it into an Apple shop for warrantee repair/replacement. They removed the back and checked the humidity indicator. They told me the warrantee was void because it had been exposed to moisture. I haven't bought an Apple product since.

The Stuff M$ was up to in the 90's and earlier pales in comparison to what Apple and Google can do today.

I recall Dell selling Linux PCs for more than their M$ equivalents despite not having to pay for the software because of M$ threats not to supply them with Windows etc.

And M$ bribed Bush into stopping the attempt to split them up.

AJ

as it was keyed in the BIOS!

To prove my ignorance to the experts, can't the BIOS be edited? After replacing the battery in a Dell, it used to try to boot initially from the non-existent floppy drive. It's a known bug with Dells and the fix is to edit the BIOS to remove the A: drive from the top of the list. Or just press the right function key to skip over the error message every time.

AJ

trained in this kind of thing

I'm not sure how many SOL editors have had training. The quality seems very variable. On the one hand there are people like Denny Wheeler, to whom I'd be happy to entrust any of my stories. Then there are the authors who credit multiple editors/proofreaders, whose finished products are questionable, to say the least.

AJ

which is recognized world wide as the source of most errors in electronic communications.

Personally, I would blame the users who don't turnoff the auto replace features. Sort of a User' beware situation.

Perv Otaku
04/04/2017, 7:41:22 pm

http://www.homophone.com/

Isn't that the special help phone line?