Forum: Editors/Reviewers Hangout

I think enjoying what you are reading would be the first requisite for either a volunteer proofreader or a volunteer editor

Oddly, no.

Ideally, for the editor, the work is neither overly enjoyable (this can lead to distraction from the task at hand) nor objectionable (this can lead to not wanting to continue the task at hand).

Treating the two extremes as the only options, of course enjoyable would win. Inoffensive, however, occupies the middle ground.

Emotional intelligence research suggests we are better at spotting mistakes when we are in a neutral or negative mood. We are better at generating ideas when we are in a positive emotional state. Thus, if an author is looking for someone to spot mistakes - typos, grammar errors, maybe even story inconsistencies, the editor would likely need to avoid editing when overly positive. (I read somewhere about editors who have read authors they really enjoy just for the enjoyment first, then maybe another time or two to be able to edit.)

On the other hand, an author looking for developmental ideas might need someone who enjoyed the work.

Or get someone bipolar to fill both roles.

PC-ers can eat shit. "HIS" is the proper generic term

You know it's not healthy to hold in discontent. So why don't you tell us how you really feel?

So why don't you tell us how you really feel?

Mostly with my fingers.

Mostly with my fingers

Sorry to hear about the nerve damage everywhere but your hands.

Sorry to hear about the nerve damage everywhere but your hands.

Do you expect me to feel around in the dark in my bedroom with my nose?

No. But I'd expect that when you feel cold, if it's only in your fingers, you have circulation problems. If you fuck a chick, it's sad you don't feel anything from the waist down.

No. But I'd expect that when you feel cold, if it's only in your fingers, you have circulation problems.

When you are cold, you should feel it in the extremities first (fingers and toes).

I try to warm up before it gets further than that.

If you fuck a chick, it's sad you don't feel anything from the waist down.

You spend a lot of time nude in a sensory deprivation tank too, so you never feel a breeze, or the movement of cloth.on your skin, you never feel tired or hungry or angry or sad or....?

so you never feel a breeze

These days I speed too much time indoors for that.

You are spending an awful lot of time criticizing something that was thrown out as a joke.

The use of 'they' as a singular gender-neutral pronoun has been a part of English usage since the 14th century. Starting in the 18th century and reaching a peak in the mid-20th century

Even at it's peak, there were many dissenters against a singular they.

For my self, a singular they was what I was taught in school, but I just can't make in sound right in my head, so I became a dissenter and largely refuse to use it.

However, attacking gender-neutral singular 'they' as a modern 'PC' usage ignores hundreds of years of history.

hundreds of years of history.

I seem to remember reading some "thee, thou, thy and thine" as pronouns. "They" seems to fit right in. Pro nouns get paid, amateur nouns don't.

Pro nouns get paid, amateur nouns don't.

And grinning dicks get to be the mole in a game of whack-a-mole.

but I think Grammar Girl said in formal English the correct way is "he or she."

I don't think that would be right as a substitute for his, it would be "his or hers".

Allegedly 'they' has a very long history as a gender-neutral English singular pronoun.

This is true, but even way back in Shakespeare's day, there was a significant split over the validity of the use of they as singular gender unknown.

It does have a long history, but the controversy over it goes back just as far, the singular use of they has never been uncontroversial.

Allegedly 'they' has a very long history as a gender-neutral English singular pronoun. Its usage declined, but in these snowflake times it has undergone a resurgence.

The point of using 'they' as a singular pronoun isn't that it is gender neutral, but that the gender is unknown, so using 'he' or 'she' would be guessing at the gender.