Sunday, August 25, 2013

RBOC: Proof-reading, re-formatting, and drinking

  • Yeah, I know that this is not the ideal scenario, and usually one should proof-read one's work whilst sober. 
  • That hypothetical goodie-two-shoes, though, can suck it. He didn't have to make sure that every last em-dash was re-typed as an en-dash.
  • Or ensure that all the bibliography entries were thoroughly formatted with headline-style capitalization, no matter what Zotero did automatically. 
  • (Have you ever noticed that Zotero's headline-style capitalization is thrown off by hyphenated compounds?)
  • Or make sure that, even in said bibliography, every goddamned character that Zotero formatted in italics is re-formatted as underlined.
  • Or figure out how languages written in non-Latin alphabets might constitute formal exceptions to any of the above, given the demands of both the Press and the Chicago Manual of Style.
  • Oh, pardon me, I meant: Chicago Manual of Style. 
  • OMFG, no, I didn't: CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE. CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE. CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE.  See, motherfuckers? We can handle italicization in the current technological age. What the bloody hell is the good of using one kind of font strictly to indicate that we really want to use another font? 
  • F.M.L.
  • I bet that this hypothetical jagoff also didn't feel obliged to do this kind of proof-reading at 1:00 on Sunday morning in order to raise the odds that he might actually ship out the entire manuscript on Monday.
  • Fucksox.
  • On the plus side, I bet that this hypothetical jagoff couldn't mix a Manhattan half as smoothly knee-weakening as can I. So fuck him.

7 comments:

  1. Couldn't you add the name/URL option to comments? If I want to comment on your blog, I have to go sign in with Wordpress first.

    I had a comment that disappeared in the signing in process about congratulating yourself for being technically competent enough to use Zotero. Some of us are old school and type up all the bibliographic items individually, with maybe some copying and pasting if we're lucky.

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    Replies
    1. Sorry, Dame Eleanor, but that doesn't seem to be an option for me on Blogger. Or, if it is, I certainly can't find it in the comment settings.

      And Zotero's easy! It's a lot more user-friendly than the last bibliography software I used.

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  2. Well at least you seem to be having fun ranting at hypothetical people! And drinking lots of alcohol. I guess everyone needs their own hobby.

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    Replies
    1. I'm ever so slightly disconcerted to consider the idea that drinking and ranting at hypothetical people constitutes my hobby.

      Delete
  3. And I've never heard of Zotero. Must investigate...

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  4. And you're almost done! #envious

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  5. Also feeling luddity re: Zotero. And I speak from experience on this one: the non-Latin alphabets get completely screwed over the course of publication (esp. the languages from your neck of the woods). Triple check 'em.

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