# A major error in every single edited post! Please fix!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [March 24, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467 "2014-03-24T19:16:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/21 "2014-03-24T23:22:37Z")

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> [@Marley23](#):
>
> Let’s talk about what “major” means.

Well, if your ISP bills you by the pixel, it adds up! 🙂

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/22 "2014-03-24T23:25:09Z")

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> [@Kenm](#):
>
> Surely not in print, whether on paper or on the intertubes, especially at the New York Times and in 2000, when a typewriter would have been on display next to a Linotype in the paper’s museum, if it had a museum.
> 
> How the mighty has fallen.

Don’t know if NYT has a museum with a Linotype, but the Los Angeles Times does.

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/23 "2014-03-24T23:31:03Z")

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Actually, it’s worse that **Leo Bloom** thinks.

> [@](#):
>
> AM… [or, PM…]

Note the _absence_ of a dot after the first letter.

Depending on how nit-picky one chooses to be, there should be exactly one period after each letter:

> [@](#):
>
> A.M.

or none at all:

> [@](#):
>
> AM

(For the purposes of this thread, we can eschew any dispute over whether that should be in upper-case or lower-case letters. I’m sure there’s another thread in that.)

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/24 "2014-03-24T23:32:26Z")

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> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> Don’t know if NYT has a museum with a Linotype, but the Los Angeles Times does.

There’s also a small print shop in Atascadero with an old rusting Linotype sitting out front next to sidewalk, on the main thoroughfare (El Camino Real) through the town.

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/25 "2014-03-24T23:40:33Z")

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How I enter en-dashes and em-dashes (on the infrequent occasion that I can be arsed to bother):

I maintain a text file with a collection of special characters. When I see a “special character” in a post, or in a news article, or elsewhere, and if it’s of any potential interest to me, I cut-and-paste it into my little text file. I also have a Character Map app on my system (Linux) that displays the character sets in umpteen-dozen different languages plus special characters, so I’ve added some from there too.

I can open my text file in another window and cut-and-paste characters from that when I feel so motivated. It seems quicker and easier than hunting through the entire Character Map app every time.

Sample excerpt (feel free to plagiarize at will):

```auto

‽ ¿ ¡ ⸮ Ä á à â ä å ç È é è ê ë í î ï ı Ö ó ô ö ō ú ù û ü Ü ū ÿ ñ n̈ ø æ œ Я :Þ

“ ” ‘ ’ « » ⎖

— (em-dash)
– (en-dash)

Lots more at: http://www.nouilles.info/keyboard_shortcuts.html
More symbols at: http://www.alanwood.net/demos/symbol.html

∈ ∉ ⊂ ⊆ ⊃ ⊇ ∪ ∩ ⇔ ◯ ⌀ ↓ ↑ ← → ∃ ∨ ∧ ¬ ⊣ ⊢ ⊨ ⊬ Ø ∠ ≅ ∇ 

± × ÷ ≠ ≈ ~ √ √ ⇌ 〈 〉 ≥ ∂

¼ ½ ¾   

𝜋 ℵ ∞ θ

x ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) ☹ 血

ə ℓ ſ ∫ ƒ

ϕ Δ 

… § † ‡ ‾ ¶ · • ● ■ ◆ ▼ □ ★ ☆ ✠ ° ♪ ♬ ♫ ✸ △ ◅ ▓ 。� ⚓

~ | ‖ ¡ ¿ † ‡ ↔ ↑ ↓ • ¶ # ∞ ‘ ’ “ ” «» ¤ ₳ ฿ ₵ ¢ ₡ ₢ $ ₫
₯ € ₠ ₣ ƒ ₴ ₭ ₤ ℳ ₥ ₦ № ₧ ₰ £ ៛ ₨ ₪ ৳ ₮ ₩ ¥ ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ ♭ ♯ ♮ © ® ™ ✓ ✔ ☑ ☐

™ ® ©

£ ¢ €

Smilies, courtesy of Patty O'Furniture:

WTF: (ಠ_ಠ)
Blank stare: (•_•)
Angry: (ノಠ益ಠ)
Middle finger: (ಠ_ಠ)┌∩┐ (Pit only, of course)
Smug: (‾⌣‾)
Frustrated: ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)
Whatever: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Confused: 【・ヘ・?】
Evil: ψ(｀∇´)ψ
Shy/ashamed: (//･_･//) 

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/26 "2014-03-25T00:03:54Z")

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> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> In the U.S.A.F. it’s the next rank above “Captain” and below “Lieutenant Colonel”.

But that’s not important right now.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/27 "2014-03-25T01:12:02Z")

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This is so embarrassing.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/28 "2014-03-25T01:51:25Z")

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By the way, has anyone chimed on the capitalized ‘today’ following a semicolon?

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**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/29 "2014-03-25T02:22:01Z")

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> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> dot dot… dot dot… dot dot… dot dot…

let me translate that for you:

[http://translate.google.com/#en/ja/](http://translate.google.com/#en/ja/)…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/30 "2014-03-25T02:52:44Z")

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Missed your period?

\<Pregnant pause\>

Well …?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/31 "2014-03-25T22:49:01Z")

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Jerry can add this major problem to his list of Things To Do, prioritized just below Restoring The Old Smilies.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/32 "2014-03-26T00:28:15Z")

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> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#):
>
> Oh, god. I’ve seen it. Now I can never unsee it.

Crap. Me too.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/33 "2014-03-26T00:49:08Z")

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> [@Duckster](#):
>
> Missed your period?
> 
> \<Pregnant pause\>
> 
> Well …?

I see what you did there.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/34 "2014-03-26T00:58:51Z")

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And while we’re at it, why are the times always displayed as something like 09:52 AM? You’re mixing clocks. 09:52 would be the 24-hour military time and is necessarily AM. Or you should have 9:52 AM without the 0. Seems odd to mix it up. That’s not much different from Thailand, where you often see things like 18:30 PM.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/35 "2014-03-26T01:02:28Z")

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while we’re at it, why is the Calendar an option in the menu bar when it’s not functional?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/36 "2014-03-26T01:03:51Z")

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> [@shijinn](#):
>
> while we’re at it, why is the Calendar an option in the menu bar when it’s not functional?

How would we know it’s disabled if we didn’t have a link to take us to a notification page?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/37 "2014-03-26T01:06:54Z")

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The Calendar exists purely to piss me off.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/38 "2014-03-26T01:21:56Z")

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> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> There’s also a small print shop in Atascadero with an old rusting Linotype sitting out front next to sidewalk, on the main thoroughfare (El Camino Real) through the town.

That can’t be too good for it.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/39 "2014-03-26T16:34:19Z")

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Someone should tell the owners to get the lead out.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-major-error-in-every-single-edited-post-please-fix/684467/40 "2014-03-26T16:47:36Z")

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Actually, I’ve always thought that a\*\* third\*\* period would go a long way in pulling the panel together.  
But I’m like that.

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