# silly person, lack of editing or both
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-person-lack-of-editing-or-both/86235
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [October 9, 2001, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-person-lack-of-editing-or-both/86235 "2001-10-09T02:12:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-person-lack-of-editing-or-both/86235/1 "2001-10-09T02:12:21Z")
I read an interesting letter to the editor of my local newsrag the other day. In essence, it said that the real heroes of New York are the architects and engineers who designed and built the WTC buildings, because “each building was TWO MILES tall and they could have just fallen over sideways instead of crumbling”. Is it just policy to leave letters to the editor intact? I don’t know why this bothers me so much, but instead of amusing me, it annoys the hell out of me. I guess those buildings over in Kuala Lumpur must be like 8 miles high (mmmm, flashback to the Byrds).
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### Author:  [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-person-lack-of-editing-or-both/86235/2 "2001-10-09T02:25:41Z")
Letters to the editor _are_ edited, in general–errors in spelling, grammar, and fact are corrected, and they are frequently shortened, and it can go farther than that.
In a recent news magazine, for example, a letter writer complained that his letter on AIDS in Africa, which was printed in a previous issue, had been edited so that it read, “safe sex” in place of “biblical standards.”
Pretty inappropriate, if you ask me.
Sorry, can’t find a cite–I checked the _Newsweeks_ we have laying around here, and didn’t find it, so maybe it was a _Time_ I read at work . . .
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### Author:  [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-person-lack-of-editing-or-both/86235/3 "2001-10-09T03:10:57Z")
Do you read MY local paper? The local name for it is, “The Typocgraphical Error.” They once reported, “All bears will now be released from culvert traps using electric WENCHES.” instead of “winches.” They also ran a classified ad for “two pairakeets for sale”.
The good papers edit and proof. The bad ones get laughed at and passed around the office.
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-person-lack-of-editing-or-both/86235/4 "2001-10-09T03:12:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by whistlepig \*
> **Do you read MY local paper? The local name for it is, "The Typocgraphical Error."**
:D:D:D:D:D
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### Author:  [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-person-lack-of-editing-or-both/86235/5 "2001-10-09T13:40:38Z")
I don’t think there were anywhere near to 2 miles tall - I believe each was approximately 1,300 feet. Still amazing, though, that neither one collapsed sideways.
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### Author:  [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-person-lack-of-editing-or-both/86235/6 "2001-10-09T15:07:14Z")
\*\*
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by whistlepig \*
> **Do you read MY local paper? The local name for it is, "The Typocgraphical Error."**
We get a charge out of reading construction bids in the local paper, especially those dealing with “Foley Pubic Schools”.
😃
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### Author:  [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-person-lack-of-editing-or-both/86235/7 "2001-10-09T16:44:54Z")
Oh, don’t even get me started. The local paper around these parts is the _Recorder_, affectionately known as the _Distorter_. I’m not sure they actually employ any editors or proofreaders over there. I usually find one or two glaring spelling/grammar/punctuation errors per article, and that doesn’t even touch on the factual errors and misquotes. It’s pretty depressing.