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Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 7 posts ] 
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 Post subject: Human relations, more or less
PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:59 am 
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Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:03 pm
Posts: 59
Location: California
One of the few other copyeditors I work with is very assertive about changing wording and worse than tone deaf. His changes are scattered among the tiredest headlinese, 19th-century poetics, '1984'-ish suffixed constructions, and for-crossword-puzzle-only vocabulary.

If anybody is going to clean up after him, it's often me, and it's a time-consuming, repetitive pain in the ass. And that he's tolerated is corrosive to my morale: It undermines my belief in the quality of the organization.

The punch line is that the person is protected by a personal connection -- not directly by blood, sex or blackmail but next-best, evidently.

Suggestions?


Last edited by Louis on Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Human relations, more or less
PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:26 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:33 pm
Posts: 1225
Location: Texas
Louis wrote:
erronerous


If this was an accidental neologism, it was a fortuitous one. I like it.

Sorry, no suggestions as to your actual problem beyond, raise the issue with management, be persistent, and hope the roadblocks move on or die off. I've seen persistence pay off, but it's a long struggle and not 100% effective.


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 Post subject: Human relations, more or less
PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:31 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:03 pm
Posts: 59
Location: California
I wish i could say "erronerous" was part of my strategery...


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:34 pm 
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Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:09 pm
Posts: 21
Location: Abandoning ship
Try talking to him. Why not always pleasant to do, people are generally nice and respond well when people explain their frustrations in a constructive manner.
Also, as a manager, it's nice to have employees first try to solve co-worker issues before heading to the boss to complain.
If the person is completely set in their ways or you feel like approaching them would put your job in jeopardy, remember that with today's economy you could be much worse off. Putting up with a co-worker who doesn't pull their weight is much better than not having a job.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:46 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 12:01 am
Posts: 3137
Location: Homebush NSW Australia
Our colleagues at The Times suggest recall the following remdies to such problems.

Pride Broken on the wheel
Envy Put in freezing water
Gluttony Forced to eat rats, toads, and snakes
Lust Smothered in fire and brimstone
Anger Dismembered alive
Greed Put in cauldrons of boiling oil
Sloth Thrown in snake pits

Source: The Picture Book of Devils, Demons and Witchcraft; Ernst and Johanna Lehner


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:55 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2002 1:01 am
Posts: 8342
Location: Bethesda, Md.
"Peglags" for short.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:41 am 
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Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:31 am
Posts: 51
Location: Dubai, UAE
Keep him.
Diversity adds flavour. Conflict can breed excellence. (Maybe not in Sierra Leone, but certainly on a publication.)

I like the way this guy says it:
Of Youth and Age

"Certainly it is good to compound employments of both [youth and age]; for that will be good ... because the virtues of either age may correct the defects of both..."

(Forgive his 19th... er, 16th Century poetics.)


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