Sorrow

It has been a while since my last post, and if anyone is still reading, please click through to read the following article on the plight of copy editors.

I am a copy editor. I do not work in journalism, exactly, though perhaps I work on its academic fringe. I am a copy editor of financial research; I prepare research for global distribution, online and in dead-tree journals. My job is to take what you have written, what you have spent hours, days, or perhaps even years to create, and to turn it into prose that reflects your intelligence and hard work. I eliminate redundancies, correct logical errors, and, overall, make your work look good and be easily understood. Yes, the factual problems are yours, and the general concept of the paper will not benefit from my efforts, but when I'm done, you'll know.

Copy editors are under-appreciated. They always have been and they always will be. It is unfortunate that the world of the Internet, where news is posted ad infinitum, seems less willing to embrace the perfectionism once requisite for news sources.

For me, when I read news online and find large numbers and types of mistakes, I am less willing to accept the article at its word. For me, these mistakes signify a lack of caring, which in turn make me suspicious of any claims made within. For instance, if you can't figure out which type of dash to use, en or em, why should I believe that 365 peopled died in an airline accident. Maybe it was 36.5. It could have been 3.65 people who died in a hang-gliding accident.

Just know: A copy editor is your last line of defense against mistakes and embarrassment. We are full of knowledge--useful and useless--because we read all day, every day, for a living. Appreciate your copy editor, help him or her do their job, and appreciate it when they point out your mistakes. After all, that's why you need them.

PSA: I moved!

Dear Friends,

Thanks to those who have been keeping up with my status abroad and I'm sorry I haven't written in a long time. There are a lot of posts on their way as soon as I get my fiber-optic lifeline hooked up, so keep checking back!

Anyway, for those who didn't know, I got a new job and I moved. I am now an editor at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, the leading government-funded think tank on such pressing issues as Korean reunification, Chinese FTAs and economic development, and financial education. This means no more working until 10:00pm, no more screaming children, no more bitchy mothers, no more attempted suicide, and the enjoyment of commuting in the most densely populated city in the word. Oh the wonders that comprise my life!

In keeping with my tradition of massive, life-altering change, I also moved further into the city. For Seoul people, I now live just a short jump from Samseong Station on the ever-busy green line, which is the same station as COEX mall and the Korea World Trade Center, where you can find the Kimchi Field Museum, aquarium, and not one but THREE Starbucks, two Cafe Pascuccis, and two Coffee Beans in the same building. I'm twitching just thinking about it. Hit me up if you're in the neighborhood.

My phone number is the same as it was, though I no longer have a land line, and of course I'm always checking my e-mail. You can also, *shudder*, reach me on Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn because I'm social-networked up to my loins. Again, check back soon for some more fascinating information about being a minority in Seoul, and an unhealthy dose of my rapier wit.

I wanna' give a shout-out to Tex, Big Dave, and my homie Slick Willy!