I just wanted to throw up a quick note for those who applied for the copy editor opening I posted on Tuesday. I'm once again overwhelmed by the number of passionate and qualified people who have applied, and while I haven't had a chance to go through everyone's emails and resumes yet, I will be looking them over this weekend and getting back to everyone sometime this weekend, probably Sunday night.
Thanks for your patience, everyone, and thank you guys for offering your help in running the site.
Bryan Tsao is the editor of The Hardball Times website. He welcomes comments, questions, and suggestions for both himself and the site via email.
Comments
Bernie Weiss said...
Bryan: You could have done better. Here’s how I would have edited your copy:
“I just wanted to throw up a quick note for those who applied for the copy editor opening posted on Tuesday. I was overwhelmed by so many passionate applicants. I am still going through the emails and resumes, and will get back to everyone sometime this weekend, probably Sunday night.”
This is far more cogent, without violating the integrity of your message.
Bernie
Posted 09/11 at 06:15 PM
Bob said...
Bernie, you missed the obvious edit. I don’t think I’d start with “I just wanted to throw up…” My mind immediately goes to “I just wanted to vomit when I read the resumes.” How about “I just wanted to post a quick note…”? Plus I wouldn’t have removed the adjective “qualified” from Brian’s description of the people.
Posted 09/11 at 07:55 PM
JIm said...
Here’s how I would’ve edited it:
Settle your differences in the arena….if your dare!
I probably wouldn’t get the job but the zapper would have his due….
Posted 09/12 at 02:36 AM
Applicant Screeners said...
if your dare! ... I probably wouldn’t get the job ...
Allow us to clear up any lingering doubts you might have, Jim.
Posted 09/12 at 03:32 AM
nitpicker said...
Disclaimer: I can ordinarily resist my pedantic impulses, but not this time. Apologies in advance.
I was overwhelmed by so many passionate applicants.
This sentence is at best clumsy, at worst ungrammatical. Also, I don’t think you used the word “cogent” appropriately. “Straightforward” would be better.
Take more care next time, Bernie.
Posted 09/12 at 04:38 AM
Nick Steiner said...
I like the Mr. T one.
Posted 09/12 at 05:31 AM
Adam said...
Bernie - There’s a grammatical error in your edit.
“I am still going through the emails and resumes, and will get back to everyone sometime this weekend, probably Sunday night.”
You don’t need a comma after “resumes”, because the statement after the comma could not stand alone as a sentence. A better edit would be:
“I am still going through the emails and resumes, and I will get back to everyone sometime this weekend - probably Sunday night.”
Posted 09/14 at 02:09 PM
Stevo-sama said...
What is this, Deadspin? LOL…
Posted 09/14 at 04:40 PM
Baseball Writer said...
Adam said…
“I am still going through the emails and resumes, and I will get back to everyone sometime this weekend - probably Sunday night.”
Technically, Adam’s edit is not an improvement. The sentence does not need a comma as there is no personal pronoun change. It could simply be, “I am still going through the emails and resumes and I will get back to everyone sometime this weekend - probably Sunday night.”
The comma in the original statement just serves to clear up the awkwardness with the two “ands” so close together…
Or to save space it could be, “I am still going through the emails and resumes; I will get back to everyone sometime this weekend - probably Sunday night.”
I prefer the latter.
Either way, it’s in poor taste to edit the work of someone who could potentially hire you for a pretty sweet gig.
Posted 09/14 at 09:46 PM
Adam said...
It’s not a question of “improvement” - it’s a question of proper grammar. The comma is necessary after a conjunction - regardless of whether the pronoun changes - if the conjunction is joining two independent clauses. It’s the difference between:
Bryan: You could have done better. Here’s how I would have edited your copy:
“I just wanted to throw up a quick note for those who applied for the copy editor opening posted on Tuesday. I was overwhelmed by so many passionate applicants. I am still going through the emails and resumes, and will get back to everyone sometime this weekend, probably Sunday night.”
This is far more cogent, without violating the integrity of your message.
Bernie