Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch
I posted here on MR recently that while I am certainly no fan of typos, I think the craze for fixing every little typo in a BOOK has done no one any favors, particularly the authors OR the readers. I said, and I stand by the idea, that this concept that books can be fixed instantly leads writers to think that it's okay to put up substandard work and "fix it later," or that a book isn't a fixed (as in, completed, not as in repaired) creation, but rather, a WIP posted on Amazon et al for a form of crowd-sourcing editing and proofing. This means that we, the readers, get stuck with crap that should never have been published, and it's considered acceptable.
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Indeed indeed... this entire post reminded me of a paper/discussion in my software ethics class. And me, being very interested in economics, came to this conclusion via marginal/sunk costs.
In the case of software (digital):
Olden Times: Before the internet age, you would not get every minor revision, you would have had to wait for a major revision of your software (or not get an update at all). The "marginal cost" of getting a fix out there would not be trivial. You would have to print CDs/floppies and physically ship those to your customers.
Modern Times: Having computers connected to the internet lowers the "marginal cost" of fixing bugs to (less than pennies). This means that you can spend a hell of a lot less time bug checking your code... because it is trivial to get updates out to users (you can release v1.01 of your software and have it out to everyone in seconds).
This has a tendency to push towards faster iterations, and less money spent on initial bug testing/squashing, and not as strict standards. (If you DO make a mistake, it will be quick/cheap fix).
We also discussed software in vehicles, software in medical appliances, and a general recalling of physical products:
BECAUSE it costs the company a massive amount to actually recall/fix these products if something in the software goes wrong, manufacturers are willing to spend much more INITIALLY in development to squash as many problems as possible in the first place. Software in these tends to be run through much more rigorous product testing, more stringent standards, etc. etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch
I personally won't bother to fix any typo I find in a book I've purchased; why should/would I?
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I see typos in a book just like I see bugs in a program. No matter how minor, they should be squashed/fixed.
For those who read public domain books, it can be released so those who come after won't have to suffer through the same
buggy code typos in the book.
For those who read purchased titles that are in copyright.... well that is up to you. You may share the copy with a friend (they will not have to suffer through the typos), if you reread it at a future date (not a high chance, but you might!), or for those who are more gray in their alignment (and we cannot ignore this), those who wear pirate patches and want quality!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch
Would 5 typos in 100K words really kill off the whole book?
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Bugs Typos must be squashed... no matter how
miner minor...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch
I didn't complain to the publisher, nor post bad reviews about the formatting. There were patent formatting errata, as well; broken paragraphs, and the like. Somehow, I suffered through. ;-)
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Wow, how do you do that? Ever since I started making these ebooks.... my reading style has changed completely. Now I can't help but scan for problems that must be fixed (honing my skills for future books I guess so my ebooks get minimum errors!
).
I must admit though, it has turned my reading into a snail's pace...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch
But reporting 2 typos, (like the story I told about our superstar author's 350K-word novel), 1 of which wasn't even a typo, but a Brit spelling, and complaining about that to Amazon seems petty.
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Indeed indeed... I wouldn't want anything taken down, just reporting it for informational purposes (which is why I wouldn't mind collecting them on a forum/website). I mean, B&N can continue selling that horrible Wild Cards #17 book I posted above.... but people should be aware of how crappy of an EPUB it is. :P
I see typo reporting as being especially helpful in the case of books that have yet to be digitized. I am just one set of eyes looking the book over while OCRing, it would be better to get two, three, four sets of eyes.... and what better way than having a bunch of eyes who actually READ the book (not just scan it quickly like me).
Also, reporting the typos can't hurt if they ever do decide to come out with a second edition of the book.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch
@Cyb: the font thing...sometimes you can talk them out of it, sometimes you can't. I have a book in right now with {sigh}, NINE fonts. NINE. Oish.
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Wow... Nine fonts... nine different characters talking? All with their own fonts?