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Old 07-12-2007, 12:02 AM   #30
Anais9000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xenophon View Post
They have a very organized and effective method for proofing books that results in the cleanest available text.
That would be lovely if it were true, but it's not. Here for example are text errors (never mind punctuation) from Gutenberg's version of Castle Richmond by Trollope.

It has passed all levels of Distributed Proofreaders tests and been posted back to Gutenberg.org. BTW, these are just the errors in Chapters I and II.

I choose this particular example because the errors are so cut-and-dried; they're not the kind you can argue about (like toward/towards, etc.) Apparently, once they decide a text is perfect (sic) like this one, they no longer accept corrections. (I would be delighted to be shown to be wrong about this.)
--------------------------------------------

three--volumed manuscript which I held
three-volumed manuscript which I held

nor was he an absentee Castle Richmond had no
nor was he an absentee. Castle Richmond had no

slice of land, either out from the large
slice of land, either cut from the large

Thre is too much wine drunk
There is too much wine drunk

so well known in the country as was his cousin
so well known in the county as was his cousin

talk of the Hay House orgies
talk of the Hap House orgies

no fear as to he daughter had ever crossed
no fear as to her daughter had ever crossed

how very kind you are are!
how very kind you are to him!

than with her daughter On the last of these
than with her daughter. On the last of these

he had gone over respective a hunter
he had gone over respecting a hunter

Sir Thomas is very ill, and so also is Lady Fitzgerald
Sir Thomas is very well, and so also is Lady Fitzgerald ---- yikes!!!

had not done so through absolute fear
had not done so through any absolute fear

She's got some some sort of a jointure
She's got some sort of a jointure
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