What is the etiquette for pointing out typos in hubs?

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  1. TaxNerd profile image69
    TaxNerdposted 13 years ago

    Question from a newbie:

    Been reading through some well-written hubs that contain one or two glaring typos or mispelled words. Sometimes they're due to transposed letters, sometimes just outight mispellings (I saw "ludacris" instead of "ludicrous" in one, for example).

    Is it bad form to point these out in the comments? I'd want to know if there was a problem with mine... Better to e-mail? Ignore? I want to be helpful, not snarky. TIA.

    1. Quilligrapher profile image71
      Quilligrapherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I use email rather than correcting the author publically.

    2. Marisa Wright profile image85
      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It's impossible to predict how people will react.  Some people will appreciate being told, whereas others will be affronted at your cheek! 

      One thing to bear in mind - if you send an email, you're revealing your email address to the Hubber.  If you're comfortable with that, sending an email is more polite. However, if you don't like giving your email addy to strangers, you could leave a comment - and suggest they should delete the comment once they've acted on it.

      1. Quilligrapher profile image71
        Quilligrapherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        You can also send an email through HP without revealing your email address.

    3. profile image0
      ssaulposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I say do it by email, if you don't care whatever the hubber reaction is. With some people you just don't know how they would react. If you care how they would react, well don't say a word! I on the other hand, welcome all corrections either by comment or email.

    4. profile image0
      Motown2Chitownposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      My approach is to be as diplomatic as possible.  For example, if I can refer to the sentence that contained the misspelled word in my comment, I spell the word correctly.  This could make the writer go back to see what I found so interesting about that particular sentence, and he may begin to wonder which of us spelled the word correctly.  Check back to the same hub a little later and see if it hasn't been edited.  :-)  If I can't do that, I refrain from comment.  My personal feeling is that a writer can easily be forgiven for being a poor typist, but not for being a poor speller.  After all, writing is his craft and words are his tools.  I personally prefer that someone point it out if I misspell a word, but to avoid the snarkiness, I'd say do it privately.

    5. earnestshub profile image71
      earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I usually email unless it is one of my close friends, then I tell them on skype. I wish more people would do the same thing for me.
      I still find typos that are two years old on some of my hubs.

  2. leahlefler profile image96
    leahleflerposted 13 years ago

    If it was one of my hubs, I would want to know. An email would be great - something along the lines of, "Hey, I spotted a typo in your hub and I thought you might want to know." I found a typo in one of my hubs on my own (just missed a letter when typing), but I would have been grateful for someone to point it out earlier! I know some people disagree, though, and prefer their typos to remain in the article...

    1. Mike's Corner profile image69
      Mike's Cornerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with Leah -- if you see a typo on one of my hubs, I would love to know about it so I can fix it . . . Sometimes no matter how many times you proofread your own work, if you missed an obvious error the first couple of reads, you'll keep missing it on subsequent reads.

  3. profile image0
    PJ_Deneenposted 13 years ago

    You're going to get conflicting responses.  I would say don't do it.  Focus on your own writing.

  4. Pcunix profile image83
    Pcunixposted 13 years ago

    Some of us are happy to get corrections in comments or by email.  I weclome all corrections.

    With others, it's like leaving a bag of dog doo on their steps.  You do NOT want to correct those folks!

  5. camlo profile image82
    camloposted 13 years ago

    Here's a recent thread that relates to this topic: http://hubpages.com/forum/post/1486806

  6. paradigmsearch profile image59
    paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

    Anyone noticing a typo in any of my hubs:

    You will be thanked and you will have a friend.

  7. paradigmsearch profile image59
    paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

    My opinion.

    1. camlo profile image82
      camloposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      A good one, Paradigmsearch.

  8. Uninvited Writer profile image75
    Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago

    Someone did point out on one of my hubs that I should have used handkerchieves instead of handkerchiefs smile I set him straight.

    1. camlo profile image82
      camloposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I checked here: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/handkerchieves It seems both spellings are correct, although I've never heard of  'handkerchieves'.

  9. Lisa HW profile image64
    Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

    I'm not a big one for pointing out typos, but, to me, something like a little comment on the Hub (like, "I just thought you might want to know I noticed two typos that I thought you probably would rather not be there") is something I generally appreciate.  Personally, I don't want to be getting e.mails over typos (or having to e.mail back to say, "thanks").  To me, e.mails turn a minor  thing into a bigger production than it ought to be.  hmm    I've appreciated the occasional note in comments, and I've occasionally (though rarely) pointed out what seemed like an important typo in comments.)

    1. Marisa Wright profile image85
      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That's pretty much how I feel, Lisa.  And I probably won't bother at all, unless the typo/spelling mistake is really bad.

  10. Golfgal profile image81
    Golfgalposted 13 years ago

    I have always been told and followed this simple rule:

    Praise in public; critic in private

    I would want to know if I had a misspelling.

    1. Lisa HW profile image64
      Lisa HWposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I don't really see pointing out a typo as criticizing, though.  People come on the comment boxes and say all kinds of horrible things  LOL.  To me, I'm a grown-up and assume others are too.  A typo isn't anything personal.  hmm

 
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