Model Engineers Workshop Lost The Plot

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 11/06/2017 10:08:06:

Posted by David Clark 1 on 11/06/2017 09:08:11:

… I could do with a laugh.

.

David,

I will leave John Flack to quote his reference; but meanwhile

this old thread from 2013 might raise a smile. **LINK**

http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=85089

MichaelG.

<snigger>

[Anonymous]

Posted by JasonB on 11/06/2017 10:32:52:

Strange photo 16 looks perfectly clear on my digital version.

In my print copy it is 15 and 18 that are out of focus.

When taking workshop pictures, for publication or otherwise, I normally download to the computer and check for focus, content and so on before disturbing the setup. I take multiple shots so that I can discard those that are poor or unclear. By far the majority of pictures taken are for my own use, but there's no point in clogging up the computer with duff pictures.

Andrew

[Wayne WardParticipant @wayneward51978]

Well, I write professionally for a few different publications. All of the articles that I write are checked badly by me, and it is very difficult to see all of the errors. The articles are then both peer-reviewed and sub-edited and error-checked. The magazines have a advertising content which takes up about 50% of the lovely pages. They have a circulation of a few thousand copies. They cost 15 quid or more per issue. We are lucky to have this magazine available, written by enthusiasts for us to learn from. I’m certainly very grateful.

Edited By Wayne Ward on 11/06/2017 10:52:45

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by KWIL on 11/06/2017 10:09:08:

The quality of photographs leaves a lot to be desired. MEW 256 pg 14 -> Photo 15, Photo 16 are so out of focus that it is difficult to see the action. In these days of digital photography, inexcusable. If I were the Editor, I would have asked for better before publishing.

As the article was submitted to MEW in 2004 and was one of the 'lost ones' I managed to link to an author recently it wasn't really reasonable to ask Will to recreate the machining process…

Neil

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Take 12 people off this forum in any order. Give each of them a large cardboard box with submitted work and say a 2 month deadline to produce a magazine.
Any guesses how many of the 12 issues we would see, on time, in that 12 month period.

This is a serious question and requires an answer

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I still think you should have an online submission system which resides here like a forum and can only be accessed by the author and editor

Scrabbling through boxes of paperwork is doing it the hard way IMO

[NIALL HORNParticipant @niallhorn50878]

Plus 1 for the comments by OldMetaller and JS – and as someone with considerable experience of type-setting for printing I know just how difficult it is to spot absolutely all typos!

Niall

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Paper submissions can be digitised by dropping them through a scanner, you can do 1000 A4 pages an hour with one of these drop through units

They also do "long stuff" that's 6 feet long etc, scan and stitch the big stuff

Once the work is turned into 1's and 0's things are a lot simpler

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

As far as typos are concerned software can do much of the legwork via OCR

Mr Stevenson introduced me to this amazing software

(They are up to 14 now but I've only ever used 12)

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 11/06/2017 10:08:06:

Posted by David Clark 1 on 11/06/2017 09:08:11:

… I could do with a laugh.

.

David,

I will leave John Flack to quote his reference; but meanwhile

this old thread from 2013 might raise a smile. **LINK**

http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=85089

MichaelG.

.

Could be worse. Imagine finding yourself being sat next to the OP at a wedding or a dinner party.

Nick

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

The number of paper submissions I get for MEW is very small, a few articles, some letters – mostly reader's ads! The LAL brochure was a scan so I put it through OCR.

To be honest, there are more errors in OCR'd text than anything I have ever received electronically, but the the amount I need ton use it doesn't justify anything more than basic software.

Thanks for the supportive comments, folks.

Neil

[Alistair Grant 4Participant @alistairgrant4]

I don't know what software is used to edit MEW but Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat NOT Reader, has a good OCR built in with the option to add and edit the Dictionary. This is very handy when editing text using technical and non mainstream words.
Out of interest what page makeup software is used to create the magazine?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Alistair Grant 4 on 11/06/2017 13:37:05:

Out of interest what page makeup software is used to create the magazine?

InDesign, an Adobe product aimed at professional publishing, although I don't use it.

I honestly make very little use of OCR.

Neil

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 11/06/2017 14:04:14:

Posted by Alistair Grant 4 on 11/06/2017 13:37:05:…

…

I honestly make very little use of OCR.

Neil

OCD is excellent if you like an immaculate workshop.

[IanTParticipant @iant]

That's a relief SoD – looking around my workshop, that seems to be one of the few things I don't actually have!

IanT

[HasBeanParticipant @hasbean]

At the end of the day when it comes down to it, one really has to accept that MEW is a magazine written by hobbyists for hobbyists and to simply enjoy it for what it is.

Clive

Well said Clive.

Until I reach the level of being perfect all I'll say is keep up the good work Neil

Paul

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

The only man who never made a mistake never made anything. It is nice to work in an atmosphere where a mistake can be identified without any blame or vilification being applied. Where a blame culture exists it makes people very reluctant to own up to their mistakes, far better to be able to say this was my fault and be supported in putting it right. I accept the responsibility for my mistakes and don't need anyone else to keep going on about it, I just don't let my wife know.

Mike

[brickyParticipant @bricky]

I like the format that you have introduced and don't give a monkeys chuff about errors that are always present in all magazines.I was told as an apprentice when I made a mistake that the Romans always built in a mistake as only the gods are perfect.Keep up the good work Niel the magazine is certainly a lot better under your care.

Frank

[charadamParticipant @charadam]

Couldn't give a tinker's curse about minor infractions of issue numbers, infinitives, typos and other non-damaging errors.

I await the home made nuclear reactor articles with interest.

Now there's potential for errors that matter!

But orphan apostrophes are beyond my personal pale.

Edited By charadam on 11/06/2017 22:02:22

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

“when I made a mistake that the Romans always built in a mistake as only the gods are perfect.Keep up the good work Niel the magazine is certainly a lot better under your care.”

LOL – loved your example

[SpurryParticipant @spurry]

Having kept every copy of MEW since issue 1, the magazine contents have been exceptionally good since Neil took over.

Pete

[Clive IndiaParticipant @cliveindia]

Posted by charadam on 11/06/2017 22:00:55:

But orphan apostrophes are beyond my personal pale.

Not surprising really, since I think there is no such thing.

Surely all we need is something in reasonable English, not necessarily perfect but in the parish. We are talking professionals here, who are paid to do their job.

I think content is paramount. Some of the people on the forum could be submitting articles instead of the armchair pontification and wattless navel-gazing here – including myself.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Nice idea Clive but not going to happen. Many are too comfortable in their armchair where they can duck behind the arm and take a swipe

The Internet has made it so much easier than they days where you had to put pen to paper, then walk down to the post box.
Never read many moaning posts in the old ME’s did you?

I’ll bet that was because the editorial staff just binned them

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

Hail Neil.

Nick

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Is that SUPER ADEPT MAN

[Author]

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