Thursday, January 21, 2021

What to Do?


Quoth Merlina: Nevermore

Okay, advice sought!

There's an error repeated multiple times in a post at a blog that I read. When I initially saw it, I left a comment saying "It's actually X, not Y. Here's a link to a newspaper article with X." I also have sent a couple of tweets to the author and at least one other person has also sent the correct information in a tweet.

My comment was not published and the author has not corrected the post. The last time I left this kind of correction at the author's blog, the comment wasn't posted, but the correction was made.

I should just give up, right? That would be the adult thing to do, if the author isn't making an easy correction? And maybe stop reading the blog? Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

8 comments:

Tod Brody said...

For me, whether to just give up at that point would depend on the respect I held for the blogger. If high, then I'd assume they hadn't seen my communications (for whatever reason), and I'd try one more time before giving up. It might also depend on the egregiousness and possible impact of the error -- whether or not it seemed likely to lead anyone astray in a consequential way. Of course "consequential" is subjective!

Lisa Hirsch said...

My respect for the blogger was already mixed, based on the previous incident of silent correction without acknowledging the error or publishing my correction and based on....other stuff.

I have tried once more.

The error in question is inconsequential in the larger scheme of things (no one will die) but infuriating nonetheless because it's the kind of thing that I can't conceive of letting stand.

Kendra Leonard said...

Email the blogger instead of leaving a comment. I don't always get notified about comments on my site, but a direct email will get my attention quickly.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Past experience suggests that the blogger is being a jerk, but I am willing to try email!

David Bratman said...

Possibly relevant:

I left a complex comment on a blog, and when it was posted I saw that the blogger had rewritten my words to suit himself.

Despite my strong interest in the blog's topic, I immediately removed it from my reading list and have never touched it since.

Lisa Hirsch said...

One good thing about Blogger: blog owners can't do that. You either publish the comment as is or delete it. I would never edit a comment; I don't publish spam and don't publish garbage coming from the Pelleastrian.

Lisa Hirsch said...

I've tried an email to the blogger, and I'll see what happens. The individual has ignored two comments and two tweets, so we'll see if the person can ignore an email.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Two days ago, I sent the blogger in question a polite email, with references. I have had no reply and the blog post hasn't been corrected.

I can quietly stop reading the blog, given my exasperation, or I can post about the error, which first appeared about ten days ago, or both.