The tribune letter page

panda100

The tribune letters page is often very odd.

Take this week for example. Someone randomly commenting on a scarf they have seen around campus.
The there was three issues in a row where the letter page was a series of arguments over socialism or something like that.
Then there was an extremely rude letter by Brian sugrue (I think) that seemed a bit obnoxious and juvenile to print in a college paper.

Usually I much prefer the tribune to the observer but the letters in the tribune are very poor and would be best not to be printed at all.

DirkVoodoo

I was more appauled by the apparent indifference of our great SU president in the tribune survey, with regards the treatment of students by bar staff. I have many such tales, which would not be let away with in even the most uncourteous of off-campus establishments.

Mr.President, if 41% of your electorate say they are unhappy with staff, why do you just wave them away like a bad smell?

TheVan

DirkVoodoo wrote:

I was more appauled by the apparent indifference of our great SU president in the tribune survey, with regards the treatment of students by bar staff.

Ha!

The polls in the Tribune not only smack of bias but also of sloppy and negligent methodology...and they never publish their methodology unlike MRBI or any of the professional pollsters.

Personally if I was SU President I would completely ignore polls from the Tribune!

tywy

anyone see the article on a Serbalus Paulsey sufferer having to sit 4 exams in the one day or something...you'd think they'd at least get the spelling close to right :P

delta_bravo

Ok, I read the tribune today. The one article that really struck in my mind was about the UCD student that has had difficulties due to his/her disability ( I cant fully remember the details). The Tribune said the student had "Serabuls Paulsey" ( Im almost 100% sure thats what they said). I googled this and nothing can be found. Did they mean cerebral palsy? Perhaps they meant something else or maybe I had some magic edition of it but that seems to be absolutely ridiculous that an error that big gets through proofreading.

Red Alert

I saw that as well too - seems a bit much alright!

tywy

I posted about it in another thread...did 3 people miss it? The person who wrote the article, the person who did the headline and the editor?

It's funny that above it there's an article about disability awareness week!

elmyra

Pathetic.

Pantsless

Yeah I noticed this in the tribune myself . Not cool for a colege newspapor .

Also the BelfieldFM magazine was full of terrible spelling mistakes and grammer but thats excused by the fact that Graham Harkness is an idiot the Tribume editore isnt

The_Minister

Isn't it obvious?
In the spirit of equality, they allowed a person with Parkinson's to type it.

pretty*monster

I like the Tribune letter page.

The last two issues have been great fun.

Chakar

TheVan wrote:

Ha!

The polls in the Tribune not only smack of bias but also of sloppy and negligent methodology...and they never publish their methodology unlike MRBI or any of the professional pollsters.

Personally if I was SU President I would completely ignore polls from the Tribune!

Absolutely the methodology has to be correct, how do we know if they don't publish it.

Maybe I could ask them tomorrow...

The_Minister

Did anyone see the anti-nuclear article. It was ****e.
He admits that it makes economic sense, and that its far less dangerous than it was when first used (as most technologies are), but seems to think that its morally wrong to bury the small amount of waste generated because we'd be "sodomising the planet" (just reading that line made me want to go to the beach and dig a hole in the sand). It was a childish, moronic piece of rubbish, which offered no compelling arguements against nuclear power (and they exist).

Chakar

The_Minister wrote:

Did anyone see the anti-nuclear article. It was ****e.
He admits that it makes economic sense, and that its far less dangerous than it was when first used (as most technologies are), but seems to think that its morally wrong to bury the small amount of waste generated because we'd be "sodomising the planet" (just reading that line made me want to go to the beach and dig a hole in the sand). It was a childish, moronic piece of rubbish, which offered no compelling arguments against nuclear power (and they exist).

I totally agree with you.He hasn't a clue what he's talking about for example he talked about people trying to open the debate on nuclear power and accused them of trying to 'morally legitimise' nuclear power.I don't accept that debating nuclear power is immoral.I for example am in favour of nuclear power in Ireland having studied the benefits of it.

Frankly the writer really should try and rely on the facts of the case rather than using emotive language which confuse the debate.

panda100

tywy wrote:

anyone see the article on a Serbalus Paulsey sufferer having to sit 4 exams in the one day or something...you'd think they'd at least get the spelling close to right :P

Just checked pubmed and there is no disease called Serbalus Paulsey. I think they must have meant cerebral palsy perhaps?
I mean I always new most of the writers for the tribune were a bit mentally challenged but that spelling mistake really was new heights of stupidity.

The article about the exam results pissed me of too. The tribunes research probably consisted of walking upstairs to the arts cafe and asking a few of their mates who has their results. No mention of the all the health science students who dont have results :rolleyes: I dont think the tribune realise that there are other students apart from art students on this campus.

pretty*monster wrote:

I like the Tribune letter page.

Care to elaborate? Do you really think most letters are worthy of publishing?Most of them dont have anything to do with the last issue and there always a bit silly

Blush_01

I think that she meant (please correct me if I'm wrong! ) that she liked the letter page and it was great fun because it's frankly hilarious in it's utter shítness.

Personally, next time UCD is in rural Palastine I'll worry about the type of scarves people wear. Until then I'll contemplate buying a spare copy of Roget's Thesarus and anonymously donating it to the Trib. Anyone who wants to join me in my effort -

Charity name: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em fund for illiterate journalists".
Charity aim: The promotion of vague accuracy and basic research methods, complimented by accurate spelling and perhaps a little informative writing in needy journalists/would be journalists through the provision of reading aids, dictionaries, thesauri, nice pens and recycled paper.
Registered Charity Number: 8008135

This charity is a nationwide charity, not solely one for UCD (hell, the Trib's not always THAT bad.) so if anyone has any suggestions for specific journalists who need help, please do PM me.
PM me if you're interested in giving either time or money.

singingstranger

pretty*monster wrote:

I like the Tribune letter page.

The last two issues have been great fun.

Hmm. Pretty*monster's in 3rd Arts. So were the two letter writers of the last edition (btw, cheers, dajaffa!), who both started their letters with "I am writing to complain". One might think they could have been the same person.

Conspiracy theories ftw!

Sangre

panda100 wrote:

I mean I always new most of the writers for the tribune were a bit mentally challenged but that spelling mistake really was new heights of stupidity.

*cough*

Vainglory

panda100 wrote:

Just checked pubmed and there is no disease called Serbalus Paulsey. I think they must have meant cerebral palsy perhaps?
I mean I always new most of the writers for the tribune were a bit mentally challenged but that spelling mistake really was new heights of stupidity.

Very surprised to see this sort of comment coming from someone who a) has obvious difficulties with spelling herself b) has a strong self-professed interest in mental health (yet accuses someone of being "mentally challenged" if they can't spell) and c) who is a student of medicine and undoubtedly familiar with many conditions such as dyslexia that make it hard for someone to spell properly at times. I can only hope the accusation of stupidity above would not be levelled at a patient complaining of similar problems in the future.

Also - anyone who's written for any sort of publication would know that it is the editor's job to catch spelling mistakes, not the reporter's. That is the point of having an editor - to edit things. So if any blame is to be thrown here, it should be in that direction.

panda100 wrote:

The article about the exam results pissed me of too.

Agree here. As far as I can see it was a very lazy article, taking the college's excuses as gospel the whole way through. Also I didn't like the way it said "many students believed they would have their results by the 29th January", without pointing out that this was because the college had explicitly TOLD us we would. Imagine! Believing what we were told...the madness of it all.

I know the current editor of the tribune is obsessed with non-biased journalism, but he seems to think that the way to achieve this is just with completely safe statements of unchallenged "facts".

Vainglory

It's just a spelling mistake; perhaps we should try to get over that and maybe discuss the substantive issue that the article dealt with.

As I know the girl involved personally, I know she doesn't give a crap about the spelling mistake, and that she'd much rather her actual situation be addressed and improved than people criticising the reporter who allowed her to vent her frustrations publicly and put some pressure on the university not to allow this happen again.

The_Minister

I wuv Blush.
Oh no I mispelt love!

Vainglory wrote:

I know the current editor of the tribune is obsessed with non-biased journalism, but he seems to think that the way to achieve this is just with completely safe statements of unchallenged "facts".

There is something to be said for unbiased journalism, the Tribune tends to lean-left anyway, if it abandons any journalistic integrity, and starts randomly scrapping with the college, then its no better that indymedia. They should just take the colleges reasons, and add a little counter-arguement after them.

singingstranger

What I'd be more surprised with is that the person assigned/volunteering to writing an article regarding disabilites would not have had the slightest idea themselves on how cerebral palsy is spelt...

humbert

I have to agree. it was a spelling mistake, a bad one fair enough and a little embarrassing I'm sure but focusing this much attention on it is quite childish in my opinion. The article wasn't even about cerebral palsy if I'm thinking of the right one. Really people, a little perspective please!

panda100

Vainglory wrote:

Very surprised to see this sort of comment coming from someone who a) has obvious difficulties with spelling herself

Yeah my spelling is crap.Always came last at spelling in primary skool. However me writing on a message board is quite differnt to a published headline in an award winning paper for Irelands largest university .The fact that the editor didnt pick up on Cerebral palsys is a very poor reflection on the paper.It shows sloppy editorship and bad writing.

Vainglory wrote:

b) has a strong self-professed interest in mental health (yet accuses someone of being "mentally challenged" if they can't spell)

Your right,we shouldnt joke at those with psychiatric disorders and It was intended as a joke, a joke in very poor taste. I mean know offence to the tribune writers.



I see you've come back to join us on boards.Just in time for the sabbatical elections!How delightful!

Blush_01 wrote:

Personally, next time UCD is in rural Palastine I'll worry about the type of scarves people wear. Until then I'll contemplate buying a spare copy of Roget's Thesarus and anonymously donating it to the Trib. Anyone who wants to join me in my effort -

.

Lol.What will we have next week.Someones noticed students wearing uggs and commenting on the political significance.Would like to read that?!

Vainglory

panda100 wrote:

Yeah my spelling is crap.Always came last at spelling in primary skool. However me writing on a message board is quite differnt to a published headline in an award winning paper for Irelands largest university .The fact that the editor didnt pick up on Cerebral palsys is a very poor reflection on the paper.It shows sloppy editorship and bad writing.!

That was my point - that it was the editor's fault and insults shouldn't be directed at the reporter in question - which you initially did.

panda100 wrote:

I see you've come back to join us on boards.Just in time for the sabbatical elctions!How delightful!

Just in time for sabbatical elections that I will thankfully have nothing to do with, yeah.

panda100

Vainglory wrote:

Just in time for sabbatical elections that I will thankfully have nothing to do with, yeah.

That makes two of us.

So apologies to the tribune writers. Very poor editorship especially cos I presume its him who selects the letters!

Chakar

Chakar wrote:

Absolutely the methodology has to be correct, how do we know if they don't publish it.

Maybe I could ask them tomorrow...

I asked them about their methodology and it seems to be correct.They used questionnaire with quota sampling.They also used a special program to code the results.

They don't publish it because people wouldn't understand it.But I think they should have gave a description of their methodology.

delta_bravo

humbert wrote:

I have to agree. it was a spelling mistake, a bad one fair enough and a little embarrassing I'm sure but focusing this much attention on it is quite childish in my opinion. The article wasn't even about cerebral palsy if I'm thinking of the right one. Really people, a little perspective please!

Thats a different issue though. The thread topic was to highlight the unprofessionalism of the paper

tywy

delta_bravo wrote:

Thats a different issue though. The thread topic was to highlight the unprofessionalism of the paper

Exactly!

uberwolf

I read the thread title, and clicked in to defend an amateur paper, run by volunteers, on a deadline, with no financial assistance.

But then I saw the error in question. Unless this is something that MS word threw up for another misspelling.

hullaballoo

delta_bravo wrote:

Thats a different issue though. The thread topic was to highlight the unprofessionalism of the paper

But it's generally accepted that the standard of the Tribune is this year better than any other publication on campus. The Observer is nowhere to be seen this year in terms of standard.

By the way, your sentence contains two punctuation errors, which in the space of 15 words is astounding considering the fingers you're pointing.

pretty*monster

panda100 wrote:

Care to elaborate? Do you really think most letters are worthy of publishing?Most of them dont have anything to do with the last issue and there always a bit silly

I think it's a college letters page. The letters usually put a smile on my face. I don't agonise over them. I just reads 'em and likes 'em.

singingstranger wrote:

Hmm. Pretty*monster's in 3rd Arts. So were the two letter writers of the last edition (btw, cheers, dajaffa!), who both started their letters with "I am writing to complain". One might think they could have been the same person.

Would but that I had the time to write letter. Besides I have my own arm of the media with which to vent my complaints these days.
And as a lady in the know I know the author of both thise letters.

Incidentally I also know the lad who claims to have started wearing the PLO scarf before it became cool. He was doing ironically. No doubt he is delighted that the papers are taking note.

delta_bravo

hullaballoo wrote:

But it's generally accepted that the standard of the Tribune is this year better than any other publication on campus. The Observer is nowhere to be seen this year in terms of standard.

By the way, your sentence contains two punctuation errors, which in the space of 15 words is astounding considering the fingers you're pointing.

This is not about me and also never start a sentence with "but". The error in the Tribune was not regarding punctuation. It was a fundamental flaw in the proofreading system. I doubt spell check could rectify a spelling error that different from the correct spelling.

I agree with you that the Tribune is better and more interesting than the Observer. It's a good paper. They just need to be a bit more careful.

gubbie

delta_bravo wrote:

I agree with you that the Tribune is better and more interesting than the Observer. It's a good paper. They just need to be a bit more careful.

What are you on? That paper is pure rubbish. There is about 4 pages of news which I could hardly call news (I'm looking for this weeks paper but I can't find it so excuse me if theres any mistakes) - 24% of students drink three times a week... :eek: Thats definitely news to me. And their piece on the campus food could have been so well expanded. 70% of students think that the quality of food is terrible... its just got the answers to everything in life

And everyone knows 37% of statistics is made up

hullaballoo

delta_bravo wrote:

never start a sentence with "but".

You give me one reason why not.

The title of your thread was "The Tribune - Can't Spell?", so my point stands. If you're going to pick holes in the writing of a decent article, in an amateur newspaper, you'd want to make damn sure everything you write anywhere is grammatically flawless. I'm watching you.

Garret

i refuse to believe that what 14% dont know how to change a lightbulb

given the task i think anyone full function of their arms could do so

delta_bravo

hullaballoo wrote:

You give me one reason why not.

The title of your thread was "The Tribune - Can't Spell?", so my point stands. If you're going to pick holes in the writing of a decent article, in an amateur newspaper, you'd want to make damn sure everything you write anywhere is grammatically flawless. I'm watching you.

Good man, keep watching.

pretty*monster

Garret wrote:

i refuse to believe that what 14% dont know how to change a lightbulb

I'm pretty sure I can't change a lightbulb. I've never tried.

The_Minister

pretty*monster wrote:

I'm pretty sure I can't change a lightbulb. I've never tried.

It is rediculously easy. The mechanics are simple. Just don't do what I did on my first try, and screw out the light:eek:

terry mac

pretty*monster wrote:

I'm pretty sure I can't change a lightbulb. I've never tried.

The most important thing is to make sure that the bulb needs changing and that it isn't just a problem with the electrical connection.

To do this, first make sure the light is "switched to on". Get a chair, table, preferably step ladder, face need to be right up beside the bulb. Remove the bulb (I'm going to skip this bit, trial and error works best first time out). Now, to ensure that the connection is working, stick your tongue up the inside of the light connection and try and lick the back of this cavity. You should now be able to tell whether there is power getting to the connection.

Stabshauptmann

Vainglory wrote:

That was my point - that it was the editor's fault and insults shouldn't be directed at the reporter in question - which you initially did.

No, its both the journalist's and the editors fault.

Just in time for sabbatical elections that I will thankfully have nothing to do with, yeah.

Just in time is right, 3 mins earlier you were part of a campaign team!

Pity Chris Bond pulled out, he would have done a great job.

arbeitsscheuer

The words "off-topic" don't really do justice to the direction this thread has taken...
EDIT: Above was written prior to Redeye's response

Personally I reckon the Tribune has, in the last few years, surpassed the Observer as the premier student paper, for content if not presentation. Their articles are more interesting, more creative and, by and large, better written.

As for spelling errors being indicative of "unprofessionalism" at the paper... In the words of Outspan in the Commitments;
"How are we professional if we've never been paid?!"

beanyb

Serabuls palsey, or however they spelt it, was in the editorial too. So it's possible that the journalist wrote it correctly but the editor thought it was wrong. Which is clearly a total long shot, but the editor definitely couldnt spell it either.

singingstranger

arbeitsscheuer wrote:

The words "off-topic" don't really do justice to the direction this thread has taken...

I'm with Seb on this... I can't believe that I, of all people, am the one saying this but: guys, this isn't Spell Czechs. There's a point to be made about picking holes in the grammatical standard of college media but this doesn't mean that the person pointing out the errors is showing a superiority complex. It just means that they feel the grammatical and/or spelling quality of the paper isn't up to scratch for people who proactively pursue such a hobby or potential career in UCD.

It's like being an Oasis fan, and saying, "Oh, their stuff these days isn't nearly as good". It doesn't mean you think you can do better, it just means that for people in the position that Oasis are in, their quality doesn't do their position justice.

Vainglory

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

No, its both the journalist's and the editors fault..

Good grief. It was not the journalist's fault. Journalists are EXPECTED to make spelling and typographical errors. If they were not expected to do so, there would be no need for an editor, or a sub-editor. But eminently, there is, and every newspaper employs them, to do their job and EDIT. If every single word in that article had been spelt incorrectly, it would still have been the fault of the editor that it went to print. If you contacted the editors of literally any newspaper in the country (with the possible exception of the College Tribune) they would confirm this fact to you.

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

Just in time is right, 3 mins earlier you were part of a campaign team!

Pity Chris Bond pulled out, he would have done a great job.

3 minutes earlier I was also slap bang in the middle of finals so wouldn't have been that much involved anyway. But yes he would have done a great job.

Chakar

terry mac wrote:

The most important thing is to make sure that the bulb needs changing and that it isn't just a problem with the electrical connection.

To do this, first make sure the light is "switched to on". Get a chair, table, preferably step ladder, face need to be right up beside the bulb. Remove the bulb (I'm going to skip this bit, trial and error works best first time out). Now, to ensure that the connection is working, stick your tongue up the inside of the light connection and try and lick the back of this cavity. You should now be able to tell whether there is power getting to the connection.

If that rocks your boat I think it would be wise to have the light switch to 'off'.

Vainglory

*watches the point fly by Chakar's head*

The_Minister

*Stands beside Vainglory and stares in astonishment, as it comes in for another pass, and misses*

passive

*wanders into the conversation to czech spellingz and gets hit in the face by an errant and most pointy point*

:eek: ARGH!MY FACE! my unconventionally pretty face...

singingstranger

*takes cover behind passive*

Close one, that...

passive

*clutches his bleeding face while throwing in his 2c* I don't know if this has been suggested, but maybe the fact that the word was SO wrong and utterly different to the correct word made the editor assume it was a different ailment/form of Palsy (non existent as that most likely is)? Rather than taking it as a typo, then, the editor may have believed it to be part of the research done by the journalist...