One would have thought this would have been rolled out alongside being able to edit our comments. Oddly enough, we’ve long been able to edit status updates that are attached to photos we post.

Mashable brings up the potential problem and solution of bait-and-switch editing:

Editing posts was potentially dicey territory for Facebook, since the it brings the danger of a bait-and-switch with followers. A user could conceivably write, “Who likes ice cream?” and get hundreds of Likes and affirming comments, then edit the post to read, “Who wants to beat up some cats?”

Facebook addresses this issue by marking the post as edited and letting users access the history of any edited post with a click.

At least this means I can stop deleting and reposting when I notice an error moments after posting.

What’s your favorite punctuation mark? I’m partial to the interrobang (?!) and the Oxford comma.

Check out NationalPunctuationDay.com and this neat article about 13 little-known punctuation marks we should be using.

Remember, punctuation can save lives!

National Punctuation Day 2013

National Punctuation Day 2013

The social-networking sense of #tweet (noun & verb) has just been added to the OED: http://oxford.ly/ZLlPnD #OEDupdate

Our language is ever-evolving, and the Oxford English Dictionary has proven that once again, recently adding the social media senses of the following in its June 2013 update:

• tweet (noun and verb)
• follow (verb)
• follower (noun)

Back in February 2013, the OED added the word “tweetable,” and “retweet” was added in August 2011.

More techy-terms added amongst the 1,200 newly revised and updated words include:

• geekery
• flash mob
• live-blog
• e-reader
• crowdsourcing
• mouseover

This update brings the OED’s total number of entries to more than 823,000.

Here’s the OED June 2013 blog update, and the complete list of newly added words. Check them out and let me know if there’s a new-ish word you love to use! Me? I think I prefer “geekery.”

AP Style tip: circles: central organizing principle of Google Pus. Users group each other into circles to control who can see their posts.

In case you missed it, that’s “pus” instead of “plus.”

It just goes to show no one is perfect — not even the AP Stylebook. We all make mistakes!

Have you seen any amusing typos lately?

Found via: jimromenesko.com and multiple related Tweets

• You will probably share this without reading it — This is so true, especially with one family member on Facebook! Haha!
• Is Social Media Turning You Into a Psychopath? [Infographic] — Scary how this rings true, especially with bullying being a classic example.
• Using Social Media As A Crisis Management Tool [Infographic]
• How to Use Social Media to Prevent a Crisis
• The Pinterest Effect: From Pin to Purchase
• Facebook Hashtags: What You Need To Know

I was a bit confused about some font issues when I installed the theme last night, but it was late and my mind was foggy. I thought about throwing in the towel, but I went to bed and vowed to try again in the morning.

Today I learned more about this theme’s child themes, and changing fonts with Google fonts.

Thanks to this site for the clarification on what each section of the CSS stood for.

Thanks to this link for the step-by-step how-to on using Google fonts with this theme.

And finally thanks to these links for the child theme example and installation info. (I was a bit rusty.)

I’m SO loving the new look!

March forth on March 4 to celebrate National Grammar Day! How have you celebrated this glorious day?

This year Mignon Fogarty, affectionately known as Grammar Girl, has gracefully taken on the role as the host for National Grammar Day. National Grammar Day was established in 2008 by Martha Brockenbrough, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG).

Both ladies are authors, as well; Fogarty has authored Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing (not dirty in the least!) and The Grammar Devotional, and Brockenbrough has authored Things That Make Us (Sic): The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar Takes on Madison Avenue, Hollywood, the White House, and the World.

We’ve already accomplished one of our goals for the day:

National Grammar Day has been a trending topic at Twitter all day.

GO GRAMMAR! 

Check out the great new look of the National Grammar Day Web site, containing loads of entertaining features, including grammar myths, a songwriting hall of shame, funny typos, grammar noir, cartoons, fun with grammar scenarios, free teaching materials, even an e-card for your loved ones — and who can forget this amusing music video (view it below) of the new theme song, “March Forth.” Get it? March 4th? (Check out my informal poll below the video — I’d love to hear your thoughts.)

Language is something to be celebrated, and March 4 is the perfect day to do it. It’s not only a date, it’s an imperative: March forth on March 4 to speak well, write well, and help others do the same! — Mignon Fogarty (Grammar Girl)

And so I ask you, dear readers, 1) what are your favorite things about grammar or punctuation, and 2) what are your pet peeves?

Mine? Well, I love the interrobang as a punctuation mark, and I dislike most chat speak. One specific pet peeve, though: the spelling “kewl” for “cool.” I mean, both are four letters, and take the same amount of time to type. “Cool” may even be quicker since the two O’s are side by side. Besides, every time I see “kewl” I hear it in Valley girl-speak in my head, i.e., “kyule.”

Mrs. Write Right, Word Therapist is proud to be a founding partner of National Grammar Day.

So, yes, I’m back. I’ve said it time and again, that I feel like I need to keep up with the Jones’ of the writing & blogging world, but I just can’t, so I’m not even going to try anymore. I’m not meant to write daily articles about the freelance writing life, at least not right now — but I can share inspiring tidbits. Freelance writing is only one of my jobs, anyway; I also edit, moderate online communities, and manage social media. I also blog about other subjects, including musical theatre.

I don’t always feel like I “fit in” with other freelance writers, as well as mommy bloggers (since I had a miscarriage in June 2008, and am struggling with some fertility issues). But that’s okay!

Lately I’ve been stumbling upon some great links, videos, quotes, and articles, though — and I want to share that greatness with you. And who knows what else I might share along the way? You never know! 

So, as my About page now reads:

When I first started this blog it was for me to write about writing, editing, etc. After I gained a following I felt compelled to “keep up with the Jones'” (i.e., other freelance writers) and try to write informative articles about freelance writing. I’ve since discovered that just isn’t me, my heart isn’t in it. In my opinion, there are more than enough blogs that feature articles about the freelancing life. So, I’ve decided to just be me, and make this blog a smorgasbord of interesting things I discover and want to share, whether they be links to other freelance writing blogs, or videos that pertain somehow, or relevant articles in the news. Along the way I’ll share my creative thoughts (when they occur). I hope you’ll join me in this journey.

(And I apparently like to say, “So.”)

We are now known as Absolute Bite!

Click the banner below to check out our new look!

APRIL FOOL’S!

I happened upon the Flexibility theme and decided to try it out.

It’s got a whole lotta ways to customize in its own panel inside WordPress. (I widened the whole thing, both the post section and the sidebars.)

It’s got a great support forum.

It looks uber-professional, even in the demo (but not quite on my site). I love the top and bottom feature areas, but don’t have any use for them at the moment, perhaps in the future.

I’m still playing around with the theme itself, customizing colors and such, but I think it’s the theme I’ll be sticking with for a while. I still love Vigilance, but the thin sidebars were a bit too thin, and I had to move things around in such a way that I didn’t really like. Maybe someday I’ll go back to that, though, because I really did love the look of it.

In other news, I’ve got a neat new gig that I’ll be announcing soon, hopefully within the next few days to a week. I’m excited!

~Julia