One for Fun: In Prase Of Copyeditors

Pulitzer prize-winner Gene Weingarten wrote a funny ode to copy editors in his Sunday column for the Washington Post.

From start to finish, it’s an entertaining frolic that defends the craft. Editors and management should read it and think twice about slashing entire copy desks when layoff time comes around.

Weingarten won acclaim for his 2007 profile of classical violinist Joshua Bell busking in a Washington subway station. People called it innovative and unusual. There was a lot of ooohing and ahhing when the time-lapse video was posted to the Post’s website a few days later.

Turns out the seed for his story was planted long ago. But I’ll let Weingarten tell the tale.

Orlando Sentinel Explains Newspaper Redesign

Editors from the Orlando Sentinel answer some of the common questions in a Flash presentation.

The redesign goes live June 22, but as several others have mentioned, beauty alone isn’t enough to retain readers. The real questions: Will the stories speak to the community and address their interests, answer their questions, and provide for their needs?

One editor in the presentation mentions “more incisive writing.” Another talks about tighter stories and mentions referrals to and from the website. If you read the Orlando Sentinel in print, let us know what you think of the changes after the paper hits the stands Sunday.

Want to Get a Grip on Rails? Check This Out

Carlos Brando, a Ruby on Rails developer, has released a free book covering the Ruby on Rails 2.1 updates.

It’s a pretty good overview for those new to the latest version of Rails. And hey, you can’t beat the price.

(via Ruby Inside)

One for Fun: Predict Who Wins the White House

While election coverage may be on hiatus, speculation on who will be our next president is about to run wild.

Sean Connelley of the Los Angeles Times created an interactive, embeddable map that lets you test different electoral vote scenarios.

Think Wisconsin will go to McCain? Click and the state turns red. Believe the die-hard Democrats and progressives will come out in force? Click again and the state turns blue.

Assign a color based on which way you think each state will go, then click “share” and embed the map anywhere to trumpet your predictive prowess or just show what it will take for Obama or McCain to get into the Oval Office.

Politics may be serious business, but as the jockeying during primaries has proven, it’s also a bit of a game.