Sunday, September 30, 2012

Who article this wrote?

I find it amazing that this error - play's last game should be game's last play - wasn't noticed. The error is in the article's sixth sentence. What makes it extra amazing is that it is an Associated Press article with two names (two names!) at the top. From "Vegas books: $300M+ changed hands with NFL call" on Yahoo! News on September 25, 2012. Click the image to enlarge it.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Oh no, where'd the O go?

Is it the mystery of the missing O in common? From the Sympatico homepage on September 4, 2012.

May I suggest something?

There are a couple of odd errors in the above paragraph (from "B.C. premier won't discuss handling of staff scandal" on CBC News online on September 25, 2012). First thing I noticed - and which I wouldn't have posted about if I hadn't stumbled upon the second error - is that the text highlighted as a link doesn't include the first letter in Ken. The bigger gaffe is (no spelling suggestions). Say what?! It took me a few seconds, but once my mind stopped spinning I deduced that Ken Boessenkool's last name must've been there at one time. However, the writer's computer didn't like it but it couldn't offer any suggestions. Here's one suggestion: boysenberry. Here's another suggestion: bespoken. Here's a third suggestion: proofread your work before publishing it. Click the image to enlarge it.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Hotel Transposed Letters

TIFF stands for Toronto International Film Festival. Every word is - or rather, *should be* - capitalized. From "Top 10 Funniest Press Conference Moments From TIFF 2012" on Yahoo! Canada Movies on September 16, 2012. Then,

in the caption for the first photo, what is supposed to be "Hotel Transylvania" is a victim of a wandering V. Then,

in the caption for the second photo, what is supposed to be "Hotel Transylvania" is a victim of an absent L. Click an image to enlarge it.

I'm seraching for a proofreader

There's a misspelled search in the video at the top of "Woman spends 'horrifying' night in B.C. forest" on CBC News online on September 14, 2012. Click the image to enlarge it.

Friday, September 21, 2012

How many can of you can spot the error?

How many people are going to start reading the article after reading the above headline? And of the people that do, how many will trust what they read? If the writer (and editor?) can't spot that obvious error, what errors - factual and otherwise - are present in the article? From "PB&J: Is This the Worst Weapon Can a Kid Can Bring to School?" on Yahoo! Canada Shine on September 13, 2012. Click the image to enlarge it.

I want to believe it

He could believe it? Really? That's an odd thing to say. Let me click on that Toronto Star link and see if the quote there is the same. Oh, it is the same. Well, except for one small difference: the word could in the Yahoo! article is couldn't in the Toronto Star article. Small difference. From "Toronto cyclist gets stolen bike back after confronting rider" on Yahoo! Canada News on September 13, 2012. Click the image to enlarge it.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

You'd do well to "to do well"

If the writer of this article ("Kind stranger donates car to injured hit-and-run student" on Yahoo! Canada News on September 11, 2012) had been feeling generous, she'd have given this sentence an extra word: do should be between to and well. Click the image to enlarge it.

Get your extra syllables here!

I saw this sign - and its misspelling of registration - in a store window on Hastings Street in Vancouver, B.C., on August 25, 2012.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

1,000 meters = 1 kilometre = 1,000 metres = 1 kilometer

The above sentence was on display on the CBC British Columbia homepage on August 22, 2012. It looks fine, right? I mean, other than the threat to residents of a nearby fire. The issue is the spelling of kilometers. CBC stands for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and in Canada the spelling of words like kilometre (and metre, and centre) is -re instead of -er. The first sentence of the article is exactly the same as the homepage, and then

later in the article ("B.C. evacuation order for Big Bar Creek residents downgraded" on CBC News online on August 22, 2012) there is an incorrect meters. Then,

out of left field to cap it off, a misspelling of what should be lightning.

Friday, September 7, 2012

That's not his name. That's not his name.

His name is Robert Pattinson. From the MSN Canada homepage on August 9, 2012.

But, but... ummm, you *are* here...?

This article ("Woman has terrifying drive after gas pedal gets stuck" on Yahoo! Canada News on August 28, 2012) includes a link to a different article in which the correct quote - "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here" - can be found. Click the image to enlarge it.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Yahooooooooooooo! August 2012

Spoiler alert: August 2012 is over. Let's take a look at some errors I detected on the Yahoo! Canada homepage during that month. First, on the first of the month, there was one is too many. Then,

there was some inconsistent capitalization on August 4. Then,

on August 6 the writer might've had to go to the bathroom while attempting to write over-hyped. Then,

on August 10 there were a couple of missing commas in the name of the city and the province. Then,

also on August 10, there was a missing N in what should have been Torontonians. Then,

on August 11, there were two apostrophe errors in one teaser. It should have read dos, don'ts. Then,

also on August 11, women should have been woman. Here's the article if you need proof. Then,

on August 16, the end of the sentence should have been either saying it degrades women or saying it is degrading to women. Then,

also on August 16, there should have been a to between try and hide. Then,

also on August 16, there was a comical attempt at typing '90210' - here's the article. Then,

also on August 16 (obviously not a good day at Yahoo!), there was a misplaced apostrophe in what should have been Bryant's. Then,

on August 20 there was a factual error. The balcony that Julian Assange was on was not in Ecuador. The balcony was at Ecuador's embassy in London. In London. Finally,

on August 27 there was a missing R in what should have been Harrah's. Click an image to enlarge it.