Up to my Old Tricks:

It started with this column (now premium content at The Globe; I am on free trial by giving my email address): http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/05/02/paul-pierce-may-belong-among-five-best-celtics-all-time/aDoVsRI9h6euOc8YVyZ4AP/story.html

The last sentence in the column had a word choice error in it and if I could have figured out how to make the comments section work I would have noted the error there and been done with it. But I could not make it work and I did notice the writer's email address so I sent him and his editor a short civil note via email:

From: james allen [mailto:scrivener001@hotmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2012 9:32 AM
To: Shaughnessy, Daniel E; Chinlund, Christine S
Subject: No Editor?

Dan,

End of today's column should read: "an NBA championship ..." vs. "and NBA championship ..."

This is how it will go (sloppy) for premium content?

James

Ok, so a slight dig thrown in. But, as Sol Stein extolls: Read what you write! And it is the last sentence and all. 


And I think Dan appreciated the heads-up because he quickly wrote back:

From: DShaughnessy@globe.com
To: scrivener001@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 3 May 2012 10:53:50 -0400
Subject: RE: No Editor?

Wow, James. That’s huge. What do you think, should the writer and editor should both be fired?

Dan Shaughnessy

Sports columnist/Associate editor

Boston Globe

135 Morrissey Blvd.

Boston, MA 02125

617-929-2584

That was not the type of response I was expecting. And frankly it rankled me. Ungrateful. I replied:

From: james allen [mailto:scrivener001@hotmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2012 11:23 AM
To: Shaughnessy, Daniel E
Subject: RE: No Editor?

A bit thin-skinned Dan? 

What I think is that a professional writer should read his copy before posting it for consumption and catch his own errors. Failing that, his editor should read the writer's work closely enough to catch any errors. Failing that, one or the other ought be graceful enough to thank the reader kind enough to point out the mistake.

Or are you just above it all?

A bit heated but certainly civil enough, wouldn't all agree? Well, Dan would not agree. Flexing his superior columnist's muscles against poor reader me he replied:

From: DShaughnessy@globe.com


To: scrivener001@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 3 May 2012 11:31:14 -0400
Subject: RE: No Editor?

James – If we don’t respond, we are dismissive. If we respond, we are thin skinned.

I responded. I had it changed on line.

I looked at the original. Which had a different phrase entirely.

The editors save us 999 times out of 1000. I am thankful for them.

We both know your reference to “premium” was a cheap shot meant to provoke. It’s a typo by a human editor. They’re in newspapers and books every day. And of course, it has nothing to do with the 1,000 words about Paul Pierce and the top five. I would have been interested in hearing where you stand on that one.

So I have spent ten minutes of my day engaged with a concerned reader. Does that make me thin-skinned, or above it all?

Thanks for your contribution.

Dan Shaughnessy

Sports columnist/Associate editor

Boston Globe

135 Morrissey Blvd.

Boston, MA 02125

617-929-2584

James

Wow. Where to begin? I decided I either had to be done with him (and let him have the last word) or go all FJM on his ass - what other choices were available for a reasonable person? So I answered in kind: 

From: scrivener001@hotmail.com
To: dshaughnessy@globe.com
Subject: RE: No Editor?
Date: Thu, 3 May 2012 13:18:08 -0400

Dan,

So I have spent ten minutes of my day engaged with a concerned reader. - Shall we make it 15 minutes?

If we don’t respond, we are dismissive. If we respond, we are thin skinned. - Do you actually see it this way? Woe is you, what can we do? The original email pointed out an error in your text but did not, to my repeated readings, encourage such an over-the-top reply (should the writer and editor should both be fired?)

We both know your reference to “premium” was a cheap shot meant to provoke. - This is an awesome reply. What we both know is twofold: that without mind-reading abilities, or, at least, some acquaintance with me, you can't possibly know what my intent was; and, those last five words have been said about you and your columns (and not without some merit) for how many years? Surely the irony was unintended but it was a delight nonetheless.

It’s a typo by a human editor. - Now this is useful. I did not know how the process worked. Editors, unlike national columnists, are overworked and underpaid and deserve to be cut some slack. 

They’re in newspapers and books every day. - Ah, the so everyone's doing it argument? Didn't you feel the least bit embarrassed typing those words? 

... nothing to do with the 1,000 words about Paul Pierce and the top five. - No offense, but not your best work. Just not a compelling topic (PP's "big game" included 8 TO's, less than 50% shooting, and helped his team score 87 points? This might have led to a more interesting read: the mixed bag that is the PP experience). And I can confess to some reader bias as I read Ryan for NBA and you for (deliciously malicious) humor and Red Sox piling on. I honestly believe that you write better than all of the local writers (tone, pace, humor, bite, etc.) which is why I read what you write and take more than 15 minutes out of my day (okay, this is fun; and I'm right and you're not, so there's that).

Does that make me thin-skinned, or above it all? - Definitely thin-skinned (so far) but thankfully not above it all.

Thanks for brightening my day. Feel free to argue or remain silent. 

James

So that's all for now. Seems my health is on an uptick? Or is this evidence to the contrary (and if a certain obstinate pothead were around to argue with then this might not have been necessary)?