Wednesday, March 25, 2009

A note for Wednesday (read the web, not the mail)

Image of a partially submerged, traditional fish-trap in a moat in Cambodia.Dear Gentle Reader,

Sometimes things are only in one's head.

Like what? 

When I wrote of Hong Kong fashion last week, it was partially a tribute to the otherworldly fashions of Camelopardalis' giraffes, found here or here.

And yet I completely forgot to mention them.

All of you who subscribe by email ought to know that there are usually significant differences between the email that is sent out (when the balloon flies up and the posting first goes out) compared to what floats on the website a half hour or so later.

Why? 

Because of the disconnect between what your humble scribe is sure is (or needs to be) on the screen, and what really is (or needs to be) on the screen.

It is usually better to visit the real site and use the email as a reminder, because the finished posting is almost always different from the earlier email you will have received.

Image of a field of four-leaf clovers at the side of a seasonal lake in Cambodia near Siem Reap.
Sometimes you get lucky and find some four-leaf clovers, as I did here in Cambodia, when you open the email.

But, my skill, if any, lies in re-examining what I have written and making amendments within the time I allow myself.

I allow the momentum of the instant edit to sweep away the detritus that I thought was fine before I published. 

The panic of realizing that now is too late, that the first few visitors are already staring in bewilderment at what I have posted; that is when the scales fall away from my eyes and I truly read my posts. I then swoop onto my words as the hawk swoops onto his prey, hoping to break the spine of rebellion and render the text more fit for consumption.

So, by all means, receive the email. 

But, please, go to the website to read.


Tschuess,
Chris

5 comments:

Cloudia said...

I always look for your posts hungrily, Scribe!

Meow to Pommes! Aloha-

Teresa said...

This is the first time I've heard of a scribe being portrayed as a raptor subduing a snake. I wondering if it's because you work with a stylus in wet clay. Nevertheless, I do enjoy your final results, so keep on wrestling those words.

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Thanks for the links to my Camelopardalian Couture!

I usually forget to highlight links on mine until about three days later ...

Being a ponderous giraffe some of the time, I tend to write my posts by hand and make my edits before typing in, by multitudinous crossings out (or is it crossing outs?). (Hence my current predicament of having no ink left in any of my pens). As you use a stylus in wet clay, (I'm reminded of this by Teresa's comment), it must be more difficult.

I'm not familiar with the emailing of posts, but I've sometimes read your posts when you've just published them and gone back later to something different ... I'm so glad you've written this post, Sepiru Chris - now I know that both my memory and my imagination are sound!

Whoopee - we are really here, our words are really here!

Barbara Martin said...

Whatever stage your posts are in, Chris, they are always fun to read.

Sepiru Chris said...

Dear Cloudia,

:)


Dear Teresa,

Shall do, and thanks.


Dear Raph,

You are very welcome. If I ever manage to visit Camelopardalis, I'll show you this e-technology I speak of. Handy for crossing the (e-)ether...


Dear Barbara,

Cheers.


Tschuess,
Chris