Major errors on this blog (and their corrections)
Here's a list of errors on this blog that I think were fairly serious. While what I think of as serious is, of course, subjective, I don't think there's any reasonable way to avoid that because, e.g., I make a huge number of typos, so many that the majority of acknowledgements on many posts are for people who e-mailed or DM'ed me typo fixes. A list that included everything, including typos would both be uninteresting for other people to read as well as high overhead for me, which is why I've drawn the line somewhere. An example of an error I don't think of as serious is, in this post on how I learned to program , I originally had the dates wrong on when the competition programmers from my high school made money (it was a couple years after I thought it was). In that case, and many others, I don't think that the date being wrong changes anything significant about the post. Although I'm publishing the original version of this in 2021, I expect this list to grow over time. I hope that I've become more careful and that the list will grow more slowly in the future than it has in the past, but that remains to be seen. I view it as a good sign that a large fraction of the list is from my first three months of blogging, in 2013, but that's no reason to get complacent! I've added a classification below that's how
Major errors on this blog (and their corrections)
Over the years, this blog has been a platform for sharing personal experiences, insights, and ideas. While the content has been well-received by many, it's not without its flaws. In an effort to maintain transparency and integrity, the author has identified and corrected several significant errors. Although the classification of these errors is subjective, the goal is to ensure that the information provided remains accurate and reliable.
One of the most common types of errors on the blog are typos and grammatical mistakes. Given the sheer volume of posts, it's impossible for the author to catch every mistake without the help of readers. In fact, many posts include acknowledgments of typo fixes submitted by diligent followers. While these errors are undoubtedly frustrating, they do not significantly impact the overall message or meaning of the content.
However, there are more substantial errors that warrant attention. For instance, in a post about how the author learned to program, the original version contained incorrect dates regarding the success of high school competition programmers. The dates were off by a few years, but the author acknowledges that this discrepancy did not alter the core narrative. Such errors are less concerning when they do not affect the fundamental message of the post.
The majority of significant errors were made during the blog's early years, particularly in 2013. This is not surprising, as the author was still developing their writing style and approach. The hope is that with experience and increased care, the frequency of major errors will decrease in the future.
Another notable error involved a post on using random algorithms to decrease the probability that good stories get "unlucky" on Hacker News. The idea was tested but did not yield satisfactory results. The author recognizes that human judgment in selecting stories to rescue from obscurity is more effective. This realization has informed future content and decision-making processes.
The author has categorized these errors as "insufficient thought" to highlight the need for more careful consideration before publishing. While the categories are arbitrary and not mutually exclusive, they serve as a useful framework for identifying and addressing future mistakes.
As the list of errors grows, the author considers implementing a tag system to help readers easily access and navigate the corrected content. However, the goal remains to minimize the occurrence of major errors through improved vigilance and a commitment to quality.
In conclusion, while no writer is immune to errors, the ability to identify and correct them is a testament to the importance of continuous learning and improvement. By openly acknowledging these mistakes, the author demonstrates a commitment to transparency and the desire to provide accurate and valuable content to their audience.
