Recently in our forums, Ally Oakes started a thread called Alphabetti Spaghetti, in which she began an alphabetical list of all the things we get from the forums. Others were quick to take up the challenge.
Why do we love the SfEP forums? Let us list the ways:
Advice, Answers and Anchorage
Buddies Bending over Backwards and Bringing things to our notice before we know we need them
Conference and Colleagueship, Cheese and Chocolate (not exactly provided by the forums, but our Collective Cravings make them all the more delicious)
Detective-work and some Dastardly Discussions
Encyclopaedic Expertise from Experienced practitioners
Friendship, Finding true gems, Functioning/ality and Furthering Freelancing
Graciousness, Gratefulness and Getting over ourselves when we’re bothered about something
Honesty, Humour and Helpfulness
Intriguing questions, Informed answers and occasional Impertinent suggestions
Jokes and Jocular observations
Knowledge (limitless) and Know-it-allness (occasional)
Love for our fellow-editors and Links to relevant topics
Mentors, Moral support, Management skills and Macro solutions to Minor problems
Nurturing and Networks for Nervous Newbies
Openness and Organisation, support of and helping with
Practical exPlanations, Proving the Pudding and Patient aPpraisal
Quick replies to Queries and Questions
Rapid Reassurance, Reinforcement and Real-life problems and solutions
Solidarity and Straightforward Support
Teamwork, Team spirit and Tangential Trains of Thought
Unstinting Über-Unselfishness
Valuable Validation and Varying Voluminousness
Wisdom, Wildcards and Wonderful Words
X-ray vision, eXplanations and all-round eXcellence
Yakkedy-yak-yak-yak (occasional) and Youthful enthusiasm shared with old-timers
Zip-files or oZalids, Ziggurats or Zoology – whatever your query, there’ll be an expert in the field.
And so, with zeal, zest and zing we continue to read and contribute to the forums. Thanks all!
Especial thanks to fellow-contributors – in first name reverse alphabetical order for a change (one of whom was ‘just crossing the Atlantic’ while contributing):
Sue Browning, Sabine Citron, Ruth Lewis, Priscilla Balkwill, Philippa Tomlinson, Michelle Bullock, Margaret Aherne, Lucy Metzger, John Firth, Guy Manners, Beth Hamer, Ayesha Chari, Anna Nolan and Alison Shakspeare
Ally Oakes
Precision, punctuality and a passion for clients’ words. These are all in the pot that is Oak Proofreading. Add many spoonfuls of focus, a large tub of knowledge from training and experience, and an overflowing ladle of SfEP wisdom-sharing. Season generously with great client-communication – and there’s a pot of Ally’s proofreading curry.
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the SfEP