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Comment by robertskmiles | Hacker News Reader

Reminds me very strongly of a simpler (and in my opinion more elegant) notation that I have been using for a long time:

http://www.azarask.in/blog/post/collaboration_made_simple_wi...

I picked up a similar system a few years ago, I don't remember the source, but it depends on always using 2 sets of brackets (thus, fewer rules to remember):

blah blah [][add something] blah blah

blah blah [delete this][] blah blah

blah blah [error][correction] blah blah

Read it as: "replace the first brackets' contents with contents of the second bracket".

An optional third set of brackets would be a comment or explanation.

In my opinion, this simplified ruleset can be used even to correct texts for people who do not dig being asked to memorize 'a lot of rules' and they often end up really liking its clarity.

edit: formatting

Your solution is just brilliant and a really cool hack. I will add this to my basic techniques. One suggestion: Change your article, instead of the sentence "he first set of brackets denotes deletion, the second set denotes addition, and the third set denotes a comment." write it the Ruleset for dumb people like me like this:

Ruleset:

First Brackets: [Deletion] Delete this word.

Second Brackets: [][Addition] Add this word.

Third Brackets: [][][Comment] Comment this word.

Combination Examples:

[Change][Replace] Delete first word, replace with second word...

[Remove][][My comment: You should remove this word!]

Now this is excellent! The other one is slower than using pen, but this one is faster AND better!

Until now, when I had to proofread text, I would take screenshots, put it on a tablet and then write on it with pen. Or use Microsoft Word review features.

But now I'm going to use this. You just changed my life.

Cool! But how do you revise already revised text? =)

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