4 ms·

Yeah this is something I find a bit awkward. Good typography is definitely a boon, and fixing obvious errors (often mistakes that may not even have been present

Yeah this is something I find a bit awkward. Good typography is definitely a boon, and fixing obvious errors (often mistakes that may not even have been present in each edition) like 'tne → the' is fine, but this modernisation step oversteps the boundary of keeping the original intent and content as the author envisioned it. If the text of an older work presents problems for a lot of modern readers, I would prefer an annotated version with a glossary or even full-blown explanations of antiquated customs, concepts, and words. And I agree, it also takes away some of the flavour of an older book. Not to sound too negative — the project itself looks interesting and of lasting value.

derefr 9y ago
> like 'tne → the' I know it's not what you meant, but one thing I'd genuinely love from a project of re-typesetting old public-domain works is to ensure that any "typewriter symbols" like "->" or "* * *" are turned into their proper dingbats ("→" and "⁂", respectively.) Also, ensuring the (double and single) quotation-mark characters are used, but that scare-quotes and actual measurements (6'1", etc.) don't use them. Just, general heavy-handed replacement of ASCIIisms with proper Unicode equivalents. Though, once you start down that road, it brings you to interesting places: if a book says "ye olde shoppe", do you want to keep the "ye", or do you want to consider it a typographical limitation for what should have been properly typeset as "þe"?
- syrrim 9y ago
  The typographical equivalent for thorn is 'th'. You would therefore want to do "the" -> "þe".
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > Also, ensuring the (double and single) quotation-mark characters are used, but that scare-quotes and actual measurements (6'1", etc.) don't use them Scare quotes are a adaptation of quotation marks for use/mention distinctions, and shoukd use proper quotation marks the same as anything else; measurements should use the prime and double prime characters.
- rst 9y ago
  I've seen 'ye' for 'the' on tombstones from the 1600s. The stone carvers weren't picking type out of a box.
m-p-3 9y ago
Agreed, maybe they could include some way of annotating the original content and display a modern version, to preserve the original work but also make it more accessible.

derefr 9y ago

> like 'tne → the' I know it's not what you meant, but one thing I'd genuinely love from a project of re-typesetting old public-domain works is to ensure that any "typewriter symbols" like "->" or "* * *" are turned into their proper dingbats ("→" and "⁂", respectively.) Also, ensuring the (double and single) quotation-mark characters are used, but that scare-quotes and actual measurements (6'1", etc.) don't use them. Just, general heavy-handed replacement of ASCIIisms with proper Unicode equivalents. Though, once you start down that road, it brings you to interesting places: if a book says "ye olde shoppe", do you want to keep the "ye", or do you want to consider it a typographical limitation for what should have been properly typeset as "þe"?

syrrim 9y ago
The typographical equivalent for thorn is 'th'. You would therefore want to do "the" -> "þe".
dragonwriter 9y ago
> Also, ensuring the (double and single) quotation-mark characters are used, but that scare-quotes and actual measurements (6'1", etc.) don't use them Scare quotes are a adaptation of quotation marks for use/mention distinctions, and shoukd use proper quotation marks the same as anything else; measurements should use the prime and double prime characters.
rst 9y ago
I've seen 'ye' for 'the' on tombstones from the 1600s. The stone carvers weren't picking type out of a box.

m-p-3 9y ago

Agreed, maybe they could include some way of annotating the original content and display a modern version, to preserve the original work but also make it more accessible.