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PaperclipPerfector  5d ago (text post)   2660 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for July 17, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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The editorial journey is partly a process of becoming entangled with your editor. It's the commissioning process continued and helps enthuse publishing companies and make them want to back your book. After editing they feel they have a stake in the work, that they've done their due diligence, and have some faith in the book's provenance.

I don't see this part of the role of editor being replaced by AI yet, so I think many editors will still have a job for a little while, even if AI becomes a useful part of the toolset for even decent writers.

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A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


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