Many people ask the question, “What is better: a human editor or computer editing software?” It’s a good question to ask when you are writing a document and you care about accurate feedback.
To answer that question, remember that language is an art form. Words change meaning over time, and languages as a whole evolve. Unlike math, which remains the same through the ages, writing adjusts on a constant basis. At a fundamental level, that is why human beings will always write, interpret, and edit better than machines.
Here are a few more reasons why real editors are better than computer software:
- Meaning. A human editor can get a sense of your meaning more so than a computer. For example, both “its” and “it’s” are spelled correctly, but which version you use depends on the overall context. Meaning is more complex than just binary code (0s and 1s). Deciding which word to choose is a complex process that involves many options. In the case mentioned above, maybe “its” 0r “it’s” are both poor choices, and a complete rewording would be better. Only a real person can diagnosis that for you.
- Style. Some documents use a particular style, which software cannot account for. Furthermore, some writers purposely break rules or make stylistic choices that computers cannot correct. A human editor can detect the uniqueness of each human writer and maintain that person’s tone throughout the document.
- Purpose. The best editors take into account the kind of document and its rhetorical purpose. Because these change with every document, the static nature of computer software cannot help in this regard. Only a professional editor can consider the unique nature of the document.
- Accuracy. Some point out that even the best human editors make mistakes, but that fails to acknowledge errors that computers make and even add to a document. If you’ve ever used spellcheck or autocorrect, you have experienced firsthand how computers guess wrong. While errors might be okay when texting, that can lead to disastrous results in important documents.
- Depth. Computer software takes a surface-level look of your document and can be confusing. In many cases, changes are made without your permission or changes are suggested but never implemented. With PaperBlazer, we find a balance between necessary changes and optional changes. We also avoid complex terminology as much as possible and edit your text for you. This means a more efficient process for you in the long run.
These are just a few reasons why a real human editor is better than computer editing software. It will take decades until computers improve, but even then, language will remain elusive to machines. Meaning is not artificial, but real. For that reason, you do not want your language hindered by a machine. Instead, ask a professional editor to help you with your document.
