Photo by Shirley McShane Sillars

I found this sign hanging in the horse barn at the Michigan State Fair. If only I had a red pen in my purse.

Recently I met a young man busy developing a computer program that aims to do the job of copy editors — but, I suppose, without the attached personality quirks and neurotic tendencies of folks engaged in my line of work.

It was a pleasure to meet him, although a little awkward,  since we were at a networking event. His work, it seems, would cancel out mine.

This so-called robot copy editor program promises to search your written work for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. It also seeks to fix improper word usage, the wrong noun-verb tense and use of passive voice. It aims to go above and beyond the average spell checker.

Like all good robots, it will work tirelessly for you at the push of a button. It will not need a coffee break or a week in the tropics to refresh its psyche. It won’t demand health care benefits or request an ergonomically correct desk chair. Sounds perfect, right?

Spell checker and advanced editing software have a place. They are a good beginning. But your Web site or professional blog should always have the human touch as the last defense. Humans cost money. Many industries have decided it’s an expense they can do without. News of outsourcing copy editing to India or of advanced technology that replaces the work of humans never bodes well for the humans struggling to feed themselves on the wages of their threatened craft.

I promised the young programmer I’d give it a try. After using his program for several months, I’m satisfied with it as a step up from the basic spell checker. There are things I like about it, mainly, the extra pair of eyes — even if they are robotic —  to review my work.

Listed below are examples of things this and other program extensions did not catch, things that are best left to a human copy editor:

• Duel citizenship will slip past spell check but humanitarian organizations may take issue with such challenging residency requirements.
• A woman on the run is wearing high heals. I’m guessing her need for a podiatrist rather than her fancy footwear will aid in her capture.
• Is the Lake Shore Drive in your city written the same way as the famous one in Chicago? It pays to have someone fact-check these details.
• Robots do not understand slang and will skip over industry buzz words, regional colloquialisms, and esoteric references.
• Even though the program offers some explanation for flagging a particular word or phrase, the explanatory text is boiler plate material and not customized for the context.
• In some cases, a plural noun is offered as the correction for a singular noun spelled correctly.
• As far as I know, robots have not yet mastered the art of the follow-up e-mail or phone call.

Everyone is entitled to making a living, whether it’s using her own eyes and training to read copy or to develop a program to do the same. I believe it will be a while before robots fully replace the work of the human copy editor.

As for outsourcing to India, well, that is an argument for another blog and another day.