In a memo to staffers earlier this week, The Morning Call's editor said he planned to use software by Tansa to shrink the copy desk staff. I quickly proclaimed it the latest match of man versus machine. President Robert Lazlo says not so, and answers some reader questions in this interview conducted via e-mail.

ROBERT: Tansa's software has not been the direct cause of any job losses in the USA. That's not how it works. The software was originally created by copy editors, for copy editors. We don't think of it as "the copy editor vs. the computer" at all. Quite the opposite.

Copy editors in the USA are generally overworked and underpaid, but at the same time being asked to do even more (24x7 Web publishing, for example). Tansa's software - which is just a far more advanced and efficient version of the spell checker that everybody already has - reduces the amount of repetitive, boring work they do, allowing them to focus on the high value stuff.

LUCAS: I don't buy your argument that no copy editor has ever lost their job as a result of Tansa. The Morning Call's editor flat-out states that using Tansa means the newspaper can operate with fewer copy editors on their universal desk. Here's what he said: "Tansa would save editing time for the copy desk, allowing us to more effectively operate a universal desk with fewer editors." Regardless of whether you all built Tansa to replace copy editors, don't you agree that if a large copy desk becomes more efficient, then it could be reduced in size?

ROBERT: This is obviously a sensitive question, and an issue that we understand pretty well. Tansa was created by newspaper copy editors, and most of the employees of Tansa have worked for, or with, newspapers for most of our adult lives.

To date, the statement I made is true.

But it is important to note that Tansa is not causing the downsizing that is going on in newsrooms across the country. The challenges facing the newspaper industry today are well documented, and every newspaper is looking at ways to reduce costs. These cuts would take place whether Tansa existed or not, unfortunately.

Believe it or not, however, most newspaper companies are concerned about the impact of these cuts on the quality of their products. Some publishers see Tansa's tools as a way to mitigate any "damage" caused by a reduced number of eyes and fingers on the copy desk.

We also know that most publishers are trying to create and distribute more content - in more formats - than ever before, and so they often view Tansa as a way to do that - without having to increase copy editing staff.

LUCAS: One of my readers asks: "Exactly what does the computer program do? Does it highlight problem spots? Does it change around the copy to what it thinks is right? Can you override the system?"

ROBERT: It is basically an advanced, more efficient spelling checker than the ones built into standard desktop editing tools.

The text is analyzed on a server and compared to a customized dictionary that is created for each installation. So, the results are intended to be much more focused and relevant than a standard spelling checker.

It can correct errors in:
- Basic punctuation issues
- Spelling (including full names)
- Usage (style)
- and hyphenation (H&J;)

The user decides when to run it, and what to do with the software's suggestions. And that's all they are - suggestions. The user is in control of what happens with the suggestions.

LUCAS: This is a softball, but important question: What makes Tansa any better than Microsoft Word's built-in grammar and spell checker?

ROBERT: I love softball.

It's usually easier to show you the advantages, rather than describe them, but . . . there are four things that make Tansa unique:

- Technology: Tansa analyzes text in context, and compares the results to a dictionary that includes multiword phrases.

- A complete solution: Our client application plug-ins enable the use of Tansa within the most commonly used desktop writing, editing and layout applications (even across different operating systems). The system also includes a complete suite of administration and management utilities.

- A centralized solution: A centralized server hosts a single customized dictionary that is shared by all the users in an organization.

- Customized dictionaries: Every company is unique, therefore Tansa Systems creates customized dictionaries tailored to the specific requirements of each installation. We also have licensing agreements that allow us to build dictionaries based on Webster's New World College Dictionary (4th edition) and the AP Stylebook for our daily newspaper customers - compare that to the "generic" dictionaries found in most other editing applications.

LUCAS: What was the epiphany moment that made you all decide to create the Tansa software?

ROBERT: I wasn't an employee at the time, and therefore can't take credit,
but - as with so many other software products - Tansa was created out of frustration.

In 1995, one of the head copy editors at the largest daily newspaper in Norway was frustrated with the spelling tools (and dictionary) that his copy desk was using. He had some ideas, and he happened to know some computer scientists. They created a prototype for that newspaper, and eventually it became a product available for sale to other newspapers - first in Norway, then the rest of Scandinavia, and now in several languages around the world.

LUCAS: Where is Tansa currently in use? And how many newspaper companies have shown interest in starting to use the system?

ROBERT: It is being used by a wide variety of publications, including (to name a few of the English-language sites):

- Aiken Standard (Aiken, S.C.)
- Kitsap Sun (Kitsap, Wash.)
- Newsday
- New York Magazine
- The Economist
- The Orange County Register
- The Rockford Register-Star (Rockford, Ill.)
- The Seattle Times
- The St. Cloud Times (St. Cloud, Minn.)
- The Toronto Star

Interest has come from every major newspaper group, all over the country (the world, really).

LUCAS: Do you envision a day when a small, upstart Web site that has no copy editors might use Tansa in lieu of paying a copy desk? Then as the site grows maybe it never hires a human copy desk and instead relies on regular editors?

ROBERT: That is not a scenario that any of us have specifically discussed.


Many thanks to Robert for taking the time to explain Tansa and what it does. I'm sure he'll be reading this post and will be interested in your comments.