A reader's letter to Danwei:

I am shocked, consternated even, by your complete lack of Pinyin Disciplinary Spirit!

Xu Fan (F-A-N, not FANG) is the beautiful actress featured in that very useful advertisement reminding us that love of home and country begins with paying Caesar his vig. Xu Fang (with that sloppy extra “g” of yours), however, just happens to be a hapless sheep butcher in Butaixingfu Village in the arid wastelands of Beizhengfuchediwangle County, Shangdung Provance. Anyhow, get your pingyin up to some kind of biaojoon before you push that chooban button next time, lest you offend the wrong sheep butcher. Correct pinying spelings is the thin line between order and total chaous. As my Brainless Leader in the Oonited Staits always says, “there’s an ancient Tennessee saying: ‘Get the pinyin wrong once, shame on you. Get the pinyin wrong, you can’t get spell it again.’”

Sinceerly,

Meeguo Run

Thank you Meeguo Run, we have forced the relevant editors to sign self confessions and correct their mistakes - ed.