Fixing Mistakes Openly

Every publication makes mistakes, and a magazine about weekend plans is no exception. Opening hours change, a game rule gets muddled, a step ends up in the wrong order, or a sentence simply says something we did not mean. What matters is how quickly and openly those slips are put right. This page explains our approach.

What counts as an error

We treat the following as errors worth correcting:

• Facts that are wrong, such as a rule of a game, a description of how something works or a detail about a place.
• Information that was correct when written but has since gone out of date.
• Instructions that are unclear, incomplete or in an order that would cause problems.
• Safety-related advice that could be misread or that leaves out an important caution.
• Broken internal links and typos that change the meaning of a sentence.

Differences of taste are not errors. If you think croquet is far better than boules, we are happy to hear the argument, but we will not "correct" an article for it.

How to report one

Send a short email via our Say Hello page. It helps if you include the article title or link, the sentence you are concerned about and, where possible, where the correct information can be found. You do not need to be certain; a well-placed question is often enough for us to take a second look.

What happens next

1. We read it. Every report is read by at least one member of the team, usually within a few days.
2. We check it. We go back to the article, compare it with the information you sent and look for other reliable sources where needed.
3. We decide. If the article is wrong or misleading, we fix it. If we think it is correct, we explain why when we reply.
4. We update. The correction is made in the text itself rather than hidden in a footnote.
5. We say thank you. If you asked for a reply, we let you know what changed.

When we add a note

Small fixes, such as a spelling mistake or a reworded sentence that does not change the meaning, are made quietly. When a correction changes the substance of an article, for example a safety point, a key step or a central fact, we update the article date and may add a brief note so returning readers can see that something is different.

Keeping older articles fresh

Corrections are not only reactive. We regularly reread older articles, especially practical guides like our picnic planner and backyard games for adults, and refresh them when tips can be improved or details have changed. The wider process behind every article is set out in From Idea to Finished Guide.

Our promise

We would always rather be corrected than stay wrong. If you have taken the time to tell us about a mistake, you have made the magazine better for the next reader, and we are grateful for it.