How We Handle Errors
Every writer gets things wrong sometimes, and guides about technology and everyday admin go out of date faster than most. A menu moves in a software update, an official rule changes, a step that worked last year stops working. We would rather hear about it than leave a reader stuck, so this page explains what happens when someone points out a problem.
What counts as an error
We treat these as errors worth fixing:
- a factual statement that is wrong or no longer true;
- instructions that do not work as described on current versions of a device or app;
- a summary of a rule or process that leaves out something important;
- a broken link or one that now leads somewhere unrelated;
- wording that could reasonably be read as personal advice when it should be general.
Differences of opinion are not errors, but we are still glad to hear them, and they sometimes lead to a clearer explanation.
What we do when you write
When a report arrives, the writer responsible for the guide looks at it first and checks the point against the original source, the official guidance or the device itself. A second team member then reads the proposed change. If the report is right, we fix the article. If it is not, or if we cannot confirm it, we keep the text as it is and, where we can, explain why in a reply.
How changes are shown
Small fixes such as typos, a broken link or a clearer sentence are made without comment. Changes that affect the substance of a guide, such as a corrected fact or a rewritten set of steps, update the article's modified date so returning readers can see something has changed. If an error could have led someone to a wrong decision, we add a short note to the article saying what was corrected.
Keeping guides current
Besides reader reports, we revisit popular guides from time to time to check that steps still work and that the context is still accurate. Articles about money, insurance or moving abroad get extra attention here because the rules behind them can change.
How to report something
Send us an email through the contact page with the article link, the sentence you think is wrong and, if possible, where you found the correct information. Your message is used only to look into the report and reply to you. Thank you in advance; reports like these are one of the most useful things a reader can send.
Questions? Write to us.
We read every message.
After you report a problem
What happens to a correction
Every report follows the same short path, so nothing slips between inboxes.
Logged
The message goes on our shared corrections list with the article link and the date it arrived.
Checked at the source
The writer of the guide tests the claim against official guidance, the help pages or the device itself.
Second opinion
Another team member reads the proposed fix before anything on the page changes.
Page updated
Typos change silently; changes of substance move the modified date and, where it matters, add a note.
Reply sent
Where an email address was given, we write back to say what we changed, or why we left it.