Comments on: Just Say No to These Three Enemies of Clear and Direct Writing http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/ Online marketing that works Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:07:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ck http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1025825 ck Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:11:28 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1025825 Great post, but I'll disagree with Enemy #3. The most common word may not be the most correct word. In your haste to sound less "pretentious" you may end up sacrificing specificity, which is also a hallmark of good writing. Great post, but I’ll disagree with Enemy #3. The most common word may not be the most correct word. In your haste to sound less “pretentious” you may end up sacrificing specificity, which is also a hallmark of good writing.

]]> By: Cathy http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1007304 Cathy Sun, 20 Mar 2011 23:51:41 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1007304 Thanks for this blog post, Jessica. I love it when someone states principles so clearly. I'll be checking out the road signs next time I go out! Thanks for this blog post, Jessica. I love it when someone states principles so clearly. I’ll be checking out the road signs next time I go out!

]]> By: Oliver Lawrence http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005759 Oliver Lawrence Tue, 15 Mar 2011 07:43:37 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005759 The objective is to distil the meaning as effectively as possible, not to achieve minimalism as an end in itself. "My own personal cubicle" contains an emphasis that "my cubicle" doesn't. If you're not careful, writing at the reader like a series of road signs may make them feel they're being barked at, which isn't necessarily persuasive. The objective is to distil the meaning as effectively as possible, not to achieve minimalism as an end in itself. “My own personal cubicle” contains an emphasis that “my cubicle” doesn’t. If you’re not careful, writing at the reader like a series of road signs may make them feel they’re being barked at, which isn’t necessarily persuasive.

]]> By: Sonia Simone http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005727 Sonia Simone Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:19:08 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005727 That darned Difference Engine wrecked everything. That darned Difference Engine wrecked everything.

]]> By: Brian Clark http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005725 Brian Clark Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:11:55 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005725 Dammit, Sonia beat me on the 1918 Strunk and White date. Sorry man, but you just didn't realize that "post-internet thinking" in this case is pre-radio-and-television writing wisdom. Dammit, Sonia beat me on the 1918 Strunk and White date. Sorry man, but you just didn’t realize that “post-internet thinking” in this case is pre-radio-and-television writing wisdom.

]]> By: Sonia Simone http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005697 Sonia Simone Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:27:46 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005697 I feel like we're part of a really nerdy new squad of writing superheroes. I feel like we’re part of a really nerdy new squad of writing superheroes.

]]> By: Adam Snider http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005691 Adam Snider Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:15:10 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005691 Sonia is completely right. I came to post more or less exactly what she did. Since she beat me to it, I'll just reinforce it. Sonia is completely right. I came to post more or less exactly what she did. Since she beat me to it, I’ll just reinforce it.

]]> By: Sonia Simone http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005688 Sonia Simone Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:10:53 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005688 Flabby, pretentious writing is no antidote for the Idiocracy. William Strunk was giving this advice in 1918, so I don't think you can blame the internet. Flabby, pretentious writing is no antidote for the Idiocracy.

William Strunk was giving this advice in 1918, so I don’t think you can blame the internet.

]]> By: JSH http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005683 JSH Tue, 15 Mar 2011 02:28:47 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-1005683 This article is typical post-internet thinking. How did it come to this, that the dull blunt directness so often found in the uneducated is somehow superior to the nuanced discourse of more sophisticated communicators? It's already bad enough that the world is descending into a "Idiocracy"-style morass where people talk in lowest-common-denominator vocabulary - let's not make it mandatory "manual of style" now. This article is typical post-internet thinking. How did it come to this, that the dull blunt directness so often found in the uneducated is somehow superior to the nuanced discourse of more sophisticated communicators? It’s already bad enough that the world is descending into a “Idiocracy”-style morass where people talk in lowest-common-denominator vocabulary – let’s not make it mandatory “manual of style” now.

]]> By: melvin http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-970718 melvin Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:11:22 +0000 http://www.copyblogger.com/clear-writing/#comment-970718 "People who write road signs have very little space within which to get their message across;" You could have omitted the redundancy of "within which..." People who write road signs have little space to get their message across. “People who write road signs have very little space within which to get their message across;”

You could have omitted the redundancy of “within which…”

People who write road signs have little space to get their message across.

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