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Susanne Alexander-Heaton
, December 07, 2010
I wish I knew about this book prior to writing my award-winning children's
book. I went through many different resources and a total of six different
editors to ensure that all the proper tweaking was in place. I noted things
in this grammar book that I haven't found in any other book, especially the
sections on comma usage and word gremlins.
The final section of the book delves into the difference between traditional
writing and digital writing. Although it’s a short section, it does a great
job of summarizing some of the issues facing writers today:
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Traditional Writing vs. Digital Writing
There are two different platforms across which writing takes
place — traditional, paper-based and electronic, digital-based. Three
questions may arise when writing for these two different media: Should
writing across different platforms be different, and if so, how is it
different and what dynamics cause this difference? The debate over whether
there should be a difference in terms of writing standards is essentially a
values debate to which there is no correct answer. However, from a practical
standpoint, there is little doubt that written communication across these
media differs and will remain different.
The dynamics that cause a difference between traditional and digital writing
center on the distinction between static and non-static written
communication. Electronic communication arguably exists to take the place of
spoken communication, and to that extent, it is non-static, tending to be
more conversational and less structured.
Traditional or paper-based writing is most often associated with formal
writing, while electronic or digital-based writing is commonly the domain of
informal writing. As mentioned, traditional writing overlaps in large degree
with formal writing. Formal writing, loosely defined, is writing consisting
of multiple paragraphs that is meant to be distributed and read by one or
more persons. Examples of formal written documents include long e-mails,
letters, newsletters, news articles, brochures, essays, reports, manuals,
and books.
Digital writing dovetails with informal writing. Examples of digital writing
include short personal and business e-mails, text messaging, blogging, and
messaging on social network sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.
How do the different forms of written communication stack up in terms of
their likely level of written formality? As briefly summarized next, the
higher the technological level, the more informal writing tends to be.
Naturally, this analysis embodies a degree of generality. Blogging, for
example, can be quite formal, as is the case with blog articles published by
the Huffington Post. Most blog responses, however, tend to be as informal as
are casual e-mails or text messaging.
Writing — Levels of Informality
The fifth level includes text messaging, instant messaging (e.g., Yahoo,
Skype), and microblogging (Twitter).
The fourth level includes blogging and e-mails.
The third level includes letter writing, articles, newsletters, brochures,
websites, memos, flyers, and slide shows.
The second level includes manuals, business reports, and academic essays.
The first level includes published documents such as reports, newspapers,
magazines, and books.
Some of the telltale signs of informality in the digital realm (for better
or worse) include the following: shorter sentences; optional punctuation,
including non-capitalized words and abbreviated spelling; the use of fewer
adjectives and adverbs; the frequent use of ellipses, asterisks, and
exclamation points; and the occasional use of smileys and e-mail acronyms.
Many traditionalists object to the use of abbreviated spelling and
non-capitalization. For example, dashing off “c u @12 - lunch” translates as
“see you at 12 o’clock for lunch.” But consider the level of informality.
Assuming this to be a text message, the message, once sent and received,
will never be seen again. So what purpose would it serve to make it more
formal?
Such informality in written communication may be acceptable for text
messaging, but it is considered unacceptable when used in standard
expository writing. The point here is that although there is real logic as
to why writing may be informal, this does not mean that informal writing is
superior to formal writing because it is more practical, less structured, or
somehow more authentic. Formal and informal writing are different and serve
different purposes.
Also, many readers understand only the most basic smileys and e-mail
acronyms. Certain e-mail acronyms are easy to understand — FYI (“For Your
Information”), IMHO (“In My Humble/Honest Opinion”), and LOL (“Laughing Out
Loud”). But where is the line of readability to be drawn? The average e-mail
user would have a devil of a time deciphering any of the following: FYEO
(For Your Eyes Only), PMFJI (Pardon Me For Jumping In), and IITYWYBMAD? (If
I Tell You Will You Buy Me A Drink?). The same situation holds true for
smileys (emoticons), for which actual Smiley Dictionaries exist. Smileys are
read by turning the head counterclockwise and looking at them sideways; then
the little faces can by seen. Most readers understand :-), ;-), and :-( to
mean “I’m happy/it’s funny,” “winking/I think I’m being funny,” and “I’m
sad/it’s sad.” But other smileys are enigmatic for the uninitiated, notably:
;-\ (undecided), :-< (very="" upset),="" and="" :-#="" (my="" lips="" are="" sealed).="" certain="" writing="" techniques="" used="" in="" digital="" communications="" occur="" because="" typographical="" tools="" are="" limited="" or="" unavailable.="" basic="" e-mail,="" for="" instance,="" doesn’t="" provide="" a="" way="" to="" italicize="" or="" underline.="" and="" underlining="" of="" digital="" text="" should="" be="" avoided,="" as="" it="" is="" reserved="" for="" use="" as="" hyperlinks.="" in="" order="" to="" place="" emphasis="" on="" certain="" words="" and="" phrases,="" it="" is="" common="" practice="" to="" place="" them="" in="" asterisks="" or,="" occasionally,="" to="" capitalize="" them.="" an="" employee="" who="" e-mails,="" “you="" won’t="" believe="" how="" *smoothly*="" our="" morning="" meeting="" went,”="" is="" drawing="" attention="" to="" the="" word="" “smoothly”="" for="" the="" purpose="" of="" infusing="" a="" little="" sarcasm,="" as="" if="" things="" hadn’t="" gone="" so="" smoothly="" after="" all.="" the="" way="" information="" is="" read="" on="" the="" internet="" influences="" how="" it="" is="" written.="" individuals="" don’t="" read="" information="" online="" as="" linearly="" as="" they="" do="" in="" printed="" formats.="" they="" tend="" to="" skip="" around,="" skimming="" and="" scanning,="" then="" stopping="" to="" read="" chunks="" of="" information.="" how="" does="" this="" affect="" the="" way="" information="" is="" written="" for="" the="" web?="" columns="" tend="" to="" be="" narrower="" (usually="" not="" more="" than="" seventy-five="" characters="" per="" line),="" sentences="" and="" paragraphs="" tend="" to="" be="" shorter,="" more="" heads="" and="" subheads="" are="" used="" to="" assist="" the="" reader="" in="" “grabbing”="" information,="" and="" more="" bolding="" is="" commonly="" used="" (both="" in="" black="" and="" in="" color).="" benefits="" in="" conclusion,="" the="" higher="" the="" standard="" one="" adheres="" to="" in="" all="" written="" communication,="" be="" it="" digital="" or="" print,="" the="" higher="" will="" be="" one’s="" perceived="" level="" of="" professionalism.="" the="" cost="" is="" time="" and="" effort;="" the="" benefit="" is="" quality.="" each="" individual="" must="" make="" his="" or="" her="" own="" “call.”="" as="" the="" english="" language="" continues="" to="" evolve,="" with="" the="" digital="" revolution="" playing="" a="" significant="" role="" in="" this="" evolution,="" there="" will="" always="" exist="" a="" place="" for="" “good”="" writing.="" writing="" that="" is="" strong="" in="" content,="" and="" equally="" adheres="" to="" currently="" accepted="" principles="" and="" rules — including="" grammar,="" spelling,="" and="" punctuation — will="" continue="" to="" have="" a="" positive="" influence="" on="" its="" readers.="" ***="">
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