Tweet this: Simple and short
I admit it. I’m a Twitter junkie.
Am. Hooked.
That little blue bird links me to world news, business trends, entertainment, and my political and social interests. The key value of Twitter is its limited character count. It forces writers to be direct.
Give us your feedback?
We’ve all felt the frustration of filling out an online comment card that looks like it was created by someone who had never seen the website you want to comment on in the first place. “Have a Comment?” the site asks enthusiastically. You click on the digital Comment Card link. The page opens, and you scan for the options that most closely match your feedback. It’s not there.
Thank you, Donna Creason
Donna led the creation of the Center’s first eBook, titled, “Clear Communication with Clear Results: How to start a plain language program where you work.” When Donna first came to us with her generous offer to volunteer, she had no idea it would lead to such a complex undertaking.
A Short History of the Center for Plain Language
As we look ahead to 2017, let’s take a look back at where we began.
How did the Center begin?
In the mid-1990s, a group of federal Plain Language advocates met monthly in Washington, DC. We called ourselves PEN – the Plain English Network. In 2000, we changed the name to PLAIN – the Plain Language Action and Information Network. And PLAIN still exists today.
Financial Product Legalese – It’s on you
The Center for Plain Language had this to say about the legal fine print that overran one advertisement for an investment product: “Once again a financial institution that expects me to trust them with my money makes it impossible for me to know what they are going to do with my money.”
The Center had singled out a Charles Schwab & Co. ad for a Wondermark “award” for unintelligible writing.
Clear Content: Every written word represents your university brand
I expect 99.9% of the public wouldn’t understand this information on a university website explaining (I think) that the owner of content on a website is responsible for that content. I bet you thought “assets” meant “money,” but this information comes from the IT unit. “Assets” means web content. To be fair, the intended audience likely is IT people, so perhaps the language is appropriate for them. Perhaps.
Why should you care about bad forms?
People from all income and education levels are intimidated by poorly designed and ill-conceived forms and notices. In many other projects that we’ve undertaken over the years — from simplifying bankruptcy forms to tax forms, school enrollment forms, credit card statements, insurance applications, and program-related forms — the findings are consistent. The organizations may be different, but the problems remain the same.
Thank you, Deanna Lorianni
As the volunteer who has co-chaired the Center’s ClearMark Award event for the past 2 years, Deanna Lorianni manages the Center’s premier annual event. Working with board member Meghan Codd Walker, Deanna handles the many details involved in pulling off this exciting, prestigious event. Through her work with the staff at the National Press Club, she makes sure the program does a great job recognizing the best (and worst) in plain language documents and websites.
Making decisions for your health: Getting the info you need
When your doctor prescribes a medication for your child, do you know what the correct dosage is or how to measure it?
Are you comfortable asking your doctor questions when you receive a lab report and don’t understand the results?
If you can answer “yes” to these questions, you might have high health literacy, says Jodi Duckhorn, a social scientist and Director of Risk Communications at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Because I said so: A video from Baltimore Sun’s editor, John McIntyre
The Chicago Manual of Style does not like the pronoun “s/he,” and they don’t like “he or she” too much, either. They prefer constructions that are gender neutral. But for definitive guidance – and a few giggles – hear what the Baltimore Sun’s editor, John McIntyre, has to say on this topic.
Federal Plain Language Report Card
This year the Center is taking a slightly different direction with our annual assessment of government writing: We are grading forms. Or should I say “We are grading Forms!!”—yes, this is exciting! (I don’t imagine, however, that all of the government agencies are as excited about this direction as we are at the Center).
Trimmed gobbledygook
What exactly is gobbledygook? The dictionary definition is “language characterized by circumlocution and jargon, usually hard to understand.”
(Is it just me? Or is it ironic that a dictionary definition of gobbledygook includes an obscure 5-syllable word (circumlocution) that could just as easily have been “wordiness?” Just thinking…)