
Bridging the gap between plain language and user expectations
In so many areas of our lives, things are way too complicated. Applying for a job? Awesome, if you have 45 minutes to fill out a form with the exact same information from the resume you already uploaded. Buying a car? It’s a cinch, as long as you’ve got an ...
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Facebook knew better
A few weeks ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the Senate. That’s not news. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) stated the obvious: "Here's what everyone's been trying to tell you today — and I say it gently — your user agreement sucks." Senator Kennedy suggested that Mr. Zuckerberg tell his ...
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Making field testing easier makes a difference
Ensuring that written materials are easy to understand and use often starts with plain language best practices and includes field testing to “test” the content, format, and messages with the intended audience. Developers agree that user-centered design and feedback from intended audiences are critically important to developing clear, understandable, and ...
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April 2018 Volunteer of the month: Brooke Ellis
No one could accuse Brooke Ellis of shying away from a challenge. For her inaugural engagement with the Center for Plain Language, Brooke took on the biggest volunteer opportunity we have – the annual ClearMark Awards. She joins Solstice Benefits colleague and Center board member, Alissa Gavrilescu as co-chair for the ...
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Do you have the write stuff?
If you’re reading this, you are probably a pretty big enthusiast for plain language and are promoting the cause in some way or other. Thank you for that! Here’s a way you can help the cause even more – as a Board Member for the Center for Plain Language. We’re ...
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“Rise up! I’m not throwing away my shot!”
In the Broadway musical Hamilton, with these words, Alexander Hamilton, the “ten dollar Founding Father without a father” commits to fight for freedom for the American colonies. Now three U.S. Congressmen are taking their shot, committing to fight for freedom from bureaucratic language for American citizens.
On Friday, March 16, ...
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On Friday, March 16, ...
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How your brain reacts to ambiguity — and what to do about it
As humans, we have a tricky relationship with ambiguity. Used effectively, ambiguity (messages with more than one interpretation) can create clever, insightful, and amusing communication — making it a staple of advertising and comedy. Used ineffectively, however, ambiguity’s multiple meanings can create confusing and misleading language that prevents readers from ...
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Research review finds most readability formulas outdated and overrated
Does your organization rely on readability formulas? A research review by Dr. Karen A. Schriver—“Plain Language in the United States Gains Momentum: 1940–2015”—takes a hard look at readability formulas. Schriver finds that readability formulas are often unreliable and invalid methods of evaluating text quality ...
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