: “Every report you ever write from this day until the day you die should start out by saying something nice about the product or service you are reviewing. Then you can get down to business.” Tog —How to Deliver a Report Without Getting Lynched Similar:Henry Bemis waited his whole life to finally read a…
. Painfully funny small-town satire from The Onion. —Wal-Mart Opens Store in Winesburg, Ohio Similar:Stop Using 'Poet Voice'This article analyzes (and skewers) that…AestheticsFacebook Hired Journalists to Train Its Trending Topics AlgorithmRecently I noticed an unusually incendia…BusinessApple's iPad turns 5: Has it lived up to Steve Jobs' 2010 keynote?[Jobs] was right to leave out the produc…BusinessTaking…
“If anything, the recent expansion of literacy and educational opportunities has increased our access to literature and our enjoyment of it.” J. Peder Zane —What Good is Literature? Similar:Serious reading takes a hit from online scanning and skimming, researchers say The brain was not designed for r…BooksMy semester with the snowflakesInsightful essay from a US…
“Today, I’m one of the world’s leading anthropologists, an accomplished archaeologist, and an award-winning novelist. And, at 41, I’m only now becoming aware of the globetrotting rut I’ve been in my entire life. Looking back on everything I’ve seen and done, I can’t help but ask, ‘Is that all there is?’” more satire from The…
Microsoft Word requires at least 30% more keystrokes and 100% more mouse moves to accomplish certain editing tasks than would an optimal word processor. Forbes —Bad Design Can Be Costly Similar:Scratch StatsScratch is a kid-friendly programming sa…CybercultureThoughtful analysis of how the tension, shot choices, and music contribute to a memorable …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbq9xy8a…AestheticsThis Is What Summer Vacation…
“We are the Gist Generation. We have acquired a taste for hit-and-run, cut-and-paste knowledge. We expect a home page or e-mail correspondence to give us the gist and only the gist—time is money and you’re a click away from an iconographic trash can, so get to the point.” Jeff Barbian Similar:Multiple Choice = GoogleNo big…
This computer game tries something new. “If a character tells you he’ll call you tomorrow, he’s not kidding. You’ll have to wait a day to get his information. Faxes may arrive without warning, and instant messages may pop up onscreen when you least expect them — maybe even while you’re at work.” Wired.com —“Majestic” Invades…
“Organized religion was a primary target of every one of the twentieth century’s regimes of terror. But as is evident in Nazi and Communist terrors alike, organized irreligion (to put it in Royal’s sharp formulation) has proved far more dangerous than organized religion ever was.” Alicia Mosier Similar:UPDATE: BREAKING: 'Star Wars' Returns — 'Episode 7'…
You might assume there could not be a worse time for a field calling itself “Internet studies.” You would be wrong. The Chronicle of Higher Education Similar:Googling Is for Old People. That’s a Problem for Google.When I ask my students to use the librar…AcademiaScrooge Is My BrotherMy daughter delivered the opening “Marle…CulturePage Weight MattersUnexpected consequences,…
“Lambert received the e-mail in December, a piece of scrap in the vast electronic junkyard that is the World Wide Web. Regrettably, she says now, she removed the letter’s forwarding markers and unintentionally put her name at the bottom, making it appear that she was the author.” Washington Post —Don’t forward that e-mail just yet!…
“[W]hat could be more scholarly than a nice, authoritative statistic, quoted from a professional journal in the student’s field?” The Chronicle of Higher Education —Telling the Truth About Damned Lies and Statistics Similar:Is Breakfast Necessary?The idea that early eating is essential …BusinessNeuroscientist Explores the Ethical Quandries of a Digital AfterlifeNow imagine the resources required to…
The longer the company’s annual report, the less successful the company. This isn’t really a technical writing issue — usually companies with bad news to report need a lot of words to explaining themselves. But if this is what it takes to get some pinhead CEOs to appreciate brevity, so be it. Wired Similar:What to…
Danielle Preston —You Know You’re a Technical Writer When… Similar:Travel trouble, gun restrictions and no more ‘Mr Trump’: the trials of life as a felon It’s unlikely to be at the forefront o…CultureActors Fail to Distract Audience from Prop Newspaper HeadlinesMy daughter and I were talking about pro…AmusingThe Most Epic Demo in Computer History Is…
A student of mine makes comments on interactive fiction, garish colors, and dancing text. Jan Carroll —Just For the Record Similar:Academics want to preserve video games. The game industry is fighting them in court.For decades, champions of the video game…BusinessSpit & Polish ''Pac Gentleman"Spit & Polish: When this game was f…AestheticsChoose Your Own Buzz LightyearI…
learns something from my freshman comp students. On March 13, 2000, I e-mailed web guru Jakob Nielsen to tell him that six of my freshmen spent 8-30 minutes on his site without finding a plain-text “search” link on the home page. A week or so later, I noticed that Nielsen changed his page, making the…
“[W]hen it comes to writing, whether you’re a seventh grader, a college student, a professor, a beginning copywriter, or an accomplished novelist, a B isn’t good enough.” Kathy Henning —For Writers, Writing Is Never a Waste of Time: Part 2 Similar:Versu's Epilogue: How an Interactive Fiction Pioneer's 15 Year Project Ended Up in Limbo a…However…
“[A] society without literature, or a society in which literature has been relegated–like some hidden vice–to the margins of social and personal life, and transformed into something like a sectarian cult, is a society condemned to become spiritually barbaric, and even to jeopardize its freedom.” Mario Vargas Llosa Similar:When it comes to the truth, point…
The creator of Cliffs Notes has died. Here’s his obituary — although I know you probably won’t bother to read the whole thing. Similar:Congo nun overcomes blackouts with homemade hydroelectric plantSister Alphonsine Ciza spends most of he…Current_EventsGoogle Books ruled legal in massive win for fair use (updated)Update in a legal battle that’s been goi…BooksYou can…
On the tasteless side, but still very funny: “Some Features You May Need on Your Computer“ Similar:"Syllabus Day": The Absolute Worst Way to Start the SemesterI’d rather blog about prepping my fall c…AcademiaUChicago College Admissions, Indiana Jones Mystery PackageWhat we know: The package contained an i…AcademiaAnother 10 sq cm of #steampunk control panel. #blender3d #blender3dart…
“It is our duty, as responsible citizens, to stop the rot. Next time someone touches base with you or moves your goal posts, punch them in the face.” Clint Witchalls —Business and the English Language Similar:The Circle (#StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 2) Kira relocates to Bariel's monast…Rewatching ST:DS9 Picking up where s2…CultureMy 10yo…