Comments on: Stop Bitching. Learn to Write.

By: Nicholas Tolson

Nicholas Tolson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:46:45 +0000

Good grammar costs nothing! :)

http://www.glarkware.com/adult/good-grammar-costs-nothing

By: Tom Martin

Tom Martin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:45:40 +0000

Great post. I’d add one thing… this applies to all communications, not just blogs. The ability to persuade and communicate through the verbal word is probably the single most important skill one can develop.

Wish more folks would take this to heart. Thanks for reminding and giving me a great link to share this morning.
@TomMartin

By: Noah

Noah — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:42:24 +0000

I dunno, pretty much anytime I’ve seen someone use the term “grammar nazi” its been in reference to spelling, punctuation, and whether or not they should be using than or then.

As long as you don’t have grammar issues up the wazoo, I think you’d be fine in terms of readability. I do not think, however, that you’d be fine if it took you 10 paragraphs to say what 2 sentences could’ve. Brevity and grammar are 2 very different things…

By: rinkjustice

rinkjustice — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:15:51 +0000

With the omnipresence of instant messaging and rise of content spinners, story generators and online translators, it’s a wonder we can coherently communicate with each other at all.

Another fun read Lisa :)

By: Victory Perkins

Victory Perkins — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:56:22 +0000

I love the irony in how it took me longer than 2.7 seconds to read about how my attention span is only 2.7 seconds lo…

What were we talking about again?

By: Victor Lonmo

Victor Lonmo — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:15:11 +0000

Come on Lisa, tell us what you really think!

Seriously though I enjoyed your article. Clearly presented content is often hard to find.

By: iGoMogul

iGoMogul — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:10:09 +0000

Language is evolving quickly online, and grammar rules aren’t as steadfast as they used to be. That being said, simply understanding the technical aspects of writing isn’t enough anymore. As Lisa stated, visitors want to read and get on with their lives, and understanding this need is essential to successful online communication. Writing on the internet mirrors our busy lives, and it relies on efficiency and economy. Because of this, what was once considered “bad grammar” is now simply par for the internet course.

First and foremost, readers want to understand your message. Learn to convey your ideas concisely through words, and the rest will follow more naturally. If your writing is incomprehensible because of spelling or grammatical errors, you’ll lose readers. On the other hand, if your writing is too formal and prescriptive, you’ll also lose readers. After all, no one wants to digest a blog post that reads like a doctoral dissertation.

Oh yes, and Yawn: Excellent point about content that will read well in translation.

Ronnie @ iGoMogul

By: El Duderino

El Duderino — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:51:58 +0000

I’m not into the whole brevity thing.

By: Lisa Barone

Lisa Barone — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:17:53 +0000

CC: Not quite sure what you could possibly be referring to. We rarely outsource writing projects and when we do, it’s to ONE writer and one writer only. And they’re definitely not in the habit of editing copy into “drivel” or adding random pop culture references. If you’d like to chat privately or have an issue, feel free to drop me an email. Otherwise, your accusation seems off point.

By: Concerned Citizen

Concerned Citizen — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:54:08 +0000

I find it interesting that you would write an article like this, seeing as the marketing firm you work for is known for butchering the work of ACTUAL writers by editing their copy into unrecognizable drivel. Adding contrived pop culture references to work that you had no hand in creating does not qualify you to write an article FILLED with grammatical that is, frankly, slathered with irony. Your argument is invalid, and your sarcasm is a lame attempt at punch. Learn to write, indeed.