February 4, 2005 – 3:29 pm
Freedom of speech is a tricky thing, since speech and publishing (including blogging) can have all sorts of consequences. Whenever you’re concerned about possible consequences, that makes your speech a little less free. Reckless speech can cost you dearly. That tradeoff may not be ideal, but that’s life. Yesterday, my good friend (and one of the smartest people I know) Dave Taylor tackled this thorny topic. See his article, “Who Owns Your Words, Blogger?” I mostly agree with Dave’s perspective, but I’m maybe just a touch more paranoid than he is…
January 26, 2005 – 1:26 pm
Contrary to popular opinion, the internet is not really about technology. It’s about people, specifically how people communicate. Despite the best efforts of evolution and civilization, human beings still have a lot of rough edges — individually and collectively. We annoy, denigrate, and dismiss each other all the time. Sometimes this is intentional, often it is not. The plain text which comprises most online communication makes our rough edges hard to miss. It strips away many of the subtle buffers and safeguards we’ve created to minimize the inherent emotional and psychological risks of communication. Also, online media presents a deeply weird juxtaposition of isolation and connectedness, anonymity and identity, parts and whole. In this baffling environment people can be unbelievably brash and vulnerable at the same time. In this realm, the vermin of communication thrive. Recognizing them, and choosing to react appropriately, is the key to avoiding their damage…
January 26, 2005 – 10:12 am
Here are a few items on the theme of writing, editing, and content rights that have caught my attention lately… TOP OF THIS LIST: “Any fool can learn to write for an audience,” e-editor, Nov. 29, 2004. I’ve worked on a lot of style guide projects, and this article nails precisely a key point which is wholly omitted in most conventional in-house style guides: The first duty of the author is to write for the audience. A skilled editor is needed to handle the rest. Editing (real editing, not just proofreading) is not optional! It’s a mistake, usually, to expect most writers to be their own editors. (More on this, and read the rest of this list…)
January 25, 2005 – 7:04 pm
All right, I know I get way too worked up about this, but I have to say it: Legalese is destroying public discourse! (Show notes…)
January 12, 2005 – 3:53 pm
Here are some items related to writing, editing, and content rights that have caught my interest lately… TOP OF THIS LIST: “Fifty Writing Tools,” the workbench of Roy Peter Clark (Senior Scholar, the Poynter Institute). This 50-part weekly series, currently in progress, features articles on specific practical writing tips, with examples. They’re intended for journalists, but can apply much more widely. Take all of the tips together and you’ve got a pretty good style guide. Registered Poynter Online users can get each new tip by e-mail as they’re published. (Read the rest of this list…)
January 4, 2005 – 10:33 am
Here’s another audio edition of CONTENTIOUS. Today’s show offers a tip about how to make the writing process more natural and comfortable. For an in-depth version of this tip, see my Oct. 27, 2003 article, “Clear Thinking, Clear Writing.” If this type of advice helps you then consider getting it one-on-one in more detail, fully customized to your needs, through my writing coaching service. Writing does not have to suck! E-mail me to learn more: editor@contentious.com. (More notes on this show…)
December 12, 2004 – 11:55 pm
Back on Sept. 14, I explained why it’s stupid to post plagiarized content online. Basically, it’s incredibly easy to get caught stealing someone else’s intellectual property. It’s also likely that you’ll be publicly humiliated for this transgression, and possibly fined or sued. It’s just not worth it. Speaking of online plagiarists, I just came across a perfect example…
December 11, 2004 – 1:06 pm
Here’s a quick roundup of several items about blogging that caught my interest over the last month or so… TOP OF THIS LIST: “Why Would Companies Buy Bloggers?,” by Jeremy C. Wright, Ensight, Nov. 29. This article is brilliant, and it’s motivated me to start actively marketing myself as a blogger-for-hire for the right organization. If your organization is interested in my blogging services, e-mail me. (Read the rest of this list…)
December 9, 2004 – 5:05 pm
As the holidays approach, are you wondering what to get that special writer or editor in your life? I’ve got a great suggestion. How about an incredibly useful, straightforward, versatile, and easy-to-carry-around style guide! Here’s my favorite: “Random House Webster’s Pocket Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation.” And here’s why I love it…
December 7, 2004 – 9:20 am
Here are some items related to writing, editing, content style, and content rights that caught my attention over the last month. TOP OF THIS LIST: “A Kinder, Gentler Copyright Bill?” by Katie Dean, Wired News, Nov. 22. On Nov. 20, the US Senate passed S 3021, the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2004. The bill has been passed on to the House of Representatives. S 3021 is a scaled-back version of HR 2391, a far-reaching package of restrictive intellectual property laws. The advocacy group Public Knowledge considera the scaled-back bill a consumer victory. However, with the way Washington works, expect the egregious provisions to creep back in future bills. (Read the rest of this list…)
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