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Subject:Re: Has the Web advanced the written word? - NO! From:Peter Collins <peter -dot- collins -at- BIGFOOT -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 29 Sep 1998 12:07:12 +1000
Deborah wrote "TLA's (Three Letter Acronyms) are used often in chat
rooms, where the pace of the conversation is speedier when folks use
initials for stuff"
I agree. I can see how it increases the speed. But it does NOT ADVANCE
the written word - unless having multiple private sub-languages
improves universal understanding. But I believe otherwise. I find that
the TLAs (defined above) reduce my understanding, for I come across
new ones all the time, which of course I do not know. Once you
encourage the making of new ones, in so far-flung an international
group, you let the genie out of the bottle, and it gets progressively
harder for a new-comer, or even an intermittent reader, easily to
understand what they are reading. Making it faster to write, but
harder to read, is hardly an improvement in my view.
To write fast - keep to the point. And with 4000+ readers and the
volumes published on this forum, think of the total time saved for
them if you can make your missive clearer! Best is to keep to the
point, cut out side issues, write clearly, for the lowest common
reader - say, the literate 12-year-old. Surely we of all groups should
be avoiding codes that make it harder for beginners to benefit from
this great forum.
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Peter Collins, VIVID Management Pty Ltd,
26 Bradleys Head Road, MOSMAN 2088, Australia
+61 2 9968 3308, fax +61 2 9968 3026, mobile +61 (0)18 419 571
Management Consultants and Technical Writers
email: peter -dot- collins -at- bigfoot -dot- com ICQ#: 10981283
web pages: http://www.angelfire.com/pe/pcollins/
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