My Photo

August 2008

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
          1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31            
Powered by TypePad

Language

11 June 2008

people can't spell

While trawling the web, I found this article relating to some research done by the Spelling Society - as a web marketing agency with a content and copy background, it struck a chord - people really can't spell anymore.

http://hansonsearch.typepad.co.uk/hansonblog/2008/06/truble-speling.html

16 August 2007

Beware overexplaining...

These aren't all examples of online copy - but they should make us all think twice about that common vice when writing copy: over explaining:

  • - Do not try to stop the blade with your hand. (instructions on the box of a chainsaw)
  • - Contains nuts. (label of Sainsbury's peanuts)
  • - Open Packet. Eat Contents.(airline mini-peanut bag instructions)
  • - Warning may cause drowsiness. (on a packet of Nytol, the herbal sleeping aid).

24 July 2007

Hemingway: stories in six words

Max just found one of the best examples I've ever seen that you don't need to be wordy in order to convey a complete and powerful message, something it's always worth remembering when writing web content.


Ernest Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words:


"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."


Wired.com asked other authors to do the same - Margaret Atwood wrote:


Longed for him. Got him. Shit.


See other entries on the wired.com website.

23 July 2007

5 things you didn't know about English

1. The little dot on top of the letter 'i' is called a tittle.

2. The symbol most people call 'hash' (#) is actually called an octothorpe.

3. The English word with the most different meanings is 'set'.

4. 'Screeched' is the longest one syllable word in English.

5. "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".