Writing Style for Print/TV vs Web

27 Jun 2008 (Fri)

ACCORDING TO USABILITY GURU Jakob Nielsen (Alertbox June 9, 2008), the differences between print/TV and Web can be summarized as lean-back vs lean-forward:

  • Print/TV is a passive medium. While reading publications or watching TV, readers/viewers want to be entertained. They are in relaxation mode and vegging out; they don’t want to make choices. People expect you to construct their experience for them. Readers/viewers are willing to follow the author’s lead.
  • The Web is an active medium. On the Web, users are engaged and want to go places and get things done. Users want to construct their own experience by piecing together content from multiple sources, emphasizing their desires in the current moment. 

Therefore, the writing style for Print/TV vs Web is:

  • Linear vs. non-linear.
  • Author-driven vs. reader-driven.
  • Storytelling vs. ruthless pursuit of actionable content.
  • Anecdotal examples vs. comprehensive data.
  • Sentences vs. fragments.
  • Big-picture learning vs just-in-time learning.
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Posted by J.K. in Design, Learning, Technology, Writing | 5 Comments |

Uzyn, the next “Kevin Rose”?

24 Mar 2008 (Mon)

WILL PING.SG FOUNDER Uzyn Chua become the next “Kevin Rose” (Digg.com founder) in Asia?

When I gave a talk on Web 2.0 & Its Business Impacts at COM1, NUS last month, I cited various real-life examples of how the blogosphere “chatter” could affect a company’s corporate image positively or negatively. Also discussed briefly the people (how they get younger and younger!) and the milestones behind successful Web 2.0 apps such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc. This slideshow provides a quick overview, featuring famous Web entrepreneurs such as Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia), Kevin Rose (Digg), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)… and Ping.sg celebrity Uzyn Chua (slide 19) ;-) :

 

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Posted by J.K. in Business, Singapore, Social Media, Visual, Writing | 11 Comments |

50 Writing Tips from School for Journalists

29 Jun 2007 (Fri)

FOUND 50 GREAT TIPS ON WRITING just now while browsing a few sites: Fried Beef’s Tech, then LifeHacker.Org, then to the archived version on Poynter Online (a publication of a school for journalists) and then to the recently posted Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List (May 2007). So, here they are, summarized and linked for quick and easy reference in the near future:

  1. Begin sentences with subjects and verbs. Make meaning early, then let weaker elements branch to the right.
  2. Order words for emphasis. Place strong words at the beginning and at the end.
  3. Activate your verbs. Strong verbs create action, save words, and reveal the players.
  4. Be passive-aggressive. Use passive verbs to showcase the “victim” of action.
  5. Watch those adverbs. They can dilute the meaning of the verb or repeat it. Use them to change the meaning of the verb.
  6. Go easy on the ‘ings’. Prefer the simple present or past. For example, “wish and hope and think and pray” is better than “wishing and hoping and thinking and praying“.
  7. Fear Not the Long Sentence. Take the reader on a journey of language and meaning.
  8. Parallel Lines – Establish a pattern, then give it a twist. Build parallel constructions, but cut across the grain.
  9. Let punctuation control pace and space. Learn the rules, but realize you have more options than you think.
  10. Cut Big, Then Small. Prune the big limbs, then shake out the dead leaves. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by J.K. in *Roundups, Writing | 7 Comments |

9 Types of Blog Posts: Which ones are yours?

30 Mar 2007 (Fri)

NINE TYPES OF BLOGGERS (slightly adapted from Collis’ 9 Essential Posts Every Blogger Should Know About, thanks, Lucas):

  1. Speedlinker: Roundups, Comments, Trackbacks, etc of interesting posts. E.g. Problogger.com
  2. Quoter: Blockquoting an interesting point of view, extract or news snippet and add a short bit of opinion and sourcing information. E.g. Susan Mernet’s “Quote of the Day”.
  3. Entertainer: Amusing video, cartoon, image or joke. E.g. CartoonStock.com, BLaugh.com
  4. Questioner: On-topic, interesting and conversation generating question. Insightful and interactive.
  5. Updater: Ongoing project statistics or status.
  6. Newsreader: Interesting news from press releases or grapevine. E.g. TechCrunch.com
  7. Recycler: Dragging out some old goodies from the archives and reposting them for your new readers. (Collis didn’t have any example here, so I’ve added one. This “recycler” is a good online friend of mine. Her blog, a model for me at one point, also contains other types of posts.)
  8. Guest-Poster: Your guest gets an extra plug, you get a day off and your readers get some variety.
  9. Announcer: Own local blog news, short and sweet. E.g. what you plan to do, a new competition, reset of top commenters.

I think I’ve done 1-4, 6 and 9. Which about you?

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Posted by J.K. in *Roundups, Design, Possibilities, Writing | 12 Comments |