Please learn to write • Hacker News Board

Re: Please learn to write

#121

Post by sitkack » Thu, May 17, 2012, 3:14 PM UTC

drumdance wrote: post #33

The funny thing is we live in an era where more people write more than ever - between Facebook, forums, online dating profiles etc. Twenty years ago the average high school graduate stopped writing anything longer than a shopping list, or maybe a letter, after age 18,

but they were probably more diligent in the writing they did do. now writing is trash.

writing is another form of informal speech.

What others haven't said is that, writing is both the formulation of logical thoughts and the communication of those thoughts so they can be understood by another person. Writing and logic go hand and wrench.

Re: Please learn to write

#122

Post by charlieok » Thu, May 17, 2012, 9:00 PM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #23

Source of my problems: design issues 5% architecture constraints 5% language shortcomings 1% mental blocks 5% personal time management 4% personal energy 5% communication with others 75% I waste more time just trying to figure out what others are trying to say, sometimes in person and by voice, but mostly in writing. For most emails, I have to click "reply" or call back simply because what you're trying to tell me is…

It bothers me when other engineers I work with use common terms in ways that don't mesh with their definitions in standards documents.

Please, fellow engineers, read the standards documents, and use terms correctly. Even the ones that you think you know already.

Re: Please learn to write

#123

Post by disgruntledphd2 » Sun, May 20, 2012, 2:48 PM UTC

mikebike wrote: post #109

thisishugo wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless writing for a scientific journal, or some other such formal setting, your goal of clear communication will be best served by using a casual, conversational style that resonates as closely as possible with how you would talk to your reader in person. That means prepositions are very much something you can end a sentence with. And you can start one with a conjunctive too, if it feels right. The rules of grammar…

I think we'd be better served using such styles in scientific journals more often. As an example, here's a wonderfully written article by the late statistician, Jacob Cohen: http://www.ics.uci.edu/~sternh/courses/210/cohen94_pval.pdf

Just to note, although he wrote far more on statistics, he was a psychologist born and bred.

Re: Please learn to write

#124

Post by sunkan » Sun, May 20, 2012, 6:38 PM UTC

chernevik wrote: post #61

Many people are commenting that writing improves with practice, and that's true, but it probably isn't enough. The 10,000 hours count only if they're done well. I'm not a writer but here are some basics I've found helpful. 1. Revise constantly. If you haven't revised it three times you almost surely haven't done enough. You don't need an outline, but as you write new thoughts will occur to you, previously open questi…

" Good training in writing is available and worthwhile. If you really want to get better, seek it out. "

Do you have any pointers for resources ?