Like many on HN, I admire the simplified language guidelines [0]that the UK GOV network of informational sites imposes on itself. A government has a civic duty to make regulatory and legal information as easy to understand as possible, for the widest gamut of possible readers who are subject to the laws of the land.
However, those sites have a captive audience: anyone smarter than the 'lowest common denominator' UK GOV target reader, any reader who might have appreciated a more concise and less 'hand-held' style, is going to keep reading anyway, because the information is important and non-negotiable.
Outside of that context, most pieces you might like to read were commissioned with maximum word-counts, varying levels of assumed readership skill and prior knowledge, and diverse other factors that defy any 'universal style-guide', such as TFA is trying to formulate.
For instance, I write about technology for a living. Those commissions have word-count restrictions that force me to either:
- Say less, so that I can maintain a level of English suitable for a moderately-skilled non-English speaker (As you can imagine, the editor does not want me to 'say less').
- Use more compressed and concise language that may be more challenging for the non-native reader (because concision can be antithetical to simplicity [and my editor also wants prose that is accessible to the widest number of readers without alienating the target demographic for that particular piece]).
- Write boldly and use footnotes and references to justify the claims I am making, because:
a) I don't have enough word-count for 'explainers' and 'box-outs'
b) I'm expected to deliver a lot of information, and
c) I'm expected to write in the simplest style available, depending on the intent of the commission.
It's bad enough that the dictates of SEO have dumbed down so much content from once-great news and analysis providers over the last ten years. Let's not support any further race to the bottom, but rather aim to write lean and information-rich material in a style that's matched to the readership.
[0] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-u...