[PRL] Bad Writing and Bad Thinking

[Mitchell Wand]

Horse-doodle.  Read Strachey  "Fundamental Concepts in Programming
Languages" or any of Scott's early papers on semantics.

On Sat, Apr 17, 2010 at 2:20 PM, Dimitris Vardoulakis <dimvar at ccs.neu.edu>wrote:

> "If you're too clear, if your sentences are too simple, your peers
> won't take you seriously."
>
> I think the above sentence is the main reason why academics don't
> write as clearly as they can.
>
>
> On Sat, Apr 17, 2010 at 1:54 PM, Mitchell Wand <wand at ccs.neu.edu> wrote:
> > Link:
> >
> http://chronicle.com/article/Bad-WritingBad-Thinking/65031/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en
> > (via shareaholic.com)
> >
> > Orwell leaves us with a list of simple rules:
> >
> > Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are
> used
> > to seeing in print.
> > Never use a long word where a short one will do.
> > If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
> > Never use the passive where you can use the active.
> > Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you
> can
> > think of an everyday English equivalent.
> > Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Dimitris
>
>
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