I read an excellent post on Presentation Zen about eliminating unnecessary words. There’s a lovely story about a fishmonger. Seriously. It’s good.
It reminds me of something the novellist Robert Graves once said: the writer’s best friend is the wastebasket.
Another way of eliminating unnecessary verbiage is to share a common vocabulary. I’ve talked in the past about eliminating jargon and this is exactly right if you’re talking to a non-specialist audience. But at other times, as in air traffic control or in geek culture, it is efficient.
A post on Prof. John Maeda blog about eavesdropping on two hardcore scientists chatting in an Amsterdam hotel is another example. What he found in a casual cafe conversation I find every day when I interview experts and specialists for my work. I love talking to really smart people and I think he’s hit upon the secret pleasure of my profession.
No related posts.
