Comments on: Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print Writing, marketing and technology Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:56:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: How to create your own blog - Bad Language http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print/comment-page-1#comment-654108 How to create your own blog - Bad Language Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:11:46 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=144#comment-654108 [...] my blog. In particular: How to blog like a pro, How to write for a blog, Safe blogging, Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print and Free tools every blogger must know [...] [...] my blog. In particular: How to blog like a pro, How to write for a blog, Safe blogging, Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print and Free tools every blogger must know [...]

]]> By: Matthew Stibbe http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print/comment-page-1#comment-653519 Matthew Stibbe Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:12:52 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=144#comment-653519 Riccardo, yes, of course. In my view all copy should be direct and straight with the reader, no loaded with hype and sales waffle. But there are cases where you might be more 'sales-y' in print than you are online; for example a product brochure or an advertisement. I think the fundamental point I was making is one that Jakob Nielsen has repeatedly made: people don't read online the same way they read printed copy. Let's put it another way: they have low tolerance for hype in print but it's even lower online! :) Riccardo, yes, of course. In my view all copy should be direct and straight with the reader, no loaded with hype and sales waffle. But there are cases where you might be more ‘sales-y’ in print than you are online; for example a product brochure or an advertisement. I think the fundamental point I was making is one that Jakob Nielsen has repeatedly made: people don’t read online the same way they read printed copy. Let’s put it another way: they have low tolerance for hype in print but it’s even lower online! :)

]]> By: Riccardo http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print/comment-page-1#comment-653517 Riccardo Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:08:02 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=144#comment-653517 "Basically, it’s not the same as writing for print media. It needs to be: [...] Free of hype or marketing polyfiller " Wouldn't that be true also of print media (or any other kind of media)? “Basically, it’s not the same as writing for print media. It needs to be: [...] Free of hype or marketing polyfiller ”

Wouldn’t that be true also of print media (or any other kind of media)?

]]> By: Matthew Stibbe http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print/comment-page-1#comment-458948 Matthew Stibbe Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:24:00 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=144#comment-458948 Hi Jane, I'm pretty sure that The New Yorker or any major newspaper forces readers to download articles in PDF format. In fact, it would be really bad for them because of the lost advertising revenue. Matthew Hi Jane,

I’m pretty sure that The New Yorker or any major newspaper forces readers to download articles in PDF format. In fact, it would be really bad for them because of the lost advertising revenue.

Matthew

]]> By: Jane http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print/comment-page-1#comment-458935 Jane Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:15:41 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=144#comment-458935 Hi, One question I would ask is, does a website that is an online version of a magazine necessarily need to follow these rules? What about a site like The New Yorker, which, to my knowledge reproduces the printed articles as is, as do newspapers. Jane Hi,
One question I would ask is, does a website that is an online version of a magazine necessarily need to follow these rules? What about a site like The New Yorker, which, to my knowledge reproduces the printed articles as is, as do newspapers.

Jane

]]> By: Bad Language / How to make money writing for the web http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print/comment-page-1#comment-408010 Bad Language / How to make money writing for the web Tue, 13 May 2008 13:39:18 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=144#comment-408010 [...] forget it - is that writing for the web is not the same as writing for print. Here are some tips: Avoid PDFs, shorter by about 50 per cent compared to print, free of hype or marketing polyfiller, free of long [...] [...] forget it – is that writing for the web is not the same as writing for print. Here are some tips: Avoid PDFs, shorter by about 50 per cent compared to print, free of hype or marketing polyfiller, free of long [...]

]]> By: Bad Language / Want a good website, on time? Prioritise content. http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print/comment-page-1#comment-1039 Bad Language / Want a good website, on time? Prioritise content. Wed, 09 Aug 2006 08:53:12 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=144#comment-1039 [...] Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print. In general, write to be scanned not read and reduce the word count by 50 per cent. And don’t use PDFs for core content. [...] [...] Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print. In general, write to be scanned not read and reduce the word count by 50 per cent. And don’t use PDFs for core content. [...]

]]> By: Matthew Stibbe http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print/comment-page-1#comment-217 Matthew Stibbe Wed, 07 Jun 2006 09:39:58 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=144#comment-217 You can stop the Firefox crashing when you open a PDF and generally speed up Acobat by following the tips on this page: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Adobe_Reader. However, the fact that you need to get all geeky on it to make it usable underlines how irritating PDFs are! You can stop the Firefox crashing when you open a PDF and generally speed up Acobat by following the tips on this page: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Adobe_Reader. However, the fact that you need to get all geeky on it to make it usable underlines how irritating PDFs are!

]]> By: George http://www.badlanguage.net/writing-for-the-web-is-not-the-same-as-writing-for-print/comment-page-1#comment-213 George Tue, 06 Jun 2006 19:48:36 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=144#comment-213 I totally agree! PDFs on the web are most annoying - Acrobat takes ages to start even on the fastest computer, displays an annoying logo splash screen and tends to crash firefox. Every time I accidentally click on a PDF link from google I instantly regret it, but I have already lost control, because for the 10 or more seconds you write about the browser does not respond to anything. I'm not sure if I'm the average user, but if you don't want to annoy the likes of me do not put PDFs on your pages, or if you do, mark them clearly as PDF, so I only go there as a last resort. I suppose what's even worse is a Word document... I totally agree! PDFs on the web are most annoying – Acrobat takes ages to start even on the fastest computer, displays an annoying logo splash screen and tends to crash firefox. Every time I accidentally click on a PDF link from google I instantly regret it, but I have already lost control, because for the 10 or more seconds you write about the browser does not respond to anything.

I’m not sure if I’m the average user, but if you don’t want to annoy the likes of me do not put PDFs on your pages, or if you do, mark them clearly as PDF, so I only go there as a last resort.

I suppose what’s even worse is a Word document…

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