#plainlanguage

Richard Saul Wurman, the creator of the TED conference, is widely known for advocating the importance of presenting complex information simply and clearly. 5 lessons are:

The goal of any communication is comprehension - making sure the audience understands the message, not just hears it. As he says, “information only becomes knowledge when it is understood.”

Blaming the audience for not understanding is foolish and unproductive. The responsibility lies with the communicator to shape the message for the particular audience.

Using plain language, thoughtful structure, relevant examples and visuals are key to comprehension. Design matters.

Being insightful about information means being insightful about the deficiencies in communicating it. Self-awareness about weaknesses is needed.

Curiosity, pattern recognition and empathy for the audience help create engaging communication.

Murder at Fort Grant! Call the Grammar Police?!

You’ve all seen them...the one comment on posts that point out a spelling error, punctuation mistake, or syntax gaffe.  Known as the “grammar police” these commenters keep all social media thoughts and posts on the straight and narrow.  While completing a reference request, Archivist Jennifer came across a court case from 1887 in serious need of some grammar policing.

Accused of shooting her husband on Christmas Day in 1886, Julia Young (initially identified as Jane Young) appeared in front of U. S. Commissioner L. C. Hughes in the Arizona Territory.  U.S. Attorney Rouse provided the court with the case’s “Information” document.  A two-page handwritten document providing an overview of the alleged act.  Mr. Rouse completed this lengthy statement in a single, comma-laden sentence!  

The information reads, “O. T. Rouse, United States Attorney for Arizona, states and information gives, to L. C. Hughes, U. S. Commissioner, which information he believes to be true, and on said information and belief swears that one Jane Young, late of the First Judicial District of the Territory of Arizona, on or about the 25th day of December 1886, at the Fort Grant Military Reservation, in the District and Territory aforesaid, upon the body of one, John Young, whose true Christian name to affiant is unknown, then and there being, and then and there in the peace of the United States, feloniously, on purpose, and willfully, with a deadly weapon, to wit, a certain pistol, commonly called a revolver, loaded with gunpowder and divers leaden balls, which she, the said Jane Young, then and there, had and held in both her hands, did then and there, shoot the said John Young, with the pistol aforesaid, charged as aforesaid, giving to him the said John Young, with the pistol aforesaid loaded as aforesaid, shot off and discharged as aforesaid one round, with the intent and an attempt, the said John Young to kill and murder, against the peace of the United States and their dignity and contrary to the form of the statutes in such cases made and provided.”

Have you come across any documents that need the services of the Grammar Police?

Series: Commissioners’ Case Files, 1876-1912. Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009. (National Archives Identifier 601762). 

The Rise of Frictionless Communication

By 2025, the demand for clear, accessible technical writing will skyrocket. With AI-driven tools, immersive user guides, and a global audience hungry for simplicity, technical writers are no longer just translators of jargon — they’re architects of understanding. In fact, 82% of consumers say poorly explained technical content damages their trust in a brand (Adobe, 2024). Ready to future-proof your documentation? Let’s explore how technical writing in 2025 is breaking barriers, one plain-language sentence at a time.

My article on plain language system messages was published in the Plain Language Association International (PLAIN) E-Journal Vol 6 Issue 2. I am very pleased! Thank you to the Managing Editor Hannah Sapunor-Davis. The theme of the issue is: Culture of Plain Language. Additional information on the issue is available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/plain-e-journal-vol-6-issue-2-plain-language-association-interna-el9gf/?trackingId=AJVw0cKsl0HinuncIWjV6A%3D%3D.

Practicing my plain language:

Oliver is employed at a nonprofit organization that is all about reducing (or works to reduce) waste from bodies of water, such as the lake, in the state where its headquarters is located.

The executives received a warning because they had recently changed a key environmental policy with the goal of reducing environmental waste, and that change was followed by the lead engineer reporting a potential environmental hazard to the facility manager.

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I joined a plain language LinkedIn group today.  Some do not like plain language but it has many benefits.