Or: I Have Trained Spider-Bots and I'm Not Afraid to Use Them!
Last Friday, I commented on the use of "business-speak" in one of my husband's magazines, explained what I meant by the term, and discussed the danger of such language keeping an audience at bay. I quoted an example of it, and took the author to task. I also admitted to being guilty of the same tendencies.
Ah, beware of publicly calling someone on the carpet. You never know when they'll hear what you have to say. (I suspect a legion of trained spider-bots crawling the web looking for any reference to certain keywords, which I no doubt used in the earlier posting.) The following Monday, a reference to the business-speak post appeared.
Fortunately, Mr. U. was very gracious -- a thing that is not always easy when people you don't know type your name and follow it with criticism, however well-intended. He could have taken issue with the topic in general. He could have called my intelligence into question. But he didn't.
The point is, you never know who's reading you. Oh, sure, you know your MOTHER does. And your spouse. And (maybe) a friend or two. But beyond that, it's difficult to pin down who is and is not exposed to the words we write.
The other point, I suppose, is to not take criticism personally when it comes (and it will). It's difficult, but imperative, to remember that most criticism is not personal. It's our duty to analyze any criticism and determine its validity. We need to decide how we're going to address the issue -- and then move forward, beyond it.
Mr. U. did a great job on that front. And I don't care how many spider-bots tell him I said so.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Rider's Wednesday -- Thoughts on a Homegrown International Contender
And Hope for Lame Horses
Cecelia Trabert, the English rider featured in Clinton's book, and I have kept in touch after working together on that project. Her friend Deena Smith has been involved with one horse that is headed to Germany to represent the U.S. Deena has also been instrumental in offering hope and healing to one of her mares that developed laminitis.
(Just so you get to know the players, Deena is aboard "Rusty" in this picture. That's Cecelia, Rusty's owner, standing.)
I received the following information in an e-mail the other day. It was so interesting on so many levels that I asked permission to reproduce it in today's blog. So, Deena will be the "guest blogger" this Rider's Wednesday:
*****
Brigadier (aka Bufford) is headed to Germany to represent the United States as a 6 yr-old in the 2006 World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in Dressage. He qualified by becoming Reserve Champion at the Western Regional finals with a final score of 8.276.
Brigadier was born and bred here in Kansas and is registered with the ISR/OLD. While I am not the actual breeder (Page Hinds-Athan), I was the one to deliver him so it's been fun to watch him grow as a competition horse, competing and holding his own with the more expensive imported horses in the sport.
Brigadier is being trained and ridden by David Wightman of Adventure Farms.
Brigadier was the highest placed USA bred horse (placing 3rd) at the 2005 USEF/Markel National Young Horse Dressage Championships as a 5 yr-old.
I am very honored and excited at the opportunity for Brigadier to compete for the United States. As you can imagine this will not be inexpensive. The USEF does cover about 1/3 of the cost for this show, but that's all. I have found a fund that is tax-deductible for anyone who would like to contribute. Let me tell you a little about this fund.
My mare Keva developed laminitis almost 3 years ago. She was reaching the end of her time this winter and I knew that this spring I was going to have to make that decision that all of us horse owners dread.
Then one Sunday I read an article in the back of the USDF Connection and in it was information about a specialist in VA, Dr. Andrea Floyd of Serenity Equine Hospital.
I contacted her immediately and transported Keva there mid February of this year.
I just returned from visiting Keva this past weekend. She looks really good for a "dead" horse! She walks like a normal horse now... trots but is still a little tender about it... only lays down like a normal horse (I did not once see her down in her stall the entire 3 days I was there!)... she looks and acts like the horse she was prior to the laminitic event.
She will be coming home in August with the prognosis of total pasture soundness. We still don't know about riding soundness as she had a lot of damage in her tendons... but don't count this option out!
I saw many horses like Keva at the hospital... some in worse shape than she was. All are on their way to recovery!
I also met some of the horses that a special fund helps care for. It is called the CFMEF fund. These horses are rescued and have had some kind of catastrophic lower limb injury and/or laminitis. If this fund had not rescued these animals they would have lost their lives.
Dr. Floyd and her staff are the most caring and wonderful people I have ever met. When I was in VA this weekend I arranged with Dr. Floyd to use her fund to collect donations for Brigadier's trip. How it works is that everyone can donate to the CFMEF fund in the name of Brigadier (its important to make that clear on the check) and she will, in turn sponsor him. I have agreed to give 10% of all of the donations to this worthy fund for the care and treatment of the rescued horses. Checks can be sent to:
CFMEF
Serentity Equine
2954 Evington Rd
Evington, VA 24550
You can also go to the website, access the CFMEF page and use Pay Pal. Be sure to mark the donation/check in the name of Brigadier and give a return address. This is a tax deductible contribution and you will receive a receipt as such.
I appreciate any and all help for this wonderful opportunity to send my little Kansas boy to Germany to go against the best in the world and at the same time help some very needy horses.
Thanks again!!
Deena Smith
*****
According to Cecelia, Deena got to see the amputees on her visit to Virginia. Some horses and donkeys there have "peg legs and a wonderful life." A six year old stallion has been there 3 years with his peg leg, breeds with no problem and is well cared for. Deena says it is amazing.
Worth checking out, anyway...
Happy riding! And good luck, Brigadier!
Cecelia Trabert, the English rider featured in Clinton's book, and I have kept in touch after working together on that project. Her friend Deena Smith has been involved with one horse that is headed to Germany to represent the U.S. Deena has also been instrumental in offering hope and healing to one of her mares that developed laminitis.
(Just so you get to know the players, Deena is aboard "Rusty" in this picture. That's Cecelia, Rusty's owner, standing.)
I received the following information in an e-mail the other day. It was so interesting on so many levels that I asked permission to reproduce it in today's blog. So, Deena will be the "guest blogger" this Rider's Wednesday:
*****
Brigadier (aka Bufford) is headed to Germany to represent the United States as a 6 yr-old in the 2006 World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in Dressage. He qualified by becoming Reserve Champion at the Western Regional finals with a final score of 8.276.
Brigadier was born and bred here in Kansas and is registered with the ISR/OLD. While I am not the actual breeder (Page Hinds-Athan), I was the one to deliver him so it's been fun to watch him grow as a competition horse, competing and holding his own with the more expensive imported horses in the sport.
Brigadier is being trained and ridden by David Wightman of Adventure Farms.
Brigadier was the highest placed USA bred horse (placing 3rd) at the 2005 USEF/Markel National Young Horse Dressage Championships as a 5 yr-old.
I am very honored and excited at the opportunity for Brigadier to compete for the United States. As you can imagine this will not be inexpensive. The USEF does cover about 1/3 of the cost for this show, but that's all. I have found a fund that is tax-deductible for anyone who would like to contribute. Let me tell you a little about this fund.
My mare Keva developed laminitis almost 3 years ago. She was reaching the end of her time this winter and I knew that this spring I was going to have to make that decision that all of us horse owners dread.
Then one Sunday I read an article in the back of the USDF Connection and in it was information about a specialist in VA, Dr. Andrea Floyd of Serenity Equine Hospital.
I contacted her immediately and transported Keva there mid February of this year.
I just returned from visiting Keva this past weekend. She looks really good for a "dead" horse! She walks like a normal horse now... trots but is still a little tender about it... only lays down like a normal horse (I did not once see her down in her stall the entire 3 days I was there!)... she looks and acts like the horse she was prior to the laminitic event.
She will be coming home in August with the prognosis of total pasture soundness. We still don't know about riding soundness as she had a lot of damage in her tendons... but don't count this option out!
I saw many horses like Keva at the hospital... some in worse shape than she was. All are on their way to recovery!
I also met some of the horses that a special fund helps care for. It is called the CFMEF fund. These horses are rescued and have had some kind of catastrophic lower limb injury and/or laminitis. If this fund had not rescued these animals they would have lost their lives.
Dr. Floyd and her staff are the most caring and wonderful people I have ever met. When I was in VA this weekend I arranged with Dr. Floyd to use her fund to collect donations for Brigadier's trip. How it works is that everyone can donate to the CFMEF fund in the name of Brigadier (its important to make that clear on the check) and she will, in turn sponsor him. I have agreed to give 10% of all of the donations to this worthy fund for the care and treatment of the rescued horses. Checks can be sent to:
CFMEF
Serentity Equine
2954 Evington Rd
Evington, VA 24550
You can also go to the website, access the CFMEF page and use Pay Pal. Be sure to mark the donation/check in the name of Brigadier and give a return address. This is a tax deductible contribution and you will receive a receipt as such.
I appreciate any and all help for this wonderful opportunity to send my little Kansas boy to Germany to go against the best in the world and at the same time help some very needy horses.
Thanks again!!
Deena Smith
*****
According to Cecelia, Deena got to see the amputees on her visit to Virginia. Some horses and donkeys there have "peg legs and a wonderful life." A six year old stallion has been there 3 years with his peg leg, breeds with no problem and is well cared for. Deena says it is amazing.
Worth checking out, anyway...
Happy riding! And good luck, Brigadier!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
The Myth of "Self-Explanatory" (Part II)
Yesterday's blog featured a minor rant on the non-existence of a user's manual for a new MP3 gizmo I bought recently. The saga continues. I spent some time online on Monday looking for the aforementioned manual.
On the manufacturer's site, they promised that I could download one, but the .pdf file I received only contained a tantalizing cover with a picture of the Device that called attention to the many varied things it can do -- if you know how to use it.
Regardless of how simple things may appear, if you are unfamiliar with them, they are not self-explanatory.
This is especially true when writing how-to nonfiction of any kind. "Familiarity breeds contempt," the sages tell us. This is a constant danger when writing about a subject with which you are intimately familiar. It is all too easy to forget that not everyone has the same vast experience in the subject field as you do.
A recent illustration on the "self-explanatory" myth:
When working with Dr. Warson on the rough draft of "The Rider's Back Book," I wanted to take some of the stretching and strengthening exercises he recommended and explain them in detailed, step-by-step format.
One of the exercises he calls "Foot on the Ceiling. Here is a transcription of the original dictation explaining the exercise:
So let’s take an exercise like Foot on the Ceiling. What you want to do is raise that foot slowly to the ceiling. Hold it, counting to 5 or so, for starters. And then let it down. And then you can hold it for 10 or 15, gradually progressing up to that point.
What I made of it:
Strengthening Exercise A: Foot On the Ceiling
1. Lie on your back on the floor or on an exercise mat, with your legs straight out in front of you. Relax your arms at your sides. Breathe deeply and normally.
2. Keeping the knee straight, slowly raise the right foot as far toward the ceiling as possible.
3. Hold the foot in position while counting slowly to “5.”
4. Slowly lower the foot to the ground. Repeat the exercise with the left foot.
At first, 3 to 5 repetitions will suffice. As your strength improves, you can gradually increase the time you hold each leg up (Step 3) to a count of 10 or 15.
What he really meant:
OOPS! "Foot on the Ceiling" is done with the patient on their hands and knees, not lying on their back. The leg is brought up, trying to touch the flat of the foot to the ceiling.
Ah! Kneeling! Who knew?
The closer you are to a subject, the more important it is to have someone unfamiliar with the field to read and comment on a draft of your work. This person should not be someone who thinks that everything you write is fabulous. There are times when you will want your biggest fan to read your stuff and say it's brilliant. A "how-to" piece is not one of them.
Spell things out. As I said before -- if people already know it, they can skip that part. But if they don't know it, you owe it to them to tell them what they're missing.
There's No Place Like Home...
I worked up an overview of "Things To Do" in July and got myself a little geeked out yesterday. So much to do. So few days. So little time.
If all goes as currently planned, July will go thusly:
Houseguests, Boston, Montreal, Vermont, Boston, Houseguests. (And that's just the first week!)
Then: Orlando, Home, Dallas, Home, Houseguests / book photo shoot.
Gotta love those frequent flier miles! Good thing I love to travel!
On the manufacturer's site, they promised that I could download one, but the .pdf file I received only contained a tantalizing cover with a picture of the Device that called attention to the many varied things it can do -- if you know how to use it.
Regardless of how simple things may appear, if you are unfamiliar with them, they are not self-explanatory.
This is especially true when writing how-to nonfiction of any kind. "Familiarity breeds contempt," the sages tell us. This is a constant danger when writing about a subject with which you are intimately familiar. It is all too easy to forget that not everyone has the same vast experience in the subject field as you do.
A recent illustration on the "self-explanatory" myth:
When working with Dr. Warson on the rough draft of "The Rider's Back Book," I wanted to take some of the stretching and strengthening exercises he recommended and explain them in detailed, step-by-step format.
One of the exercises he calls "Foot on the Ceiling. Here is a transcription of the original dictation explaining the exercise:
So let’s take an exercise like Foot on the Ceiling. What you want to do is raise that foot slowly to the ceiling. Hold it, counting to 5 or so, for starters. And then let it down. And then you can hold it for 10 or 15, gradually progressing up to that point.
What I made of it:
Strengthening Exercise A: Foot On the Ceiling
1. Lie on your back on the floor or on an exercise mat, with your legs straight out in front of you. Relax your arms at your sides. Breathe deeply and normally.
2. Keeping the knee straight, slowly raise the right foot as far toward the ceiling as possible.
3. Hold the foot in position while counting slowly to “5.”
4. Slowly lower the foot to the ground. Repeat the exercise with the left foot.
At first, 3 to 5 repetitions will suffice. As your strength improves, you can gradually increase the time you hold each leg up (Step 3) to a count of 10 or 15.
What he really meant:
OOPS! "Foot on the Ceiling" is done with the patient on their hands and knees, not lying on their back. The leg is brought up, trying to touch the flat of the foot to the ceiling.
Ah! Kneeling! Who knew?
The closer you are to a subject, the more important it is to have someone unfamiliar with the field to read and comment on a draft of your work. This person should not be someone who thinks that everything you write is fabulous. There are times when you will want your biggest fan to read your stuff and say it's brilliant. A "how-to" piece is not one of them.
Spell things out. As I said before -- if people already know it, they can skip that part. But if they don't know it, you owe it to them to tell them what they're missing.
There's No Place Like Home...
I worked up an overview of "Things To Do" in July and got myself a little geeked out yesterday. So much to do. So few days. So little time.
If all goes as currently planned, July will go thusly:
Houseguests, Boston, Montreal, Vermont, Boston, Houseguests. (And that's just the first week!)
Then: Orlando, Home, Dallas, Home, Houseguests / book photo shoot.
Gotta love those frequent flier miles! Good thing I love to travel!
Monday, June 26, 2006
The Myth of "Self-Explanatory"
Last week, I got what I thought would be the niftiest gadget in the world for helping me with my writing -- a combination digital dicta-stick and USB Flash. Very cool.
We ordered it after much looking around on-line. It records and then downloads an MP3 file directly on your computer. Just imagine the possibilities.
Well, I am still imagining. What I will now call "the Device" arrived promptly. I opened it with great hopes of promptly using it...
And looked fruitlessly for a "How To Use This Device" manual.
None came with it.
Now, if my MILK CARTON contains directions for use ("Push here. Fold here. Pour here."), I don't think I'm being unreasonable to want something that I'm going to insert into an orifice in my computer to provide the same service.
The Device has 8 buttons on it. After inserting a AAA battery and twiddling around with it, I have discovered:
A.) How to change the back light color from purple to seafoam green to red and back to purple again.
B.) How to change the setting for how long said back light remains lit.
C.) How to click between each of the 7 menus ("Music," "System," "Telephone," "Text," and more).
D.) How to twiddle between some of the submenus.
But I can't even figure out how to change the date (it's January 2, 2005, according to the Device). I did get (VERY) brave and plug the thing into my computer, in the hopes that perhaps it contained a file on "use and care."
It didn't. But it came pre-loaded with "Like a Virgin." Got that to play, but can't figure out how to unlock the Device to trash the song.
The Device is NOT self-explanatory. My wonderful, geek-boy husband could probably spend 10 minutes with it and figure out how to use it for what I want. But that doesn't mean that he would have learned all there is to know about it.
Besides, these days, with electronics being so complex, who has the time to spend in trial and error? It's a tool. Not a codex with a map leading to fame and fortune, where half the fun of the journey is getting there.
We'll get online today and see if there is a user's manual available for downloading. There has to be. Right?
In addition to ranting about time-savers that turn out to be time-wasters, my experience with the Device has illustrated the importance of spelling out how to do something. Often, when you're talking about a subject with which you are familiar, it's easy to forget that not everyone knows as much as you. It's always a good idea to spell things out for people who might need a refresher course. Those who don't need it can always skip that part.
The only negative review I've read of Geoff's new book was a rant by someone (not a "real" critic, but a "real" reader) who took issue with the fact that he took time to cover the basics. She was insulted that he explained how a student should adjust his or her stirrups while riding, for instance.
But the advice was clearly intended to show students how to make the most of the time they spend in a lesson: If you've paid for it, don't waste time fritzing with your tack. Here's how to quickly change your stirrup length. This frees you up to pay attention to your instructor.
In any discipline, in any field, there are a lot more people who don't know a thing than people who do. As writers, if we write about a topic, it's our responsibility to make sure the reader has the opportunity to learn enough to make good use of that information.
More thoughts on this tomorrow.
Project Updates
Early this morning, I'm going to the printers to look at a test run of mock-ups for Carol of the Horse. Our designer has done a beautiful job laying out the project and making it look good. I can't wait to see it in print.
I finished the illustration and photo lists for Dr. Warson's back book project. Now our photographer, illustrator, and Dr. Warson can look at the lists and see how they can start crossing items off.
The project is out of my hands for a few weeks, at least. I'll do an edit of the whole book in the middle of July, before our final photo shoot. Then Dr. Warson and I can discuss nitty-gritty word selection and exercise explanations. For the most part, however, the book is done. (Yay!)
I met with my friend who is an expert on the subject the book I re-wrote for He Who Will Not Call covers. She gave me the expert's take on it, which is great, since I am by NO stretch of the imagination well-versed in the field. She's very happy with the content. I can't tell you how happy that makes me, and how much more comfortable I am with the project.
Things are happening quickly. Three book projects finished (to some degree) over the weekend. Life is good.
We ordered it after much looking around on-line. It records and then downloads an MP3 file directly on your computer. Just imagine the possibilities.
Well, I am still imagining. What I will now call "the Device" arrived promptly. I opened it with great hopes of promptly using it...
And looked fruitlessly for a "How To Use This Device" manual.
None came with it.
Now, if my MILK CARTON contains directions for use ("Push here. Fold here. Pour here."), I don't think I'm being unreasonable to want something that I'm going to insert into an orifice in my computer to provide the same service.
The Device has 8 buttons on it. After inserting a AAA battery and twiddling around with it, I have discovered:
A.) How to change the back light color from purple to seafoam green to red and back to purple again.
B.) How to change the setting for how long said back light remains lit.
C.) How to click between each of the 7 menus ("Music," "System," "Telephone," "Text," and more).
D.) How to twiddle between some of the submenus.
But I can't even figure out how to change the date (it's January 2, 2005, according to the Device). I did get (VERY) brave and plug the thing into my computer, in the hopes that perhaps it contained a file on "use and care."
It didn't. But it came pre-loaded with "Like a Virgin." Got that to play, but can't figure out how to unlock the Device to trash the song.
The Device is NOT self-explanatory. My wonderful, geek-boy husband could probably spend 10 minutes with it and figure out how to use it for what I want. But that doesn't mean that he would have learned all there is to know about it.
Besides, these days, with electronics being so complex, who has the time to spend in trial and error? It's a tool. Not a codex with a map leading to fame and fortune, where half the fun of the journey is getting there.
We'll get online today and see if there is a user's manual available for downloading. There has to be. Right?
In addition to ranting about time-savers that turn out to be time-wasters, my experience with the Device has illustrated the importance of spelling out how to do something. Often, when you're talking about a subject with which you are familiar, it's easy to forget that not everyone knows as much as you. It's always a good idea to spell things out for people who might need a refresher course. Those who don't need it can always skip that part.
The only negative review I've read of Geoff's new book was a rant by someone (not a "real" critic, but a "real" reader) who took issue with the fact that he took time to cover the basics. She was insulted that he explained how a student should adjust his or her stirrups while riding, for instance.
But the advice was clearly intended to show students how to make the most of the time they spend in a lesson: If you've paid for it, don't waste time fritzing with your tack. Here's how to quickly change your stirrup length. This frees you up to pay attention to your instructor.
In any discipline, in any field, there are a lot more people who don't know a thing than people who do. As writers, if we write about a topic, it's our responsibility to make sure the reader has the opportunity to learn enough to make good use of that information.
More thoughts on this tomorrow.
Project Updates
Early this morning, I'm going to the printers to look at a test run of mock-ups for Carol of the Horse. Our designer has done a beautiful job laying out the project and making it look good. I can't wait to see it in print.
I finished the illustration and photo lists for Dr. Warson's back book project. Now our photographer, illustrator, and Dr. Warson can look at the lists and see how they can start crossing items off.
The project is out of my hands for a few weeks, at least. I'll do an edit of the whole book in the middle of July, before our final photo shoot. Then Dr. Warson and I can discuss nitty-gritty word selection and exercise explanations. For the most part, however, the book is done. (Yay!)
I met with my friend who is an expert on the subject the book I re-wrote for He Who Will Not Call covers. She gave me the expert's take on it, which is great, since I am by NO stretch of the imagination well-versed in the field. She's very happy with the content. I can't tell you how happy that makes me, and how much more comfortable I am with the project.
Things are happening quickly. Three book projects finished (to some degree) over the weekend. Life is good.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Say What?
My current favorite quote (from the June 19, 2006 issue of my husband's hardcopy of InfoWorld, a magazine intelligible only to hardcore geeks):
"By syndicating metadata, I'm inviting others to more richly contextualize their aggregations of our stuff."
This gem wasn't even buried in article text. No -- the editors loved it so much they called it out and featured it as a 28 point red font banner running right through the article in which it appeared.
Now, I have no doubt that Jon Udell, who penned the words in question, is a brilliant analyst and programmer. Heaven knows I'm not. And I realize that his words are intended not for plebes like me, but for the Chosen Few who not only understand them, but are also interested in things like aggregated search results, metadata streams, and sentences that include terms like "iwx."
But I do have issues with the featured sentence (and none of them include its passive construction or the split infinitive).
When writing to a savvy, knowledgeable audience that is well-versed in your topic, wonderful things can happen. You can skip the "for Dummies" lead-in and dive straight into your content.
A problem arises, however, when you allow business-speak to masquerade as jargon. "Jargon" is a sort of sub-language of key terms used to speed up communication among those in the know. "Business-speak," on the other hand is an altogether different animal.
Business-speak occurs when people take a rather common word and add to it in order to create a more officious sounding term that means, essentially, what the original root means.
Business-speak is based upon the premise of, "Why use a simple word when a complex one makes my project sound more important ... and, therefore, worth more money?"
Business-speak sounds weighty, educated, and well-read, but it rarely speeds up communication. Instead, it often distances the listener or the reader.
Some examples:
We'll utilize third-quarter parameterization to optimize fourth-quarter results.
Prioritization is crucial to our paradigm of continued economic excellence.
Our integrated culture of diversity is amortized by our commitment to globalization.
I'm really not slamming Mr. Udell. Writing business-speak is frightfully easy to do. I find myself guilty of it when I get "on a roll" on a topic I've written about a thousand times, and start writing on auto-pilot. It's especially insidious when I start thinking more about the subject I'm discussing than about my (real or imagined) readers.
It's as easy as constructing a passive sentence, or ending a sentence with a preposition. But it's also as easy to spot.
When you find business-speak peppering your written words, consider quick excision. Often, all those big words do is cause your readers to skim, rather than savor, them. And all too often, they make your readers go, "huh?" rather than "ha!"
"By syndicating metadata, I'm inviting others to more richly contextualize their aggregations of our stuff."
This gem wasn't even buried in article text. No -- the editors loved it so much they called it out and featured it as a 28 point red font banner running right through the article in which it appeared.
Now, I have no doubt that Jon Udell, who penned the words in question, is a brilliant analyst and programmer. Heaven knows I'm not. And I realize that his words are intended not for plebes like me, but for the Chosen Few who not only understand them, but are also interested in things like aggregated search results, metadata streams, and sentences that include terms like "iwx."
But I do have issues with the featured sentence (and none of them include its passive construction or the split infinitive).
When writing to a savvy, knowledgeable audience that is well-versed in your topic, wonderful things can happen. You can skip the "for Dummies" lead-in and dive straight into your content.
A problem arises, however, when you allow business-speak to masquerade as jargon. "Jargon" is a sort of sub-language of key terms used to speed up communication among those in the know. "Business-speak," on the other hand is an altogether different animal.
Business-speak occurs when people take a rather common word and add to it in order to create a more officious sounding term that means, essentially, what the original root means.
Business-speak is based upon the premise of, "Why use a simple word when a complex one makes my project sound more important ... and, therefore, worth more money?"
Business-speak sounds weighty, educated, and well-read, but it rarely speeds up communication. Instead, it often distances the listener or the reader.
Some examples:
We'll utilize third-quarter parameterization to optimize fourth-quarter results.
Prioritization is crucial to our paradigm of continued economic excellence.
Our integrated culture of diversity is amortized by our commitment to globalization.
I'm really not slamming Mr. Udell. Writing business-speak is frightfully easy to do. I find myself guilty of it when I get "on a roll" on a topic I've written about a thousand times, and start writing on auto-pilot. It's especially insidious when I start thinking more about the subject I'm discussing than about my (real or imagined) readers.
It's as easy as constructing a passive sentence, or ending a sentence with a preposition. But it's also as easy to spot.
When you find business-speak peppering your written words, consider quick excision. Often, all those big words do is cause your readers to skim, rather than savor, them. And all too often, they make your readers go, "huh?" rather than "ha!"
Thursday, June 22, 2006
On the Links
Making Your Connections Work Harder
As I mentioned in Tuesday's blog, I'm gearing up to launch a new site. One of the things I like to do is link to related pages throughout my site.
Before I go any farther, I must confess: I'm no programmer (thank heaven for my husband, who is), so the nuts and bolts of HTML, XML, Java, and the like are only slightly less interesting to me than learning how to rotate brake drums. But just because something doesn't necessarily pique my interest doesn't mean I can't learn a thing or two about it.
In fact, when I was at the MEGA Marketing Conference in L.A. earlier this year, one of the speakers there -- Brad Fallon -- gave a very interesting presentation called "Stomping the Search Engines." Mr. Fallon has several wildly successful online businesses and was an engaging presenter, so I listened carefully and took notes that I thought might be of use to Robert.
One of the things Mr. Fallon mentioned, however, has very little to do with programming and everything to do with writing. It is also one of the least understood aspects of website linking. And it's SO simple to grasp, once someone explains the underlying concept.
It has to do with the actual text that one clicks on to link to another page.
Evidently, the way I understand it (which may be deeply, intrinsically flawed, you understand), the search engines pay special attention to the text that serves as a clickable launch to another URL -- be it a page within the site, or one off-site.
If you want your pages to improve their rankings, then use appropriate keywords for the clickable text. (I call it "bluelined text," much to my programmer husband's dismay. But you know what I'm talking about...) That way, when people are looking for such keywords, your pages containing them will show up before pages containing identical text that does not contain links.
For example:
If you have written an award-winning short story, poem, or play that you would like to bring to people's attention, the text on your site might say something like,
Read an excerpt from "Fabulous Work of Art," my award-winning poem featured in "Snooty Literary Publication".
Clicking on the first link would allow someone to read your poem, posted on your site. Clicking on the second would take someone off your site to the home page of the publication that printed it.
If the Snooty Literary Publication also published your work online, you may wish to choose to link to that as well.
The point, however, is not to say:
To read an excerpt from "Fabulous Work of Art, my award-winning poem featured in "Snooty Literary Publication," click here.
Mr. Fallon says that "Click Here" is the most used link in the world. Do a Google search for "Click Here" and see what he's talking about.
When including links in your site, try to use text that someone might conceivably use as part of a search. If someone were looking for an award-winning poem, your site might show up if you had those words as clickable text (technically called the "anchor text," my husband informs me). It might not if you don't.
And For My Next Project
Had a very interesting phone call from Trafalgar Square today. They asked if I'd consider working on writing what can only be described as a Dream Project. After about .3 seconds of thought, I said I would.
Very nearly too good to be true.
If all goes well, I'll meet with the Experts involved in early August. If we all like each other and think we can play nice with each other, we should be able to start work on the book by this fall.
Further bulletins as events warrant -- but today, life certainly got a little more interesting.
As I mentioned in Tuesday's blog, I'm gearing up to launch a new site. One of the things I like to do is link to related pages throughout my site.
Before I go any farther, I must confess: I'm no programmer (thank heaven for my husband, who is), so the nuts and bolts of HTML, XML, Java, and the like are only slightly less interesting to me than learning how to rotate brake drums. But just because something doesn't necessarily pique my interest doesn't mean I can't learn a thing or two about it.
In fact, when I was at the MEGA Marketing Conference in L.A. earlier this year, one of the speakers there -- Brad Fallon -- gave a very interesting presentation called "Stomping the Search Engines." Mr. Fallon has several wildly successful online businesses and was an engaging presenter, so I listened carefully and took notes that I thought might be of use to Robert.
One of the things Mr. Fallon mentioned, however, has very little to do with programming and everything to do with writing. It is also one of the least understood aspects of website linking. And it's SO simple to grasp, once someone explains the underlying concept.
It has to do with the actual text that one clicks on to link to another page.
Evidently, the way I understand it (which may be deeply, intrinsically flawed, you understand), the search engines pay special attention to the text that serves as a clickable launch to another URL -- be it a page within the site, or one off-site.
If you want your pages to improve their rankings, then use appropriate keywords for the clickable text. (I call it "bluelined text," much to my programmer husband's dismay. But you know what I'm talking about...) That way, when people are looking for such keywords, your pages containing them will show up before pages containing identical text that does not contain links.
For example:
If you have written an award-winning short story, poem, or play that you would like to bring to people's attention, the text on your site might say something like,
Read an excerpt from "Fabulous Work of Art," my award-winning poem featured in "Snooty Literary Publication".
Clicking on the first link would allow someone to read your poem, posted on your site. Clicking on the second would take someone off your site to the home page of the publication that printed it.
If the Snooty Literary Publication also published your work online, you may wish to choose to link to that as well.
The point, however, is not to say:
To read an excerpt from "Fabulous Work of Art, my award-winning poem featured in "Snooty Literary Publication," click here.
Mr. Fallon says that "Click Here" is the most used link in the world. Do a Google search for "Click Here" and see what he's talking about.
When including links in your site, try to use text that someone might conceivably use as part of a search. If someone were looking for an award-winning poem, your site might show up if you had those words as clickable text (technically called the "anchor text," my husband informs me). It might not if you don't.
And For My Next Project
Had a very interesting phone call from Trafalgar Square today. They asked if I'd consider working on writing what can only be described as a Dream Project. After about .3 seconds of thought, I said I would.
Very nearly too good to be true.
If all goes well, I'll meet with the Experts involved in early August. If we all like each other and think we can play nice with each other, we should be able to start work on the book by this fall.
Further bulletins as events warrant -- but today, life certainly got a little more interesting.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Rider's Wednesday -- Bareback Breaking
Since I finished the rough draft for Dr. Warson's Back Book, I've made good on my promise to work Theo every day.
He's been so good with the groundwork, listening to me, responding well, and learning to ignore Scary Things that it's time to move the training along. So, the other day, I got on him. He was bareback, with just a halter on, and he could have cared less about carrying a passenger.
I did a variation of what Clinton calls "the Human Currycomb." In his version, you lay lengthwise along the horse's spine, rubbing him vigorously with your hands the whole time. Then you slide backwards in increments along the spine, until you are hanging off the horse's butt and slide to the ground.
Well, Theo's butt is over my head, so I wasn't real keen on the whole sliding backwards off it scenario. Furthermore, since he's so big, I couldn't just jump up on his back. I needed to stand on top of a picnic table, and stand on tip-toe in order to get up there.
But I did several of the things that I've seen Clinton do. I stood with my feet firmly planted on one side of the horse while I waved and flailed my arms around on the other side of him. (This is to get the horse used to seeing you on both sides of him, and to accustom him to a human moving on his back -- as opposed to getting on a green horse and sitting quietly still for fear of spooking him.)
Then I rubbed one foot up and down his spine, while itching his withers and neck with my hands. He loved that. (He's a very itchy horse.)
Then I draped over his back and just hung there, rubbing on him, scritching itchy places, and waving my hands and feet back and forth.
Finally, I thumped very solidly to the ground -- dramatically announcing my dismount.
I repeated the whole process about 50 times -- mounting, hanging on, waving around, and plunking to the ground -- from both sides. Theo could have cared less. He was far more interested in nibbling on a lunge whip I'd left lying on the table top.
Clinton says there is "something about having your heart close to the horse" that makes them stand still and enjoy this part of the breaking process.
Theo is the first horse I've broken using many of Clinton's methods, and the first one I've started bareback, as opposed to using a saddle. I have to say that the combination of solid groundwork and bareback breaking make for an unusually cooperative green horse who obviously enjoys the training.
This, of course is good when the three year old in question weighs close to a ton and towers over your head. As I lay across his back and climbed all over him, I couldn't help but think, "That's a great big slab of muscle I'm sitting on," and "It sure is a looonnng way down..."
Fortunately, for me, however, Theo was thinking, "Oooooo! She found another itch!"
That's another thing about bareback breaking -- it lets you capitalize on all the itchy spots. Everyone wins! And it feels great!
He's been so good with the groundwork, listening to me, responding well, and learning to ignore Scary Things that it's time to move the training along. So, the other day, I got on him. He was bareback, with just a halter on, and he could have cared less about carrying a passenger.
I did a variation of what Clinton calls "the Human Currycomb." In his version, you lay lengthwise along the horse's spine, rubbing him vigorously with your hands the whole time. Then you slide backwards in increments along the spine, until you are hanging off the horse's butt and slide to the ground.
Well, Theo's butt is over my head, so I wasn't real keen on the whole sliding backwards off it scenario. Furthermore, since he's so big, I couldn't just jump up on his back. I needed to stand on top of a picnic table, and stand on tip-toe in order to get up there.
But I did several of the things that I've seen Clinton do. I stood with my feet firmly planted on one side of the horse while I waved and flailed my arms around on the other side of him. (This is to get the horse used to seeing you on both sides of him, and to accustom him to a human moving on his back -- as opposed to getting on a green horse and sitting quietly still for fear of spooking him.)
Then I rubbed one foot up and down his spine, while itching his withers and neck with my hands. He loved that. (He's a very itchy horse.)
Then I draped over his back and just hung there, rubbing on him, scritching itchy places, and waving my hands and feet back and forth.
Finally, I thumped very solidly to the ground -- dramatically announcing my dismount.
I repeated the whole process about 50 times -- mounting, hanging on, waving around, and plunking to the ground -- from both sides. Theo could have cared less. He was far more interested in nibbling on a lunge whip I'd left lying on the table top.
Clinton says there is "something about having your heart close to the horse" that makes them stand still and enjoy this part of the breaking process.
Theo is the first horse I've broken using many of Clinton's methods, and the first one I've started bareback, as opposed to using a saddle. I have to say that the combination of solid groundwork and bareback breaking make for an unusually cooperative green horse who obviously enjoys the training.
This, of course is good when the three year old in question weighs close to a ton and towers over your head. As I lay across his back and climbed all over him, I couldn't help but think, "That's a great big slab of muscle I'm sitting on," and "It sure is a looonnng way down..."
Fortunately, for me, however, Theo was thinking, "Oooooo! She found another itch!"
That's another thing about bareback breaking -- it lets you capitalize on all the itchy spots. Everyone wins! And it feels great!
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