Brevity

June 25, 2008 · Comments

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  • jon
    yes. When the question is answered enough.
  • Kai
    It all depends on your message ;)
    You mcould say something in one word - or a handful - confuse people and then they'll say 'no'. To whatever it is you're offering them.
    On the other hand, there are some things that you just have to keep short.
    It puts me in mind of the best microfiction story I ever read. It was by Ernest Hemmingway, and was only six words long. It made me think - and that's where brevity is good - if it doesn't confuse, but instead, lets you consider possibility, that's the best kind of short message.
    Almost tangental to this is the 'short versus long' salesletter rant that I've been writing for weeks and should be up on my blog on Friday. As a writer, it's something that I'm really passionate about and something that I think others are too.
  • No.
  • Absolutely, but I'm not the best at it. I try but it never works out!
  • Yes.

    Brevity is clarity.

    But it's difficult.

    David
  • Yes, especially when it is understood as a relationship between length and content.

    Worthwhile brevity is not just about being brief, but about being as brief as possible with the content at hand.

    This may mean writing a sentence; it may mean writing a thousand pages.
  • Depends.
  • Yes.

    Critical to effective communication.

    Shows respect for other people's time.

    Brevity, however, can come across as being curt. Please don't forget your P&Q's!
  • Assuming the message being communicated isn't comprimised; yes.
  • Yes!
  • A while back, I tinkered with a demo blog (http://is.gd/FAJ) that focused on brevity. In a previous job, my press releases could be no longer than 150 words, so I used that as the standard for my posts.
  • Omit needless words. Write for scanning. People are busy.
  • Yes.
  • Be brief, be clear, be gone.
  • Context?
  • Occam's Razor. As brief as necessary but not more brief.
  • Brevity important? Not a fundamental concern. Do exactly what needs to be done and it is taken care of.
  • Very

    Saves time.
    Getting the point across clearly is key though, which mustn't be compromised.
  • Sometimes.
  • Here one word -> a conversation. Context plays a role in that power too. My inclination? Brevity in this community of readers with common interests and awareness of the kind of conversation on this blog go further than in other contexts. Context at least plays a role in the direction brevity leads to. Do others disagree?
  • It depends.
  • E.B. White's book on writing has great tips. I need to go re-read it now!
  • Hell yeah.

    Brevity = usability.

    How many great ideas never get acted upon, because people don't have time or space to experience them properly?
  • So much that it's the name of my blog :)
  • Brevity is as important as levity.
  • And levity is very important!
  • Yes.
  • Yes. Very. I'm learning that myself.

    See why?

    ;-)
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