Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/06/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]"Sorry this letter is so long, I didn't have time to make it shorter." attr. Mark Twain. Neil -----Original Message----- From: Dan C [mailto:leicaman@sympatico.ca] Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 4:17 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: RE: [Leica] RE: While it is happening (B. D. Colen)writing goingdwnhll In business school, and in the real world of business, my reports were always criticized for being too complex. I was told to make my sentences shorter. There was even a software program that could analyze a report and declare what grade level of education was required to fully understand it, the presumption being that the score shouldn't be too high. -dan c. At 09:49 AM 24-06-04 -0400, B. D. Colen wrote: >I can't disagree with the premise that the skills we value change - but >- by any measure I've seen, our society is scientifically illiterate >when compared to others in which there is universal schooling. And I'm >not bemoaning the decline of writing skills from the perspective of a >journalist, but rather from that of a citizen who believes that if we >cannot communicate clearly, we are ultimately doomed as a society. The >brilliant scientist who cannot convey his brilliance to others is far >less likely to find sufficient funding for his work than the scientist >who can communicate clearly - in writing and verbally. > >I tell the students in my undergrad science news writing class that I >know full well very few of them will ever write a news story after >leaving the class, and the few who do - because they work on the school >paper - won't after graduating because they'll be headed for careers in >the sciences. However, the skills they acquire in reducing a scientific >journal report to a 350 word news story will help them in whatever they >do in the future. > >B. D. _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This message is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the designated recipient(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. This communication is for information purposes only and should not be regarded as an offer to sell or as a solicitation of an offer to buy any financial product, an official confirmation of any transaction, or as an official statement of Lehman Brothers. Email transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free. Therefore, we do not represent that this information is complete or accurate and it should not be relied upon as such. All information is subject to change without notice.