|
The ‘E’ and the Hyphen at the Start of e-Words
Should we use a hyphen in words that begin with ‘e’ (for
electronic)?
How do we deal with upper case letters?
I’ve struck this issue many times and I must admit that I am
often uncertain about the best approach. The Commonwealth Style Manual
recommends hyphens: ‘e-book’, ‘e-business’ and ‘e-learning’. I do not always
follow that recommendation. For example, I use ‘email’ and ‘ebook’. However, I
would not use ‘elearning’ or ‘ewriting’. So, I am far from consistent. I am
worried that my decisions are simply based on how the word looks with an ‘e’ in
front of it.
There is another problem. Should I use an upper case ‘e’ or
should the letter following the ‘e’ become a capital? I would prefer not follow
the Style Manual’s recommendation to begin sentences with an upper case
‘e’. It looks odd to write ‘Ebook’, ‘Ebusiness’, ‘Elearning’ and ‘Ewriting’
(when I don’t use the hyphen). So, that leaves me with ‘e-Book’, ‘e-Business’,
‘e-Learning’ and ‘e-Writing’.
It’s time for a decision. Suddenly, the use of the hyphen looks
appropriate. Maybe, I should go back to the Style Manual’s approach:
‘e-book’, ‘e-business’, ‘e-learning’ and ‘e-writing’.
Same Difference
I have been thinking about
ornamentation in writing: the rhymes, rhythms and resonances that enliven text.
I love repeated patterns like
parallelism, cadence and consonance. Alliteration works well, as does assonance.
It’s a joy to read similar sounds soaring to a climax that ends in an ominous
onomatopoeia.
Someone recently pointed out (a
little insensitively) that I am conflicted in writing. I love the rules of
grammar and punctuation, that’s true. But, I fly to the poetic oddity and the
occasional inelegant lurch of language.
For me, repeated patterns are
fun, but so are contrasts (in a different way). I like occurrences that are
contradictory.
I laugh when an oxymoron runs
slowly to mind and enjoy the bump of unexpected stress points. I pause over
odd-used words gleaming with calculated ambiguity and thrill to the single
exclamation after a page of sprawling sentences. I want to hear my heart sing.
To see pigs fly. To touch the sky.
But, sameness and difference in
ornamentation have worried away at me for longer than they ought. There seems to be
a more profound role for these two concepts in writing (and in communication
more generally).
Sameness has a deeper
significance. Think of subject–verb agreement. Think of consistency in spelling.
Think of repeated sentences using active voice. Think of full stops at the end
of every sentence.
Sameness is at the core of
grammar, punctuation, spelling and style.
Then, there is difference. It
lies within the heart of ‘however’, ‘yet’, ‘but’ and ‘despite’. These
transitions tilt different facts against each other, set the mind to measuring
and create structure in the process. Different voices set the antagonist against
the protagonist to create the drama of a scene. Irony layers a different story
for those who care to notice.
So, writing is shot through
with sameness and difference that works for and against each other all at once.
In fact, human communication
seems to be saturated with sameness and difference, as well as the delicious
harmonies and discords of their interaction.
I think that writing (and human
communication) is utterly simple. It’s repetition and dissonance. It’s
repetition and splatter.
My guide to writing, simply
put, is ‘Repeat. Repeat. Then, shatter the pattern’.
AP Stylebook Breaks New Ground
Associated Press has released
its 2010 Stylebook. It’s important because many writers, not just
journalists, use the AP Stylebook for guidance in relation to modern
style.
The biggest reaction by readers
was to the change in the word (note the singular) ‘website’. It was previously
‘web site’.
The Stylebook also has a
new section, ‘Social Media Guidelines’, on how to deal with Twitter and Facebook.
The authors have included explanations of neologisms such as ‘app, blogs,
click-throughs, friend, unfriend, metadata, RSS, search engine optimization,
smart phone, trending, widget and wiki’.
They have decided to stay with
‘e-mail’, ‘e-book’ and ‘e-reader’. That worries me because ‘email’, for example,
has become internationally standardised. But, ‘ereader’, of course, may take a
little longer to settle in.
http://www.apstylebook.com/
US State Department Engages Directly Via Twitter
I was reading through my 'government' twitter list
when I saw the following:
Tweet your ?'s about
's travel to
to @.
Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell will answer soon.
I immediately noticed the interesting use of the
question mark and the apostrophe to signify the word 'questions' and the
embedded hashtags for Secretary Clinton and China.
What drew my attention even more was the direct and
powerful relationship being established between the State Department and those
using Twitter to learn more about US foreign affairs.
Such engagement and openness should be applauded.
Isn't it time Australian government leaders and
officials began engaging more openly with citizens through Twitter?
Grammatical Rules Become Tyrannical
For a long time, I have thought that prescriptivism is more about social control
than about correct grammar. Of course, if you use correct grammar, you are more
likely to be understood. However, I have seen too many people using their
knowledge as a social weapon. Endlessly trying to correct other people's
language can be irritating or worse.
In government, we should try to use language that is easily understood and
socially appropriate. To follow labyrinthine rules (some of which may be of
dubious provenance) is almost always a waste of time.
It is refreshing to read about grammar without the prescriptivists constantly
demanding corrections.
http://motivatedgrammar.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/national-grammar-day-2010-ten-more-common-grammar-myths-debunked/
Federal Government
Responds to Engage:
Gov. 2.0 Report
Overall, the Federal Government has responded
positively to the Engage report, which covers everything from public
servants' use of online social networks to security and IP issues. The report
challenges 'old style' public service attitudes and calls for 'a more
consultative, participatory and transparent government'.
There are big challenges in Gov. 2.0 and big gains to be made.
http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/govresponse20report/index.html
Archivist of the US on
Twitter Archive Acquisition
Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero,
has written about the acquisition of Twitter's digital archive. He examines,
with a wonderful archival mind, the donation from the perspective of an archival
institution. The research opportunities should be fascinating.
Plain Language Supported by
the US Government
As the powerful surge for open government rises,
public sector workers must keep their writing simple and readable. Of course,
that is not as easy as it sounds.
There is a counteracting demand to be precise. See the US government site on
Plain Language.
Open Government Meets Intellectual
Property
Open Government is now a world-wide phenomenon. From Moscow to
Ottawa, people are exploring and, to some extent, acting on the principles of
Gov 2.0.
Ideas about open data, open sources and open communication are driving change
in the way government understands its role.
However, there are going to be interesting clashes of culture and
character.
One that we should all be considering is 'Open Government versus Commercial
Intellectual Property'. In simplistic terms, why should a business offer its
intellectual property to the world gratis because it is stipulated by a
single contract with a government entity? In the area of IP, I think Open
Government will crumble. Commercial imperatives will dominate.
What's your perspective on this conflict?
Email
your thoughts.
Online Gives Time for Reflection
Read these thoughts on the advantages and
disadvantages of online communication. There are some interesting thoughts here,
particularly about who may find themselves comfortable with online talk. What is
particularly interesting is how flexible time can be in online communication. In
some circumstances, communication can be almost instant. In others, there are
long-term archival characteristics that enable reflective and considered
responses. Fascinating.
http://www.onlinecommunityconsultation.com/
Managing Multiple Blogs and Millions of Tweets
Kikolani.com provides a good overview on managing
Twitter, if you are a blogger.
Read simple, comprehensive insights into controlling the mind-boggling
complexity
of multiple blogs and millions of tweets. It's refreshing to see a
professional's direct experience clearly explained.
http://kikolani.com/hootsuite-blogging-twitter-management-guide-bloggers.html
Ten-point Checklist for Government Websites
It's easy to forget the basics when you are trying
to hold a government website together. There are so many issues to keep in mind.
Here's a list to keep those basics at the forefront. Remember, process must not
overcome outcome.
http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/how-does-your-government
AGIMO Developing Guidelines for Blogging
The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)
is sorting out the appropriate practices and protocols that Department of
Finance and Deregulation staff should follow when they blog. Check out this and
other important work being done by AGIMO.
http://wpgblog.agimo.gov.au/
The Future of the APS Laid Out in PM&C Report
Terry Moran, Sec.
of PM&C, has released Ahead of the Game: blueprint for the reform of
Australian government administration. It provides significant strategic
signals to the APS about where it's going and how it's going to get there.
http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications/aga_reform/aga_reform_blueprint/index.cfm
Twitter the Future of Government
Communication?
Evan Williams, a co-founder of Twitter spoke with the BBC
recently and had some thoughts that, if they prove true, will have a profound
impact on the way we deal with communication in the public sector.
See the interview at ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8563109.stm
Government 2.0 Report
The Government 2.0 Taskforce's report has been released and
offers great insights, good principles and a great guide to the future of public
sector communication.
Download a copy at ...
http://gov2.net.au/blog/2009/12/07/draftreport/
British Government Provides Strategic Guidance
on Micro-blogging
The British Government has created a document
that sets out some parameters and principles related to public sector workers'
use of Twitter. Micro-blogging may form a significant part of a public servant's
work in the future.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17313280/Template-Twitter-Strategy-for-Government-Departments
Grammar Guide Glitch?
Read the fascinating article on an 'error-strewn'
grammar guide that has been distributed to Queensland English teachers.
Find it at ...
<http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/grammar-guide-is-an-education-disaster-claims-critic/story-e6frg6nf-1225832369733>
Slang is Bad, Innit?
Read the article from the BBC in which the enduring
worry about the behaviour of teenagers is conflated with concerns about the
imminent collapse of English.
Or, maybe it is not the collapse of English that is the threat. It may be that
some English teenagers have not learned to change their communication style to
suit different social contexts.
'Slang is sabotaging language, with
some teenagers unable to speak in any other way, say critics. So should it be
banned in schools?'
Read more at ...
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8388545.stm>
National Punctuation Day
“A celebration of the lowly comma, correctly used quotes, and
other proper uses of periods, semicolons, and the ever-mysterious ellipsis.”
The sixth National Punctuation Day in the US was held on 24
September. I would say that we need an Australian Punctuation Day.
The NPD runs activities, games and contests in businesses and
schools.
This year the NPD is focusing on a baking contest.
Visit the website at <http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/>.
Texting Doesn’t Harm Children’s Spelling Skills
The
Canadian Press has reported the findings of research that suggests that using
SMS abbreviations and short forms (like ‘lol’ and ‘cul8r’) does not influence
children’s ability to spell correctly.
The study,
conducted by staff at the University of Alberta, involved monitoring instant
messages of children up to 17 years old. Later, the participants completed a
spelling test. The good spellers did well. The bad spellers did not.
Read more
by visiting the website:
<www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gu9l--c5DoBRLhsn-ixpp_AXZKgg>.
Spelling
in New Zealand
The New
Zealand Herald has reported that the spelling of the name ‘Wanganui’ is causing
concern, particularly in street names. Apparently, the word should be spelt ‘Whanganui’.
Now, there are moves afoot to correct the problem in various communities.
Read about
the ‘h’ by going to
<www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10599427>.
Send your comments, queries and news.
|
