not bureaucratic

More and more writing today is seen as bureaucratic, the use of obscure and pedantic vocabulary. It can be found in government, corporate, and academic reports where it seems to impress rather than inform. Take any government report, corporate memorandum or academic thesis and you will find this type of writing.

It would seem that this type of writing is intended more to confuse, confuse and prevent clear, concise and precise writing. Often referred to as ‘gibberish’, it rarely does little to clarify, illuminate and elucidate the writer’s thoughts.

Maybe it’s not meant to be.

If a writer wants to get the most readers, they should stick to the simplest word, the uncomplicated sentence, the simplest paragraph, and the shortest composition to get the idea, point, or action across. Writing for the Internet has made this design more prevalent than ever because it is for the masses, the common reader, so it must be exact, specific and clear; today’s readers don’t have time to figure out bureaucracy.

As always, good writing is simple and clear; if a simple word can replace an obscure word, it should be used; if a simple sentence can substitute for a compound-complex sentence, then it should; if a simple paragraph can supplant an intricate one, then it should. Long-winded, long-winded sentences and paragraphs should be avoided.

The old adage “Keep it simple, stupid” should apply to all writing.