[junon]

> Write like you speak and more people will understand your message.

I don't know about this. I feel like this contributes to the overall diminishing of the general reading level.

I don't want to have to write like I'm ELI5-ing everything, all the time. It's exhausting, time consuming and takes away from information I'm trying to convey.

This article is basically "remove what isn't necessary" repeated over and over again, with a few extra questionable remarks.

[paul_f]

Communication matters. Grammar doesn't. Brilliant advice.

[HDMI_Cable]

Is that a problem with how we write, or with how we speak? It's kind of interesting how we all have very complicated writing, yet we speak in a very simple way.

[jaxwerk]

Terse technical prose, for example, is useful for rapidly communicating concepts to readers with requisite comprehension skills. Nobody talks like that though because even if you could pick the right words quickly enough as a speaker, whoever is listening to you is going to have a hell of a time keeping up. Both modes of communication are useful in their respective setting, but the last thing I want is a textbook that uses only small words or a tutor that uses too many big ones.

[junon]

This, exactly.

[void_mint]

My boss is the embodiment of this problem. It drives lots of people at our company crazy. When he writes, it's like he's trying to cram every word with as much specificity as possible, even if all of that specificity is lost on whoever he's talking to (in most cases someone totally nontechnical). When people have finally had enough and they get him on the phone, it's like talking to a different person. People usually leave phonecalls feeling great.

[tabtab]

Imagine an article written in Trump-esque style. Politics aside, it would be an interesting thing to see. Let's give it a try:

Trump style articles? Politics aside, very interesting, let's try!