| Writing serves many purposes. Often we read to be entertained. Other times we wish to be informed. Personal flair is fine and good when we are writing to entertain, but precision and honesty are even better when we write to inform. One significant thing the internet has done is to allow scientists and engineers to communicate directly with general audiences without journalists, etc. acting as mediators. Where a journalist might make a false claim because it feels stronger or more compelling, a scientist or engineer will usually add honest qualifications so as not to deceive. Perhaps it is from this new, direct dialogue with non-journalists that the general public has learned to write in this style. Another possible source of this style is politics. The U.S. is far from the only country where partisan politics have taken root. Parties opposed to one another often have very similar platforms and policies because they know very well what appeals to the majority. With few major differences in policy to distinguish themselves from their opponents, they must instead rely on personality. With that comes the practice of pouncing on an opponents tiniest slip of the tongue (or pen) to chip away at their credibility. Thus, politicians must be as careful as scientists to leave no room for deliberate misinterpretation of their words. We no doubt emulate the defensive communication style of our leaders to at least some degree. However defensive writing has slipped into the mainstream, it combines with the anonymity of the internet to allow anyone to appear credible beyond their qualifications, provided they are careful. The spirit of scientific peer review, the example of our leaders' incessant jockeying for credibility, and awareness of the fallibility of writers have all encouraged the general public to read with a skeptical eye. The written word is no longer above suspicion. If something we read contains even just one error, can we trust the rest of it? People don't just write defensively now, they read defensively too, and for good reason! Content now rules over style in most spheres of writing. I find myself nitpicking even fiction these days. It sometimes takes conscious effort to suspend disbelief and simply enjoy a good story in spite of the writer's inability to simulate reality without error. Perhaps we have lost something. However, we have also gained much. Writers are becoming more accountable to the truth and readers are less likely to be duped by lies than ever. Perhaps all that is missing is for honest mistakes to become more acceptable so that writers may be free to take worthy risks without paralyzing fear. |