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Tammy Van Boening wrote on 04/30/2007 01:47:48 PM:
> In previous lives, so many of my editors enforced (sometimes, almost
> violently!) this rule:
>
> Keep the word count down. Avoid conversational terms that add word count
> without adding meaning.
>
> So, "simple" or "simply" was always struck down with a single swipe of
> the dreaded red pen.
>
> TVB
The short rule I was taught was "No editorializing!". The long form was
that we aren't there to give the reader reassurance or provide opinions on
what they're doing, we're supposed to tell them where, when, what, how,
and (depending on the context) why and who. I'm so accustomed to this
mindset that I rarely use words like "simply" or "just" in my non-tech
writing.
Lin Sims
The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion
of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was
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