In and Out

In And Out Rev A

I’ve seen articles on how to write for the web. Though these articles were not based on scientific studies or tests, what they say makes sense to me. As a reader, I tend to agree with them.

The web, they say, may look like newspapers or books, because it uses type and seems to be ‘printed’ on the screen, but in fact the web is more like billboards or signs or other outdoor advertising. It is as much graphics as it is text. This comes in part from the undue haste with which viewers eat web pages. With an endless number of pages on tap, we tent to rush through each page we view. Thus, each page is easier to read when it is easier to scan.

A quick glance over the page should give us, in a few seconds, the nub of what the page says. To that end graphics are helpful, as are white space (lots of it), lists, bullet lists, number lists, definition lists, headings and structure, and brevity: short words in short sentences in brief paragraphs. I saw one piece that claimed 300 words is a good length for a single article on the web. Also a topic summation or précis is a good thing at the top of the page, and journalism’s ‘inverted pyramid’ is ideal — the writer gives his main points first, then works down to supporting arguments and details. Last, it’s good if the essay, article, or post will fit on a single screen without asking the reader to scroll down. A series of pages might be be better than one long article, though I think linking through to another page is just as annoying as scrolling down — if not more so.

When we write our pieces, we fall inside the box of our thoughts, and we consider the words first of all. But our readers stand outside that box and wonder if it’s worth their trouble to climb inside with us. This is another face to the old problem of thinking both as talesmen and as audience when we write, and it speaks to the specifics of the web as a new medium.

In order to show you what the practical effects of this might be, I offer this same piece, with the same words (just about) in two versions, one text only, in the ‘olde’ style, and the other reformatted according to recommendations in web style.

In And Out Rev B

A quick glance over a web page should give us the nub of what the page says.

A New Ideal

I’ve seen articles on how to write for the web. Though these articles were not based on scientific studies or tests, what they say makes sense to me.

As a reader, I tend to agree with them.

The web, they say, may look like newspapers or books, because it uses type and seems to be ‘printed’ on the screen, but in fact the web is more like billboards or signs or other outdoor advertising. It is as much graphics as it is text.

This comes in part from the undue haste with which viewers eat web pages. With an endless number of pages on tap, we tent to rush through each page we view. Thus, each page is easier to read when it is easier to scan.

A quick glance over the page should give us, in a few seconds, the nub of what the page says, using:

• Graphics
• White space (lots of it)
• Lists:
  bullet lists
  number lists
  definition lists
• Headings
• Structure

Brevity

Use short words in short sentences in brief paragraphs. One piece claimed 300 words is a good length for a single article on the web.

Synopsis

A topic summation or précis is a good thing at the top of the page, and journalism’s ‘inverted pyramid’ is ideal — the writer gives his main points first, then works down to supporting arguments and details.

Single Screen

Last, it’s good if the essay, article, or post will fit on a single screen without asking the reader to scroll down. A series of pages might be be better than one long article, though I think linking through to another page is just as annoying as scrolling down — if not more so.

Boxes

When we write our pieces, we fall inside the box of our thoughts, and we consider the words first of all. But our readers stand outside that box and wonder if it’s worth their trouble to climb inside with us.

This is the old problem of thinking both as talesmen and as audience when we write.

And it speaks to the specifics of the web as a new medium.

(Composed with pen on paper, and then re-worked for web with keyboard on Friday, March 14, 2008)