Transcript Writing for the Web

Writing for the Web
(aka: Portfolio Advice)
Engl 3365
Copyright 2014 by Arthur Fricke
The Goal
I want the “portfolio” project to hopefully be practically
useful, not a time-suck nightmare
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if something about how you are doing your portfolio (formatting,
reflection, attaching files, etc) seems like pointless busywork, then
ASK ME for some help & advice
your portfolio does not have to be perfect, just effective
the portfolio grade very well might not move your final grade much,
so BE PRAGMATIC
I hope the “portfolio” project encourages folks to consider
saving things to use later for creative career strategies
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your “wordpress.com” account is free and permanent, so you can
always do the minimum for the “portfolio” assignment now and
then make more practical use of your portfolio later
portfolios are GREAT for switching careers – they are easy to
share and can PROVE you have great “transportable” skills
Why practice web writing?
Web tools are common and important for
professional workplace writing
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it’s a CHEAP medium for sharing information
it’s a POWERFUL medium for sharing information
E-MAIL supplanted PAPER MEMOS as a primary form of
internal organizational communication
BLOGS and other WEBWARE are supplanting PAPER
REPORTS as a primary form of external organizational
communication in many different fields
What are some web writing tips?
Basic principles are the same for traditional
report writing excellence
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make audience & goal of the site / document very clear
use text / wording that’s easy for audience to use
use descriptive links / section headings
include standard sections / web tools
aim for CLARITY
aim for EASY SKIMMING
audience & goal
BE CLEAR
CLEARLY state who should use the site and
what they should get out of it
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critical for web documents, since distribution = anyone
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use “FAQ”, site description, or an intro post or “click here
first” section to VERY CLEARLY and EXPLICITLY state
who the site is written/designed for and what the site does
for them
text & wording
BE USEFUL and BE CORRECT
Use wording that matches the medium
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this means SHORT, SIMPLE, and CLEAR statements !!!!
NOBODY wants to read long complicated sentences on the web
Use text that is EASY for your audience to read clearly
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DO NOT use funky fonts, backgrounds, etc just because you can
DO use “snipped” info, frequent headings, short ¶s
make certain it is EASY to skim the site QUICKLY
DO NOT make grammar, spelling, or typo mistakes
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correctness is a KEY measure of a web document’s believability
and legitimacy
typos will KILL your credibility
links & headings
BE DESCRIPTIVE
Use CLEAR & HELPFUL file names
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DO NOT attach files like “grtwoot4362.doc”
DO use descriptive “TRUCKING REPORT word file” links
Use DESCRIPTIVE page and section headings
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use clear page & section headings to say very clearly what
each area of a website contains and does
help the audience navigate QUICKLY by using headings
that are very descriptive
Use “internal links” to speed navigation
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MINimum of two ways to find any info
MAXimum of three levels from all info
web tools
BE HELPFUL
More “internal link” examples
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hyperlink “table of contents” links at the top of long pages
category links, tabs, or other tools to help people move
from one area to another
search boxes to find info in large sites
Standard sections
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a “FAQ” section is useful for really big websites
an “about this site” or “click here” for small websites
DO NOT use fancy tools just because you can
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consider your main audience’s preferences & limitations,
and RESPECT your main users’ needs!
simplicity
requires THOUGHT and WORK
Simplicity requires careful ANALYSIS & PLANNING
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must consider things from the audience’s point of view
this is like organizing a report outline based on audience needs
and preferences
For example, “easy for Art to grade fast” would mean:
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making a blog post for each assignment
using the exact assignment title for each blog post title
organizing posts chronologically
making an exact assignment title category for each post
IF “Art Fricke” is not the audience and “easy to grade fast”
is not a goal, then:
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the site will be organized COMPLETELY differently!
weblog portfolio grading
general grading strategy
I’ll evaluate each portfolio in six focused categories:
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defining a clear audience & goal
having useful content (matches audience & goal)
following assignment directions
writing effectively (style)
editing effectively (correctness)
organizing & designing effectively (easy navigation)
I’ll give each category a letter grade, and then I’ll average
them together to calculate an overall grade
portfolio grading
defining a clear audience & goal
This is what can make it practically useful!
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you can choose ANY AUDIENCE and ANY GOAL
for example: future employer / to showcase writing skills
Art Fricke / to be easy to grade
your mom / to show what you do at TTU
future students / to help them choose wisely
Requirements:
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audience and goal must be VERY CLEAR
audience and goal must match blog content
audience and goal must match blog design & organization
portfolio grading
providing useful content
This is how a portfolio makes sense!
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the audience must be interested in what you talk about
for example: employer / how well do you communicate?
me / how can the course be better?
mom / what did you like or not like?
future students / how can you ace the work?
Requirement:
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talk about things that CLEARLY match the audience and
goal you define for your portfolio
portfolio grading
following directions
This is a BASIC professional skill!
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would you hire someone who couldn’t follow directions?
would you like to work with people who CAN FIGURE OUT
exactly what you need, how to organize it, and what format
is best for you?
Requirements:
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portfolio must be COMPLETE
(for example, include EVERYONE’s progress memos)
portfolio must FOLLOW ASSIGNMENT DIRECTIONS
(for example, reflections must average ~400 words)
Portfolio must FOLLOW PROJECT DIRECTIONS
(for example, include info from someone in your job field)
portfolio grading
writing effectively
Layout must match genre
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people read websites quickly and often skim pages
use very short paragraphs & consider using section headings
evaluate font styles, sizes, and colors very carefully
Style must match audience and goal
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do you know ANYONE who likes websites with long, complicated,
and unclear sentences?
use SHORT, SIMPLE, and CLEAR SENTENCES !!!!
use a tone that matches audience and goal
(very formal, formal, semi-formal, informal, sarcastic?)
use PLAIN LANGUAGE !!!!
(“formal” DOES NOT mean “sounds complicated and business-y”)
Requirements:
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follow the writing style I’ve asked you to practice all semester
use effective document-level and paragraph-level organization
portfolio grading
editing effectively
Genre research shows:
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people evaluate web credibility in a “threshold” manner
typos, formatting, & grammar are KEY credibility markers
a few minor problems are okay, but “a few +1” is NOT
Requirements (for “A” in category):
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must have NO obvious wording typos
must have NO spelling typos
must have VERY FEW formatting inconsistencies
(UNLESS you clearly explain them in a convincing way)
must have RELATIVELY FEW grammar problems
(less than ~two per ~400 words)
portfolio grading
organizing & designing effectively
Blog DESIGN should appeal to audience
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flowers, fireworks, & puppies theme not good for an employer
boring corporate blue theme not good for your mom
Blog ORGANIZATION should match audience
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make it easy for audience to find info
use categories, sticky posts, pages, descriptive titles, external
links, and other elements for easy blog navigation
Requirement:
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make the blog appealing and easy for the audience to use
using wordpress
welcome to professional reality
You will need to learn new technologies
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imagine using a PC for the first time on your first real workday at your
first real engineering job
imagine learning to use “the inter-net”, “windows” software, or how to
make and send “electronic mail” for the first time on the job
you’ll be CONSTANTLY challenged to learn new software, hardware,
and procedures no matter what your career field is
You can do this easily and effectively by:
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working ahead to prevent deadline crises
utilizing opportunities for help and advice
NOT requiring personal tutorials on everything you’ll need to learn
NOT dragging other people into last-minute nightmares
So, for this project:
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learn to use the “wordpress.com” service effectively and efficiently
DO NOT procrastinate until it is too late to get help
1993, first day in your real professional career
first time using a word processor on a PC
first time ever seeing a “Windows 3.1” screen
first 30 draft pages of the proposal is due in seven days -- GOOD LUCK !!!