[WikiEN-l] Being bold doesn't work anymore, or why our prose is so bad.

[Ben Yates]

Calling all grad students: there's a thesis to be written about how
new stylistic conventions are being developed that are better suited
for readers-who-are-also-editors.

On 9/8/07, K P <kpbotany at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 9/7/07, Steve Bennett <stevagewp at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 9/8/07, K P <kpbotany at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Use of parenthetical remarks in the intro paragraph is leading to
> > > these streams of other language words so long you can't find the
> > > introductory sentence--although they look less paranthetical when
> > > they're 27 words longer than the containing sentence.
> >
> > I guess I find this elegant:
> >
> > John Smith (1864-1899) was a....
> >
> > but you're right, this becomes heavy:
> > John Smith (born 1864 London, died 1899 Tunbridge Wells, England) was a...
> >
> > Birth and death dates are fundamental to any biography. Birth and
> > death locations can wait till later in the article.
> >
> > Steve
> >
> I could compromise on years alone, but it's a give em 8 digits and a
> dash, and they'll take a dozen locations and alternative spellings
> situation.
>
> KP
>
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-- 
Ben Yates
Wikipedia blog - http://wikip.blogspot.com