1. Try to have an identified audience. It makes the piece easier to write because the language selection will be straightforward and you'll be able to avoid exp

1. Try to have an identified audience. It makes the piece easier to write because the language selection will be straightforward and you'll be able to avoid explaining concepts that the audience is already familiar with so it will be shorter. 2. Keep paragraphs short. 3. Unless you're part of the story, don't use "I" or "we". 4. Avoid gendering an abstract person. "Flight attendant" over "stewardess" / "they" over "he". 5. For long reports put the three to five points in a numbered list on the first page and bold one sentence or fragment per point. This makes the report easier to forward to upper management. Upper management is where the bonuses come from. 6. Learn the precise definition of words. A software virus is not the same thing as a software worm. Being at a higher risk does not mean that the potential outcome has gotten worse (see risk vs hazard). 7. Re-read / edit your piece (log(estimated number of people reading it) + 5) number of times before publishing. This only applies to actual writing. Don't waste your time doing this for Hacker News comments.