4 ms·

Saw this story via an @EdwardTufte tweet: https://twitter.com/EdwardTufte/status/1007395311541682176 https://twitter.com/EdwardTufte/status/1007395311541682176

by danso 8y ago

Saw this story via an @EdwardTufte tweet: https://twitter.com/EdwardTufte/status/1007395311541682176 https://twitter.com/EdwardTufte/status/1007395311541682176 > A+ This is beautifully executed technical report by the Miami Herald, an instant classic of news reporting. Note that this report is a document not a deck. The FIU admistration loaded the bridge design down with features.

ScottBurson 8y ago
Wow, I thought it seriously needed an editor to take an axe to it. I usually like long pieces, but this just seemed repetitive.
- jacobolus 8y ago
  The way newspaper articles work, not every reader is expected to read the whole thing. They are structured to put critical information up front, so that a reader can stop whenever they lose interest without missing anything more important than what they already read, but include additional detail below for those who are more deeply interested. This leads to the same main points being repeated several times, which can be a jarring style for readers who are not used to reading newspapers. Long magazine articles are typically structured quite differently.
  - oftenwrong 8y ago
    It's known as the "inverted pyramid" style: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_pyramid_(journalism) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_pyramid_(journalism)
  - ScottBurson 8y ago
    Except it didn't seem like there was much more detail as I kept reading. That was my impression, anyway — I'm not inclined to reread it to see if I overlooked something.
keithpeter 8y ago
“This is not a big project," Beck said. "It’s a darn pedestrian bridge.” Quote from one of the expert engineers from OA. It is the last sentence in the article, and I think a very effective final comment. However, the article does quote two of the expert engineers as saying that the faux suspension bridge design could have been perfectly stable, had the trusses been strong enough. I was interested in the comment that had the two end pieces been in place, then the bridge may well have been fine - the plan was to swing the main bridge section into position then build the two end pieces in situ. One wonders about the design calculations for each stage of the proposed construction. I think there is a book length work around the details of the decision making process once the investigation is complete and the legal fall-out has been dealt with.
ghostly_s 8y ago
This seems a rather trite and self-serving take. 'Loaded down with features'? It seems the conclusion is there was exactly one problem, change the angle of structural members for aesthetic reasons without adequate structural analysis.

by danso 8y ago

ScottBurson 8y ago

Wow, I thought it seriously needed an editor to take an axe to it. I usually like long pieces, but this just seemed repetitive.

jacobolus 8y ago
The way newspaper articles work, not every reader is expected to read the whole thing. They are structured to put critical information up front, so that a reader can stop whenever they lose interest without missing anything more important than what they already read, but include additional detail below for those who are more deeply interested. This leads to the same main points being repeated several times, which can be a jarring style for readers who are not used to reading newspapers. Long magazine articles are typically structured quite differently.
- oftenwrong 8y ago
  It's known as the "inverted pyramid" style: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_pyramid_(journalism) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_pyramid_(journalism)
- ScottBurson 8y ago
  Except it didn't seem like there was much more detail as I kept reading. That was my impression, anyway — I'm not inclined to reread it to see if I overlooked something.

keithpeter 8y ago

“This is not a big project," Beck said. "It’s a darn pedestrian bridge.” Quote from one of the expert engineers from OA. It is the last sentence in the article, and I think a very effective final comment. However, the article does quote two of the expert engineers as saying that the faux suspension bridge design could have been perfectly stable, had the trusses been strong enough. I was interested in the comment that had the two end pieces been in place, then the bridge may well have been fine - the plan was to swing the main bridge section into position then build the two end pieces in situ. One wonders about the design calculations for each stage of the proposed construction. I think there is a book length work around the details of the decision making process once the investigation is complete and the legal fall-out has been dealt with.

ghostly_s 8y ago

This seems a rather trite and self-serving take. 'Loaded down with features'? It seems the conclusion is there was exactly one problem, change the angle of structural members for aesthetic reasons without adequate structural analysis.