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Communications pro tip: if you've got bad news to report, just lead with the bad news, don't try to soften it by wrapping it in a bunch of unrelated positive-so

Communications pro tip: if you've got bad news to report, just lead with the bad news, don't try to soften it by wrapping it in a bunch of unrelated positive-sounding stuff. All that does is leave the reader with a feeling of whiplash and a vague suspicion that you were hoping they'd miss the bad news inside all the fluffy packaging. It's better to just report the bad news up front so the reader can get past it and then you can both move on. (How this advice applies to this post will be left as an exercise for the reader.)

meruru 8y ago
I don't know is it really better? Obviously you'd prefer, and I think I would too, but the sort of thing you're complaining about might actually work. Apart from your personal feelings, is there anything else you are basing your claims on?
Fnoord 8y ago
Someone who felt insecure about the matter decided this premature damage control was necessary. Why? I suppose we can only guess.
- Casseres 8y ago
  I don't see any damage control. It's odd to me that people are nitpicking the negative news rather than the positive news. They're making progress towards a privacy-respecting phone. I'm excited.
  - Fnoord 8y ago
    You can see this as damage control while still being excited about Purism's Librem 5 project. Heck, I am excited about the Librem 5 because it supports some ideals I find important. Despite seeing this news post as damage control, I still am excited about the Librem 5.
cat199 8y ago
The first subheading in the post is 'Progress Report' and various details of progress in various areas are provided.. doesn't seem like spin to me.
faitswulff 8y ago
What bad news are you talking about? The overheating that was solved by NXP releasing a new software stack for their chosen CPU?
- smacktoward 8y ago
  That the ship date on the Librem 5 has been delayed (sorry, "adjusted") to Q3.
  - Casseres 8y ago
    They wrote "the previous Q2 estimate is now confirmed for Q3 product shipping." I haven't gone back to see what they said/estimated in the past, but going from an estimate to a ship date that's only off by 1 quarter seems acceptable to me.
    - r3bl 8y ago
      It was moved from January 2019 (in the original kickstarter), to April, to Q2, and now finally to Q3. That's a quite significant delay, but I personally don't mind as long as the final product arrives by the end of the year.
      - Casseres 8y ago
        Yeah, that is a bit disappointing. I would probably be irritated if it went into Q4, but considering I wouldn't know where to begin if I were to build a phone from scratch, I can't complain... too loudly.
      - wiz21c 8y ago
        I answer here because I'm sure it's ommon amongst HN reader. If you think this : >> I personally don't mind as long as the final product arrives by the end of the year. Then it's useless to complaint that : >> That's a quite significant delay, but If freedom is at stake, then a few months later is of no importance.
jancsika 8y ago
And I'm sure there was an HN commenter waiting in the wings for the branch of reality where Purism did just that: "Wow if their press release is this bleak, imagine how bad the reality is. Communications pro tip: explain up front why you missed the shipping date. Because after reading the I got the sense that they actually ran into some luck and didn't have to switch from their original hardware choice. Imagine what the shipping date would be if they had to move to the mini and essentially start all over."
TACIXAT 8y ago
I have one pre ordered, I don't really consider that bad news. It's just an update about shipping. Hardware projects, even software projects are gonna move ship dates. The heating issue and video were more interesting to me, I glanced the shipping date as a good to know. Short of the project shutting down, I'm more interested in the progress.
r3vrse 8y ago
Also have a professional proofread your posts. 'Around the bend' is not the connotation you were looking for.
pmoriarty 8y ago
"Communications pro tip: if you've got bad news to report, just lead with the bad news..." If you've got a point to make, just make the point, and omit the useless "pro tip" preamble.
flukus 8y ago
> if you've got bad news to report, just lead with the bad news, don't try to soften it by wrapping it in a bunch of unrelated positive-sounding stuff Isn't this exactly what they did? The delay is in the title, you can't get anymore leading than that.
newnewpdro 8y ago
It's very unfortunate that this comment has been at the top of the thread for most of today. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Librem 5.
- jshevek 8y ago
  Yes. It is also needlessly condescending, while asserting a questionable opinion as if it were an established 'best practice.'
craftyguy 8y ago
There is no substantial bad news in this article..

meruru 8y ago

I don't know is it really better? Obviously you'd prefer, and I think I would too, but the sort of thing you're complaining about might actually work. Apart from your personal feelings, is there anything else you are basing your claims on?

Fnoord 8y ago

Someone who felt insecure about the matter decided this premature damage control was necessary. Why? I suppose we can only guess.

Casseres 8y ago
I don't see any damage control. It's odd to me that people are nitpicking the negative news rather than the positive news. They're making progress towards a privacy-respecting phone. I'm excited.
- Fnoord 8y ago
  You can see this as damage control while still being excited about Purism's Librem 5 project. Heck, I am excited about the Librem 5 because it supports some ideals I find important. Despite seeing this news post as damage control, I still am excited about the Librem 5.

cat199 8y ago

The first subheading in the post is 'Progress Report' and various details of progress in various areas are provided.. doesn't seem like spin to me.

faitswulff 8y ago

What bad news are you talking about? The overheating that was solved by NXP releasing a new software stack for their chosen CPU?

smacktoward 8y ago
That the ship date on the Librem 5 has been delayed (sorry, "adjusted") to Q3.
- Casseres 8y ago
  They wrote "the previous Q2 estimate is now confirmed for Q3 product shipping." I haven't gone back to see what they said/estimated in the past, but going from an estimate to a ship date that's only off by 1 quarter seems acceptable to me.
  - r3bl 8y ago
    It was moved from January 2019 (in the original kickstarter), to April, to Q2, and now finally to Q3. That's a quite significant delay, but I personally don't mind as long as the final product arrives by the end of the year.
    - Casseres 8y ago
      Yeah, that is a bit disappointing. I would probably be irritated if it went into Q4, but considering I wouldn't know where to begin if I were to build a phone from scratch, I can't complain... too loudly.
    - wiz21c 8y ago
      I answer here because I'm sure it's ommon amongst HN reader. If you think this : >> I personally don't mind as long as the final product arrives by the end of the year. Then it's useless to complaint that : >> That's a quite significant delay, but If freedom is at stake, then a few months later is of no importance.

jancsika 8y ago

And I'm sure there was an HN commenter waiting in the wings for the branch of reality where Purism did just that: "Wow if their press release is this bleak, imagine how bad the reality is. Communications pro tip: explain up front why you missed the shipping date. Because after reading the I got the sense that they actually ran into some luck and didn't have to switch from their original hardware choice. Imagine what the shipping date would be if they had to move to the mini and essentially start all over."

TACIXAT 8y ago

I have one pre ordered, I don't really consider that bad news. It's just an update about shipping. Hardware projects, even software projects are gonna move ship dates. The heating issue and video were more interesting to me, I glanced the shipping date as a good to know. Short of the project shutting down, I'm more interested in the progress.

r3vrse 8y ago

Also have a professional proofread your posts. 'Around the bend' is not the connotation you were looking for.

pmoriarty 8y ago

"Communications pro tip: if you've got bad news to report, just lead with the bad news..." If you've got a point to make, just make the point, and omit the useless "pro tip" preamble.

flukus 8y ago

> if you've got bad news to report, just lead with the bad news, don't try to soften it by wrapping it in a bunch of unrelated positive-sounding stuff Isn't this exactly what they did? The delay is in the title, you can't get anymore leading than that.

newnewpdro 8y ago

It's very unfortunate that this comment has been at the top of the thread for most of today. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Librem 5.

jshevek 8y ago
Yes. It is also needlessly condescending, while asserting a questionable opinion as if it were an established 'best practice.'

craftyguy 8y ago

There is no substantial bad news in this article..