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The topic of useful writing is important. The ideas in this essay may not be surprising or unexpected, but the author does lay out a clear formula (importance +

The topic of useful writing is important. The ideas in this essay may not be surprising or unexpected, but the author does lay out a clear formula (importance + novelty + correctness + strength) that probably isn't obvious to most. It seems to be correct and the concrete list of usefulness criteria is strong. Everything seems to check out. The focus on correctness in this style of essay writing seems like a function of an engineer's thought process. If I write an essay about a vacation at the beach there isn't much of a requirement to be correct about the details. The goal could be to share my perspective or observations, which is more about being honest than being right. I like the formula above, I think it clarifies this style of writing well. I plan to pay attention to it in the future.

Traster 7y ago
The formula is wrong though. To provide a counter-example - Cunningham's Law >the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer. Sometimes saying something wrong, may actually be more useful. Either because you're clarifying a problem or making a connection or drawing a contrast or showing someone else the path by letting them see your chain of logic.
- randcraw 7y ago
  I agree that inviting contrarianism can be a useful way to communicate (though it probably isn't the best way to present a convincing / 'useful' argument). But the medium for many essays lacks an interactive forum. Reactive comments from the audience is only a recent phenomenon. Before the net/web (~1990), the essay lived strictly in a broadcast-style medium. Then, the message had to live or die on its own merits. Careless or provocateur authors risked quick dismissal by an annoyed readership or eventual decline into insignificance. And the degenerate devolved form of contrarians, media trolls, didn't yet exist. Halcyon days they were.
- webmaven 7y ago
  Ah, but useful to the writer, or the reader?

Traster 7y ago

The formula is wrong though. To provide a counter-example - Cunningham's Law >the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer. Sometimes saying something wrong, may actually be more useful. Either because you're clarifying a problem or making a connection or drawing a contrast or showing someone else the path by letting them see your chain of logic.

randcraw 7y ago
I agree that inviting contrarianism can be a useful way to communicate (though it probably isn't the best way to present a convincing / 'useful' argument). But the medium for many essays lacks an interactive forum. Reactive comments from the audience is only a recent phenomenon. Before the net/web (~1990), the essay lived strictly in a broadcast-style medium. Then, the message had to live or die on its own merits. Careless or provocateur authors risked quick dismissal by an annoyed readership or eventual decline into insignificance. And the degenerate devolved form of contrarians, media trolls, didn't yet exist. Halcyon days they were.
webmaven 7y ago
Ah, but useful to the writer, or the reader?