2 ms·

I really do not like this writing style. Everything is presented as fact, without any attributions or reasoning or proof. This way I do not know what is an actu

by hristov 15y ago

I really do not like this writing style. Everything is presented as fact, without any attributions or reasoning or proof. This way I do not know what is an actual fact and what is just speculation and conjecture on part of the writer. For example while reading the article I thought that Google had actually announced a tablet called play. Then towards the end I started getting suspicious, and did a Google search and seems like there is no such announcement. Play is just a name of a marketplace as far as i can tell. I still am not sure whether there is an announcement or a rumor of a tablet called Play. If you want to be taken seriously you should qualify the more drastic assertions you are making. You can use terms like "I believe", or "so and so announced" or "as my analysis below shows", etc. Even the more wimpy "sources say" or "rumor has it" is better than reporting rumors as facts. Of course it does not seem that the writer is even reporting rumors as facts here. He is reporting wild-ass speculations or even fantasies as facts.

cek 15y ago
OP here. Totally appreciate feedback on writing style. It's valuable to me. FWIW, though, the very first sentence of the post links to this WSJ article about Google launching a tablet: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702303404704577312043639469540-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwOTEyNDkyWj.html http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB1000142405270230340470... I have a (likely unfounded) bias against writing "I think..." or "I beleive...". I think (!) it comes from being railed against by an English teacher to be less wordy.
- derekerdmann 15y ago
  I was always taught the same thing. Most people use "I think" or "in my opinion" in a way that weakens their persuasive argument (what high school students typically have to write), so forbidding it forces them to write with confidence in their position. It's part of the formality of that type of writing. In contrast, blogs are much more personal. I think it's ok to say that your statement is your opinion in that context, especially when you're writing a prediction like this. Personally, I like it as it is. You took a bold stance and made a radical prediction, forcing the reader to think about how your inevitable future contrasts with their own predictions. If only that happened more on the internet.

by hristov 15y ago

cek 15y ago

OP here. Totally appreciate feedback on writing style. It's valuable to me. FWIW, though, the very first sentence of the post links to this WSJ article about Google launching a tablet: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702303404704577312043639469540-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwOTEyNDkyWj.html http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB1000142405270230340470... I have a (likely unfounded) bias against writing "I think..." or "I beleive...". I think (!) it comes from being railed against by an English teacher to be less wordy.

derekerdmann 15y ago
I was always taught the same thing. Most people use "I think" or "in my opinion" in a way that weakens their persuasive argument (what high school students typically have to write), so forbidding it forces them to write with confidence in their position. It's part of the formality of that type of writing. In contrast, blogs are much more personal. I think it's ok to say that your statement is your opinion in that context, especially when you're writing a prediction like this. Personally, I like it as it is. You took a bold stance and made a radical prediction, forcing the reader to think about how your inevitable future contrasts with their own predictions. If only that happened more on the internet.