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That's both a very narrow, unhealthy view of writing and a pretty fatalistic attitude towards your readers. I don't like TL;DR any more than the author of the a
by fusiongyro 14y ago
That's both a very narrow, unhealthy view of writing and a pretty fatalistic attitude towards your readers. I don't like TL;DR any more than the author of the article, but I don't think having an abstract or brief synopsis decreases the likelihood of you "winning" the essay—or if it did, that this alone would constitute a good reason not to use them.
- johnfn 14y agoI think you misunderstood my comment. I wasn't speaking just about having a TL;DR or not but instead more about the difference between long essays and short passages. Characterizing my opinion of writing as either something you 'win' or 'lose' is itself narrow (and frankly, almost insulting). I have to feel that you coming off this way is a byproduct of the Internet. I'm not trying to chastise you here. I understand that what I wrote initially might come off in a way I didn't intend, but you have to meet me halfway by assuming I'm not a total jerk. Writing isn't about winning or losing, it's about sharing ideas. And yes, there are better ways and worse ways to share ideas. A conversation around a dinner table is probably better than an essay ever will be - but you can still try to get there. You can either hear this fact and say "aha, I should try to be more clear in sharing my ideas" or you can say "that's fatalistic, and writing isn't a game." I can't fault you for choosing the latter, but I do ask that when I choose the former you remember that I do it just because I want to be understood.
- fusiongyro 14y agoPlease accept my apologies. Lately it has felt like everyone around here is trying to win. I should not have assumed you were and I seem to have fixated on the wrong elements of your comment.