Michiel Bijl (list)
2016-11-12 10:50:13 UTC
Dear spec-prod,
I hope we can change this piece of advise so we can make our specs more human.
Cheers.
âMichiel
Eliminate contractions (e.g., "don't" should read "do not")?
Most types of writing benefit from the use of contractions. If used thoughtfully, contractions in prose sound natural and relaxed and make reading more enjoyable.
They do that [remove contractions from dialog] because screenwriters know that the easiest way to make anyone sound like a robot is to take away all their contractions.
And while that may sound like cheap trick, it works every time.
Do I want to sound like an automaton?
Or do I want to sound like a person?
Use contractions thoughtfully
Avoid contractions when you need to use RFC 2119 terms.
While RFC 2119 <http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2119.txt> doesnât actually state that you shouldnât use contractions, I feel itâs generally interpreted that way. Please correct me on that if Iâm wrong.Most types of writing benefit from the use of contractions. If used thoughtfully, contractions in prose sound natural and relaxed and make reading more enjoyable.
They do that [remove contractions from dialog] because screenwriters know that the easiest way to make anyone sound like a robot is to take away all their contractions.
And while that may sound like cheap trick, it works every time.
Do I want to sound like an automaton?
Or do I want to sound like a person?
Use contractions thoughtfully
Avoid contractions when you need to use RFC 2119 terms.
I hope we can change this piece of advise so we can make our specs more human.
Cheers.
âMichiel