I agreed on all the points discussed in the post “How to Write for The Internet”. When reading online, I can relate to the idea of skimming in a kind of “F” shaped pattern. How the post is written and designed determines how much of it I actually read.
The post really emphasizes the importance of appearance and from this reading I have learn to focus on making the big points first, avoiding long paragraphs, and avoiding formal text. As stated in the article, it is important to make your main points and ideas first. As a reader myself, I don’t want to go searching to find information. If I can easily access the information and clearly understand what the writer is trying to convey right form the jump, I will be more likely to read most of it, if not, all of the article or post.
Long paragraphs can sometimes be a pain to read; I agree with the writer of this post on this topic as well because I need to emphasize smaller and more detailed paragraphs so I can appeal to my audience. When trying to keep the reader engaged, the post as mentioned the use of informal text. When using informal text I feel that the reader is able to connect further with the writer and this is another great way to keep the reader engaged.
I never quite understood how long a paragraph should be for a post on the internet, but the post has given me some perspective: 25-35 words should do it. I never knew such a short paragraph could be so effective in one’s writing. As the post stated, most use the internet for work and other purposes and that will cause paragraphs to become longer as time goes on; however, short paragraphs are still recommended to catch the reader’s attention.
Using headings, bolds, links, and bullets really stuck with me as well, in addition to being visual as well. I agree with the post as I believe these techniques help engage the reader as well and help also catch their attention from the beginning. If I read something that was short, visual, and very well organized, I would be more inclined to read it and understand what the main points of the post were. Overall, these techniques were helpful to me and I look forward to using them to improve my internet writing skills moving forward.
I agree with you that internet writing short be short, organized, and easy to follow. When writers overuse jargon or difficult words, it immediately makes me disinterested to continue reading. It makes me feel like I do not understand the content and I am no longer interested. Using informal text and keeping paragraphs short and structured helps an audience follow along and absorb content. I can also relate to skimming text in an “F” shaped pattern. Do you think writers should use jargon at all in internet writing if it is for a specific type of audience?
The main point that really stuck out to me was your point on the length of paragraphs. When I am reading, if it is a longer one, I always find myself just skimming it, or glancing over, rather than fully digesting what the author wants me to read. It is something I actually struggle with while I’m writing, and in the future will make shorter paragraphs.
The strategy that resonated with me most was the use of headings, bold, links, and bullets. Throughout the entire post it stresses the importance of aesthetic appeal and no other strategy affects the aesthetics of the text more than directly editing how it looks. I personally find headings to be the most effective out of all these strategies when reading, as I often scan for information needed, and having a heading containing the exact words I look for draws me right into the text.
I agree with you that the length of the paragraph in internet writing is very important. I remember in my marketing class, the professor mentioned similar concept when talking about content marketing: the structure of the content is as important as the content itself. Why do you think the appearances of the posts is important in internet writing compare to books (rarely have visuals)?