Communication: The Currency of Commerce

When I was preparing my section of the discussion for the graduate symposium, I came up with the line, "Communication is the currency of commerce," which suggests that there's a lot to be gained from effectively communicating with people with whom there was initially no felt need to do so. Based on this core thought, I am going to look at two broad themes for my research:
1. Is the English language versatile enough to reach out to even those individuals who cannot speak it? This extends beyond the concept of hybrid languages such as Spanglish (Spanish-English) or Hinglish (Hindi-English) and examines how individuals incorporate English words and phrases into their everyday communication. What motivates them to do this, and how does the language facilitate this process?
2. Using plurilingualism as a tool for promoting diversity: There is considerable evidence that language proficiency in corporations—or the lack thereof—broadly impacts operations and results. The impact of the language barrier cannot be evaluated using simple measures such as dollars spent on interpreters or days lost in translating documents. Instead the true cost needs to be seen in terms of the way it distorts and damages relationships. These in turn impose pressures and constraints on the strategies pursued by the company. The key areas that may be negatively affected by such issues are buyer/seller relationships, foreign market expansion, joint ventures, and staffing policies.

In short, I am going to examine how divergence can in turn lead to convergence, and determine the best possible ways to facilitate the process of inclusion within the organizational context.

Editing Access to Healthcare

Editing Healthcare Project Proposal

Topic

I want to study the language surrounding access to healthcare system in the United States among marginalized populations.

Observation

Different populations have greater access to healthcare over others. Other than the healthcare providers there are other agencies out there to help facilitate during this process of finding adequate and proper healthcare. Now that a new healthcare bill is being implemented, there will have to be multiple strategies to reach the large audience of the general public without excluding particular populations.

It is important to advertise and educate everyone our nation on how to adequately access the new healthcare system. Why? Language has a powerful impact on how people percieve and understand the healthcare system and the support that it offers. Vice versa, language can serve as a powerful tool that can exclude certain populations that do not understand or are unaware of what is availible.

Purpose

To create a system that uses a language that is more exclusive to increase access to the healthcare system.

Research Question

How can we create a system with greater access to healthcare?(through the language we use) And is it the responsibility of health careproviders, other organizations, media campaigns, or education to help consumers find access points to healthcare.

Research Angle

For my research, I want to specifically look at the language of healthcare's impact on consumer perception and knowledge of heathcare access. Also, I want to see test the use of information and communication technology to provide more informed health literature. My research will include studies on the effects of language on people's understanding of research and gather more information on movement's like the plain english campaign.

Communication During the Editing Process

While looking for articles along the lines of communication during the editing process, like some of you mentioned, I have been attempting to narrow my topic. The idea for my topic came from the work experience that I talked about in class the other day. Some of the articles that I chose are more about workplace teamwork and collaboration in general but dedicate some discussion to editing specifically. For example, one of the articles that I selected from the Business Communication Quarterly deals with a "process-oriented approach to teamwork". Although, this article is not written about editing per se, it does mention the use of track changes and the difficulties encountered when they are not used.

As with Jessi's and Lindsay's projects, I also plan on addressing how technology with the introduction of various editing software programs and tools, such as track changes, has affected collaboration in the editing process. One article, "Learned Correctors to Technical Editors" details the progression of the technical editing profession. I would like to include this article to show issues that editors have faced in the past and the solutions that were offered to correct them. Similarly, I plan to include a few articles that discuss different approaches used by editors and the varying levels of effectiveness with each. I realize now that it may sound like my topic is too broad, but I think where I am going with this is "Here are the problems editors have encountered in communicating during the editing process" and "Here are some possible solutions and pros and cons of different methods".

My overall theme is going to be communication and collaboration during the process of editing documents using a computer. The book that I borrowed from Scott titled "Electronic Literacies in the Workplace" includes a chapter ,"Online Editing, Mark-up Models, and the Workplace lives of Editors and Writers", which is directly related. Also, another article titled "A Model of Norm Development for Computer Mediated Teams" deals with teamwork in general. All of these articles includes lessons that when taken collectively would make for an effective editing process. While I realize that this topic is nothing groundbreaking, I am interested in this research so that I will know what to expect if I were to hold an editing position and so that I will be able to employ various editing approaches depending on my workplace's preferences. From this research, I will hopefully be in a position to make suggestions during the process. I think this research could also be extended to other professions that require group collaboration (as do most) and would be helpful for students entering into the workforce.

The Perils of Research

Did you know practically every scientific article includes the words "editor" and "language" ? Perfect.

It is fascinating how the culture of technology changes language—everything from the recognition of emoticons to the speed of marketing has changed. For editors, this language shift is especially important as the expectations of audiences are shifting as well.
Thus far in my research, I have yet to find anything that directly embraces the change technology has had on language, and on editors themselves. An article published in 2005 by Blake Morrison establishes that editors are losing control in “this market.” It seems however, that few article writers like to establish what this market is, how it has changed, or ways in which editors have to change their own ways.
There are a handful of articles from around 1997 that are all about how writing has changed because of Word Processing. This is interesting, but we are a little beyond this point now. We’re not questioning how fast a reader must move across a screen or how writers have to write in choppy, quick statements to make up for an audience with a technology driven attention span (a.k.a. a short one). We can already embrace these facts. But have editors embraced this? How do they feel about wikis and the negative attitude toward editing from the freedom of technology philosophy? How have our cultural standards changed?
There is no question that a huge shift is forcing people to recognize how writing is changing and the job of the editor. In Jerome McGann and Dino Buzzetti’s article, "Critical Editing In A Digital Hemisphere", for example, the authors are focusing on the tools that change editors’ jobs. Does editing software challenge the professionalism of the editor’s mind?
As I am left with eight semi-related articles and more questions than answers, it seems that the research here is off to a good start. As to why I picked this subject, I can only say that I find Twitter fascinating—journalists are writing news briefs in 140 characters or less (check out http://jprof.blogspot.com/2009/01/writing-for-twitter-good-journalism-in.html). How do we control ourselves now?

Nicole's Final Project

I'm still ironing out the details, but for my final project I know I want to look at language usage in health communication. Specifically, I want to look at the way pharmaceutical drugs are marketed to the general public. At first my topic was too broad, and now, as I've begun to research, I'm fearing its too narrow so comments and responses are welcome.

For a long time I've been interested in the way we talk about medications and vaccines. In the United States we have pharmaceutical reps who sell certain drugs to doctors, but we also have medicine that is marketed directly to the common population. We often see TV commercials that are targeted to the general public asking us to self-diagnosis ourselves. "Do you suffer from tiredness or disinterest? You may be suffering from depression. Talk to your doctor about this drug." These advertisements are often written to sound like more of a public service announcement and less of an advertisement for a product. While I think talking about medicine this way has certain ethical issues, these advertisement writers know what they are doing because the ads are effective. I imagine pharmaceutical reps who are trying to sell the same products to doctors use very different language, and different persuasive techniques. I would love to look into this more, but I'm afraid the topic is too broad for this assignment.

Even when marketing drugs to people, different language is used for different populations. I'm thinking specificially of the Gardasil vaccine and how it is marketed to young women. Gardasil is a HPV vaccine recently introduced into the market. Women between the ages of 9 and 25 are encouraged to get the expensive three dose vaccine - it may even become a government mandated vaccine in a few years. It is supposed to prevent most types of cervical cancer - the kinds you can get from sexual activity. I've heard advertisements for Gardasil that sound VERY MUCH like a public service announcement. I've noticed that these ads sound different depending if the target audience is a 20+ sexually active woman compared to a preventative precaution for (hopefully not sexually active) nine-year-olds. I've seen print advertisements for college-aged women, high school women, and I've also seen literature that is obviously directed to mothers of 9-12 year-olds. I am interested in looking at these ads specifically, but, like I said, this topic may be too narrow.

I'm also interested in the way commercials use language like "4 out of 5 doctors agree" in their ads and how this has changed over time. I know that some doctors endorsed cigarettes thirty years ago.

Writing for the Web

Studies of how users read on the Web found they do not actually read: instead, they scan the text. A study of five different writing styles found that a sample Web site scored 58% higher in measured usability when it was written concisely, 47% higher when the text was scannable, and 27% higher when it was written in an objective style instead of the promotional style used in control condition and many current Web pages. Combining these three changes into a single site that was concise, scannable, and objective at the same time resulted in a 124% higher measured usability.

My goal has always been to become a web interface designer or web developer once I graduate JMU. As a graduate student, I have tried to create my own path throughout the program to better my Web skills, through programming, graphics, and interface design. One of the only areas I have not had the pleasure of experimenting or researching with is Web writing. As an undergraduate, I was taught that it was different from academic writing mostly because of its purpose. Like the first paragraph states, users normally aren't going to a website to spend a lot of time. We are busy individuals and don't always have the time to read each and every word. Therefore, we scan.

For my final, I want to take a closer look of the differences between academic writing and Web writing. Is there a format to Web writing, besides the obvious ingredients of audience and purpose? Some individuals scan print writing as well; what is the difference between the two? These are only a few questions that I hope to explore. Mostly, in the end, I hope to learn and produce another piece that I can show for not only the comprehensive exam in the Fall, but also to future employers my vast experience with the Web.

Communicating in Virtual Organizations

In her book "Communication in a Virtual Organization," Sandra Collins describes collectivism as a key feature of virtual organizations, because they "recognize the value of collaboration and networking rather than relying on pure authority" or traditional bureaucracies (p. 7). This focuses on human dynamics, and recognizes the need for these dynamics to remain in the forefront of our communication practices, not the technology used to facilitate it. Collectivism also demonstrates the difficulties that may arise in the implementation of the ideal "new" organization, which is flat, flexible, networked, global, and diverse. Such organizations emphasize greater flexibility, speed, and reliance on networked structures and de-emphasize traditional hierarchical structures.

Communication in the virtual form is expected to be rapid and customized in response to specific, ad-hoc demands at any given point in time. This means that communication content and direction are likely to be more temporary, as links between various entities within the organization and outside it are formed and dissolved over time. Consequently, a likely tension in the virtual form will be simultaneous needs for more and richer communication, on the one hand, and pressures for greater transaction efficiencies, on the other.

Learning how to communicate effectively is an important element in technical communication, where there's not just the transmission of information, but the addition of value in interpreting the message and making it comprehensible to a specific target audience. Breaking a message down is a critical step in the communication process, because a simple message facilitates easier and quicker dissemination of information, leading to the ability to make better decisions, ones which are probably more robust due to the fact that there's more visibility to the environment that the decisions impact. I believe that adding this kind of tangible value, particularly in a virtual organizational context where information overload is the norm, is an example of a key success factor in the communication process.

How to Use a Semicolon: The Most Feared Punctuation

I don't know about you, but I've always feared a semicolon. The only time I'm certain when to use it is before a conjunction, like "however" and "therefore". Other than that, I would never use it to just break apart of sentence. The Oatmeal says differently.

The Oatmeal says the point of semicolon is to connect two independent clauses, two complete thoughts. Semicolons eliminate the pause created by a period without using words such as "and", "but", "nor", or "yet". It is recommended to use a semicolon when you'd like to form a bond between two statements, typically when they are related to or contrast with one another. Or use a semicolon as a super-comma, like if you need to make a list of items that are separated with a comma. This often occurs when listing locations, names, dates, and descriptions.

A good way to think about it is the difference in pauses. A comma creates a brief pause. A semicolon creates a moderate pause. And finally, a period, which creates a complete stop.

For more information, check out the website below for the amusing graphics and entertaining dialogue:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon

The Confederacy

So, our Governor decided to change policy and declare April "Confederate History Month." I thought, since my first foray into this blog was about the politics of Virginia, that it made nice symmetry for my last to do so as well. I think this is also a chance to look at what people do and say in reaction to events such as these, and how the government decides them.

Since we did not have a chance to get to our cultural editing unit, I'm not really sure if this is appropriate, but as someone who grew up with a very Southern family, I'm excited that we are acknowledging this part of American, and Virginian history, and culture. The Proclamation by the Governor is not very long, but it is interesting reading.

I am particularly fond of this section, "WHEREAS, this defining chapter in Virginia’s history should not be forgotten, but instead should be studied, understood and remembered by all Virginians, both in the context of the time in which it took place, but also in the context of the time in which we live," as it seems related to the news items of the day, such as Virginia asserting State's Rights in the suit against the Federal Government over the new Health Care policies. Considering that the previous two administrations did not endorse Confederate History Month, I wonder if our Governor did this for his own beliefs, or as a strategic political move. It is a question with no real answer, but my reading of the words leads me to wonder.

Looking at the Washington Post, I was fairly certain I knew what reader reaction was going to look like, and I was not disappointed. Those who commented at all were overwhelmingly negative about the entire deal, with objections ranging from the fact that the Proclamation did not mention slavery, to just outright calling McDonnell a hillbilly.

"Just exactly which constituency is he playing to, however you look at history, there is no question that the Confederacy stood for treason because they took up arms against the government of The United States. Nice job Virginia, you've really picked a winner with this nut bag!

Posted by: wsblount | April 6, 2010 1:47 PM"

The above quote was the first comment on the Post's "Political Voices" page, and I was really upset by it. After all, the Declaration of Independence supported the idea of removing, seceding or changing government when it no longer works for the people. If the Confederacy felt this was the appropriate action, then it is odd to see it labeled "treason." But then again, we are preparing to remove Thomas Jefferson from the history books of our high school students, so who's to judge?

Perhaps I've strayed a little bit from the idea of cultural editing, but I mainly wanted to point out the oddity that is American culture. Do we really even feel we have one anymore? I'm hard pressed to believe that we can agree on nearly anything. Even more importantly, I understand the polarizing effect of the Civil War, and the impact it still has on the thinking of our nation, but to see people so brazenly want to disregard it, as with other portions of our history is a strange case to make.

Enjoy the reading. I found it very painful.

Grammar Software: Where there's smoke...

We've been learning and reviewing grammar rules along with context and style considerations, presumably, in order to apply our writing skills to a career in which we are clear, concise, and professional writers, at a minimum. However, there is a software program called "WhiteSmoke" that from first glance appear to negate the need to retain these skills (http://www.whitesmoke.com/) or may possibly result in a reluctance to consistently adhere to good writing practices. I know that, for me, the use of spell check has brought about a diminished aptitude for spelling because I can resort to it if I type a series of letters that even closely resembles the word for which I intend to use.

This software goes well beyond the call of duty of your standard grammar and spell checking functions with an "innovative style checker [that] enhances sentences." Their webpage includes a list of FAQs, which includes inquires such as, "WhiteSmoke missed an error in my sentence. Why?" My answer: Well, because WhiteSmoke's Natural Language Processing (NLP) does not replace something known as the Broca’s area of the human brain. However, if an oversight of the software were to occur, one would be able to report the mistake to the company, and they would consider the information for future revisions. What has society resorted to if one would choose to use their time writing the makers of a software program that is intended to replace human intellect instead of taking that time to educate themselves and eliminate their dependency upon a software program to write well?

I had never heard of this software until I conducted an internet search on grammar this evening. Perhaps, you all are familiar with it and its uses. For all I know, this software could be widely accepted for its use in professional writing. Surely, companies wouldn't elect to use this software in place of editors who are able to access the context, determine the tone, and analyze sentences structure with a much higher level of reasoning. Ideally, this tool would be (as it may be) used to aid in the final revisions of a document and not relayed upon as an authority for writing. Obviously, software companies, such as this benefit from employing people who possess the skills that we are learning – something to keep in mind.

Who(m) created this rule?

I learned the "rule" for when to use whom and when to use who when I was in elementary school. The correct word usually comes naturally now, but if I'm unsure, I can quiz myself with a quick question as I encouraged all of us to do in class on Monday:

Is who/whom referring to she, he, we or they? If so, use who.
Is who/whom referring to her, him, us, or them? If so, use whom.

As much as I hate simplifying these terms to masculine terms, its even easier just to remember to match up the "m's" on the end of him and whom or them and whom. For example:

To whom does the car belong? It belongs to him.
To whom do you wish to speak? I wish to speak to them.
Who is your best friend? He is my best friend. (no m's in this one!)

Even though I am comfortable with the who verses whom rule, I know this is a point of frustration for many. I googled "whom verses who" and thousands of responses popped up (obviously - its google) but I found different explanations on ehow.com and ask.com. Its funny to me that people look for quick answers to grammar questions on Wikipedia rather than searching in a legitimate online grammar source.

Even though this rule works like second nature for me, I know that these tricks may not work as easily for some people. I've been thinking about the grammar rules we create to remember the right way to do things, and how some work really well for some people and are ineffective for others. I know that I am an auditory learner. If I can make something rhyme or make sense orally, I'm good. For example, I've never forgotten that FAN BOYS stands for For And Nor But Or Yet So or that i comes before e except after c or when it sounds like "A" as in neighbor or weigh. Still, these rules have their limitations.

I think one reason the whom/who rule is most frustrating because it is almost outdated. Whom has been nearly eliminated from our oral conversations and vocabulary in general. In a way, I think this is a good thing because the English language is far more complicated than it needs to be, and if we can simplify the rules that seem arbitrary or confusing, we might as well. Until its completely gone, though, I say use the she/he/we/they verses her/him/us/them rule.

A Dash of Style and yes I know the title is not mine

Just to a quick follow up on my recent presentation, here is the book I was referring to in the title of my presentation. I recently acquired this book so if you are interested in reading it just let me know. This is more so a guide for creative writing and less about creating an actual rule book. You can find a lot of other neat stuff from Noah Lukeman's website with media and preview actual excerpts from his book at http://www.adashofstyle.com/

Here is a preview from his introduction of  his book. I really appreciate that he takes the angle of looking at punctuation as an art or stylization in writing. Certainly, there are some rules that qualify their usage for clear writing but a writer can use punctuation to really infuse a paper with his or her voice!

 

Excerpt from his into:

"Of all the subjects which engage the attention of the compositor, none proves 

a greater stumbling-block, or is so much a matter of uncertainty and doubt . . . 

as the Art of Punctuation." 

                            —Henry Beadnell, Spelling and Punctuation, 1880 

    

This is not a book for grammarians. Nor is it one for historians. They 

can turn to Lynne Truss’s Eats, Shoots & Leaves or a host of other excellent 

punctuation books written for them. This book is for the audience that needs it 

the most and yet for whom, ironically, a punctuation book has yet to be written: 

creative writers. This means writers of fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, poetry, 

and screenplays, and also includes anyone seeking to write well, whether for 

business, school, or any other endeavor. 

Most writers do not want to know the 17 uses of the comma, or ponder 

the 4th-century usage of the semicolon. Most writers simply want to improve 

their writing. They want to know how punctuation can serve them—not how

 they can serve punctuation. They have turned to books on punctuation, but have 

found them painfully mundane. Unfortunately, many of these books tend to 

ignore anyone hoping to use punctuation with a bit of style. 

            This book will offer a fresh look at punctuation: as an art form. 

Punctuation is often discussed as a convenience, as a way of facilitating what 

you want to say. Rarely is it pondered as a medium for artistic expression, as a 

means of impacting on the content—not in a pedantic way, but in the most 

profound way, where it achieves symbiosis with the narration, style, viewpoint, 

and even the plot itself. 

Split Infinitives: To Boldly Go Where No (Wo)Man Has Gone Before

I recognize that the above statement is cheesy, but hopefully you can catch on to the point. Perhaps it should be “To go boldly where no man has gone before,” but really, would it be as memorable? Split infinitives typically crop up in my writing—I am one to lean toward the wordy styles of English majors, and worse, the relaxed style of fiction students. In WRTC, however, it seems that split infinitives get me more often than not.

So, a little history regarding the split infinitive:

According to the American Heritage Book of English Usage on Split Infinitives, the first split infinitive appeared around the Norman conquest of Britain when the English was greatly influenced by the French language. The earliest split infinitives appeared around 1250, but interestingly enough, Shakespeare only used one in his career: “Thy pity may deserve to pitied be” (Sonnet 142)

Of course, in the 1900’s some grammarians chose to demonize split infinitives, though according to Joanne Asala at CompassRose.com, now the taboo can be helpful for clarification. This source also connects the negative viewpoint of split infinitives to the Renaissance writers who focused on Greek and Latin forms of speech. The format of Greek and Latin cannot include split infinitives due to the structure of sentences. It seems that people went back and forth on the subject, though note those famous individuals who used the split infinitives to their advantage: Abraham Lincoln, William Wordsworth, and Willa Cather. More recently, scholars seem to be split on this subject. (No Pun Intended)

This is what OWL says:

Split infinitives

Split infinitives occur when additional words are included between to and the verb in an infinitive. Many readers find a single adverb splitting the infinitive to be acceptable, but this practice should be avoided in formal writing.

Examples:

• I like to on a nice day walk in the woods. * (unacceptable)
  On a nice day, I like to walk in the woods. (revised)
• I needed to quickly gather my personal possessions. (acceptable in informal contexts)
  I needed to gather my personal possessions quickly. (revised for formal contexts)

Above all, here, I think it’s necessary to recognize the flexibility of language. It is an organic concept that moves with culture so that, if we ever do go back to Latin, we can move with the times. The chance of this happening is pretty slim, of course. I suppose we are more likely to talk in Javascript someday. But, there is something to say for style and the comforting nature of literature that is written in the way that we speak. Should we take this relaxed response in every piece we write? Probably not. Should we judge those who split their infinitives? Probably not, though we should probably instruct them to checkout OWL. Regardless of all of the notes on my papers, regardless of the reinforcement of this rule, I can’t help but note the fact that I seem to consistently revert back to what I am accustomed to.