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Andy Chen took the “Five Phases of Blogging” conceit that I threw out last week and applied and extended it to “Six Phases of a Blogging Community.” From the looks of the most advanced phases, I’m happy to be stuck back at phase two….
More numbered thoughts
I owe Steve and Andrew’s side of the “clarity” argument more sympathetic attention, so:
5. Many who can’t write clearly, also can’t tell the difference between “writing clearly” and “dumbing down.”
6. Many who expound complex ideas in intelligible prose have indeed dumbed down the ideas they’re expounding.
7. People who can expound complex ideas in clear prose are liable to get flak from every side: too clear to be profound, to complex to be popular.
8. Nonetheless, those are the writer/composers whose gifts are rarest and most valuable.
(Now compiled with my first four proposals regarding writing, politics, and eventually back to “voice” and “authenticity” on this page.