Comments on: Not plain language: Judge lambasts government agency for gobbledegook http://contented.com/contented/2009/not-plain-lanjudge-lambasts-government-agenc-for-gobbledegook Content that makes people happy Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:50:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: rachel http://contented.com/contented/2009/not-plain-lanjudge-lambasts-government-agenc-for-gobbledegook/comment-page-1#comment-466 rachel Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:44:14 +0000 http://www.contented.com/contented/?p=1038#comment-466 As you say, it's a trap for us all -- I just happen to be focusing on public servants, because gobbledegook is undemocratic. But there's good news too: when a government agency develops a culture of plain language, the difference is phenomenal. Those web sites show what web sites are for. As you say, it’s a trap for us all — I just happen to be focusing on public servants, because gobbledegook is undemocratic. But there’s good news too: when a government agency develops a culture of plain language, the difference is phenomenal. Those web sites show what web sites are for.

]]> By: Low visionary http://contented.com/contented/2009/not-plain-lanjudge-lambasts-government-agenc-for-gobbledegook/comment-page-1#comment-465 Low visionary Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:44:16 +0000 http://www.contented.com/contented/?p=1038#comment-465 I think that people often live and work in their own silos, and they forget about the real life experience of everyday people who don't live in Wellington. they are also often impressed by their own gravitas. It can be a trap for all of us sadly. I think that people often live and work in their own silos, and they forget about the real life experience of everyday people who don’t live in Wellington. they are also often impressed by their own gravitas. It can be a trap for all of us sadly.

]]> By: Bright Wings http://contented.com/contented/2009/not-plain-lanjudge-lambasts-government-agenc-for-gobbledegook/comment-page-1#comment-464 Bright Wings Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:02:58 +0000 http://www.contented.com/contented/?p=1038#comment-464 Public servants seem fearful that something written in simple, plain English lacks the gravitas of long, important-sounding words and sentences. So, "setting up a new client" becomes, in 18pt upper-case Times Roman, "Methodology for the implementation of new departmental clients in terms of the Somethingorother Act 2005." Public servants seem fearful that something written in simple, plain English lacks the gravitas of long, important-sounding words and sentences.

So, “setting up a new client” becomes, in 18pt upper-case Times Roman, “Methodology for the implementation of new departmental clients in terms of the Somethingorother Act 2005.”

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