The Plain Text Gazette

Category Archives: Plain Text Gazette

Entirely subjective and highly opinionated, the Plain Text Gazette pointed to all that was best and worst in the world of business communication, and featured useful hints and resources for good writing.

Issue 13, July 2006

By Paul N | Published: July 30, 2006
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 13, July 2006 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * White papers! Huh! What are they good for? * Another gratuitous cycling reference * Language miscellany Editorial ——— It’s been a while since the last Plain Text Gazette — over a year, in fact. Does this make us the most relaxed email newsletter on the web? We hope so. Amongst [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed

Issue 12, June 2005

By Paul W | Published: June 30, 2005
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 12, June 2005 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * Blogs and business writing * Powerpoint: why? * Words we hate: and another one Editorial ——— It seems that our rant about straplines in the last Plain Text Gazette has had little effect. In the recent UK general election the two main parties had a battle of the straplines (or [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed

Issue 11, October 2004

By timadmin | Published: October 30, 2004
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 11, October 2004 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * The corporate strapline must die * Words we hate: another one Editorial ——— Welcome to the many new subscribers who have joined up following our citations on Metafilter and Signal vs. Noise. And thank you to those who cited us. I was particularly taken this rather arch comment: “Wow. [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed

Issue 10, June 2004

By timadmin | Published: June 30, 2004
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 10, June 2004 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * Bad language in the public domain * Phrases we’re not terribly keen on Editorial ——— It’s been a while since the last Gazette, and we’d been ruminating quietly about what to put into the 10th edition until I heard the UK secretary of state for health on the radio [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed

Issue 9, November 2003

By timadmin | Published: November 30, 2003
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 9, November 2003 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * why oh Why Oh why can’t we get Capitalisation Right? * Words We Hate: the list that could just go on for ever Editorial ——— Welcome to the pre-festive season Plain Text Gazette. This time, we have *good news* for subscribers whose daily routine involves a forlorn search of [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed

Issue 8, September 2003

By timadmin | Published: September 30, 2003
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 8, September 2003 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * We don’t like ‘em skimpy: the need for sensible briefs * Words We Hate: the list continues Editorial ——— Welcome to the back-to-school Plain Text Gazette. Despite the summer recess, there have been busy goings-on in business writing. June saw the release of Deloitte Consulting’s “Bullfighter”, a software package [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed

Issue 7, May 2003

By Paul W | Published: May 30, 2003
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 7, May 2003 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * Order, order! The importance of structure in business writing * Words We Hate: the list begins Editorial ——— Welcome to the springtime Plain Text Gazette. In the spirit of the season’s theme of new growth and new beginnings, the Gazette will henceforth be taking a new tack. We’ve exhausted [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed

Issue 6, March 2003

By Paul W | Published: March 30, 2003
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 6, March 2003 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * When communication doesn’t #6: You’ve got mail! * Shifting sense: a miscellany of words with changed meanings Editorial ——— Welcome to the first Plain Text Gazette of 2003. It’s shaping up to be an interesting year for language. Recent corporate scandals and the unmasking of the ’spin’ culture endemic [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed

Issue 5, December 2002

By timadmin | Published: December 30, 2002
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 5, December 2002 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * Introducing the A-Z of Plain Text * When communication doesn’t #5: caught in the Web Editorial ——— Welcome to the last Plain Text Gazette of 2002. It’s been a high-profile time for no-nonsense writing here in the UK, with the annual ‘Plain English’ awards exposing the worst of corporate and [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed

Issue 4, September 2002

By Paul W | Published: September 30, 2002
================================================ THE PLAIN TEXT GAZETTE – Issue 4, September 2002 ================================================ Contents ——– * Editorial * When communication doesn’t #4: The Brochure of Doom * Utilising unnecessary quantities of terms: redundant words Editorial ——— In the last issue we took a look at ‘Case Study Carnage’ to see what happens when a useful business story gets ambushed by lawyers and nervous managers. As we continue our [...]
Posted in Plain Text Gazette | Tagged | Comments closed