Easy to Read Posts

This not a critisism of any one in particular but as a point so as to make it easier to read threads.

A lot of posts are made with one continous paragraph with any thing up to thirty or forty lines in them and it tends to make them difficult to read and I tend to find myself skipping some of the posts because of this.

Some of these posts have some very interesting information in them and just like a sales letter if it is not set out properly people will not bother to read it and just bin it.

By having a maximum of about six lines in a paragraph and then a line space makes much easier reading.

I don't know if any others feel the same way and if you think I am out of line please feel free to jump on me and put me in my place.

To show you what I mean I have repeated this in the form that I am talking about.

Example:
This not a critisism of any one in particular but as a point so as to make it easier to read threads.A lot of posts are made with one continous paragraph with any thing up to thirty or forty lines in them and it tends to make them difficult to read and I tend to find myself skipping some of the posts because of this. Some of these posts have some very interesting information in them and just like a sales letter if it is not set out properly people will not bother to read it and just bin it. By having a maximum of about six lines in a paragraph and then a line space makes much easier reading. I don't know if any others feel the same way and if you think I am out of line please feel free to jump on me and put me in my place. To show you what I mean I have repeated this in the form that I am talking about.

I agree. Often think that myself. I just don't bother reading them because it's too hard for my poor brain to keep its place. I end up skipping words or whole sentences and sometimes missing the point. I should point out that I read from a screen all day long in my job.

Reading from the screen is much harder than reading from paper. You need at least double the amount of white space on screen as you do on paper to obtain the same level of comprehension. This has been proven in studies.

I think what happens is that as you read the text, your eye doesn't just scan from left to right, it also scans the lines above and below the one you are reading. I often find myself reading words from the line below without realising that I'm doing it, even when reading from paper. For some reason when the text is on screen this is more obvious.

This might be one of those things where some people have more trouble than others.

I have to plead guilty here.

If you touch type its too easy to just type it in quickly and then go send and then think ... oops poor layout. I realised that one of mine earlier today didn't have much white space when I viewed it after.

I thought about editing it but I wasn't sure whether it would then come up as if it was a new post and aggravate people who'd already read it.

Barry is right ... some of us could use white space better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jackiew

I wasn't sure whether it would then come up as if it was a new post

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It doesn't, as far as I can tell. I have noticed that sometimes people have been back in and added something after I've already read the post but it doesn't show up as a new post.

Agree Barry,

I usually give up half way through a long paragraph. It is very hard to concentrate. I much prefer reading short sentences.

I always use point form in my post because it is easier for me to express my message.

Cheers :)

Good point, Barry. I'll put my hand up here and admit to being a culprit. I'll make sure to use more white space in future.

Interesting point that Darren raises, too:-

Quote:

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Originally Posted by silentC

Reading from the screen is much harder than reading from paper. You need at least double the amount of white space on screen as you do on paper to obtain the same level of comprehension. This has been proven in studies.

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I didn't know that. That's today's "something new" that I've learnt.

Col

Well said Barry, I'm with you on this one.

As others have said, if it's all one para, I give up and go on to the next post or thread.

I agree Barry.

Each para should be a separate point. Thus normally 3 or 4 lines per para.


Peter.

I must admit that sometimes I do feel like editing them to make them read better.

I tend to read every post and I too find it aggravating but it falls into the spelling area.

I will ask this: Would people be offended if I did correct their posts?

The only reason I edit grammar is to change a word that can alter the whole meaning of a post and sometimes cause a dangerous situation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by

I will ask this: Would people be offended if I did correct their posts?

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I would not be offended if you corrected them to make them easier to read so long as it did not change their meaning.


Peter.

I dont feel that should have to edit long paragraph posts. It can take a lot of time and I am sure he has plenty to do anyway.

I think that posters should take that responsibility as well as reading the post after posting it and then edit to make it read better.

Unfortunately Barry some respondents on the board have not had the benefit of a good education due to circumstances.

They have a lot of good input and their knowledge is fantastic, they just can't get it onto paper.

With Jackie we make an exception. Fingers run away with the brain:D

Good point Barry.

If what people post isn't worth their time to put a little effort into making it legible, then it isn't worth mine time to try to decipher it. :eek:

In the majority of cases it's laziness rather than lack of ability that leads to poor posting.

I would not be at all offended if my posts were edited to make them easier to read, but I would be a bit disappointed that I had wasted someone else's time. :o :o

Geoff

As a compulsive blue-penciller myself, I'd have no objection to editing my posts for clarity, although I'd hope he wouldn't have to.

I think you make a good point . I know that if a post has grammatical or spelling mistakes I tend to unjustly discount it. I don't think you should have to edit it (I should take a bit more trouble) but if you do it will certainly be appreciated here.

I'm also in agreeance with the thread but feel that we should not intrude on 's time more than can be reasonably expected.
If he chooses to edit because of a sensitive nature to the post that is recognised as his right.

However having to edit for grammatical reasons can be time consuming unless called upon by the very nature of the post as he has stated.

I prefer to leave to his own discretion in an often thankless and unrewarding task but he as do the other moderators have my full backing/blessing to change within the forum as is necessary.

Now with in full whip cracking mode :eek:
I remain :)