More “bad” English, please
I’d like to see more bad English on mailing lists, and fewer apologies from non-native speakers about their poor English skills. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in trying to communicate in a second, third, or fourth language and not being an expert. And it’d be a shame if...
Peak vs. Pique
Here’s another writing pet peeve — when folks confuse peak (or peek), and pique. Here’s an example of proper usage: I live in Denver, Colorado, so I have a lovely view of the mountain peaks when I look to the West, but my interest is piqued when I find...
Vim tips: Folding fun
The problem with writing and editing on a computer, versus having words on paper, is that it’s usually hard to compare text from different sections of a document when they don’t fit on the screen together. One way to do it is to use Vim’s viewports feature. Another is...
How to make money writing, the query letter (or email…)
Prior to taking the job I have now as editorial director for Linux.com, I was a freelancer for about six years, writing for Linux Magazine, Enterprise Linux Magazine, UnixReview.com, Linux Weekly News, IBM developerWorks, ZDNet, and a few others. I thought I’d share a few tips here that might...
Jargon mumble synergy!
How is it that companies that spend millions on product development seem incapable of hiring someone who can write clear, concise product descriptions? Been working on a project for the past week that involves churning through tons of product descriptions from various companies. I can say with authority that...