- From: Charles McCathieNevile <charles@w3.org>
- Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 06:04:21 -0400 (EDT)
- To: Gregg Vanderheiden <GV@TRACE.WISC.EDU>
- cc: <w3c-wai-gl@w3.org>
I would like to re-propose that we drop the bit about "appropriate for the content" since this seems to lead people to assume that it is OK to use complex language (even unnecessarily complex language) to talk about complex topics. And agree with Gregg that we should be saying something like "Use clear and simple language" - my original proposal at http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/2002AprJun/0332 suggested "Use language that is easy to understand". The success criteria, naturally enough, should include the fact that any simplification still conveys what the author is trying to say. And I think that some of the things we talk about as requirements for documents, such as having a discernible structure, are also success criteria at the level of language use. For example the proposed criterion of one idea per paragraph, with the first sentence sumarising it, is a lot like having a document that uses headings to convey soome sense of the meaning of each section. Cheers Chaals On Mon, 17 Jun 2002, Gregg Vanderheiden wrote: In compiling our notes from our teleconference last week, I realized that one of the things we had talked about was items that contributed to clear and simple writing, but that really belonged to other checkpoints. Items such as: - Structure your document well. - Emphasize the structure. - Include illustrations, etc. It occurred to me that, perhaps we are wording 4.1 wrong. Rather than saying write as clearly as simply, perhaps the 4.1 should really be talking about "Use clear and simple language". I believe that this was a comment made by others earlier, but we somehow didn't pick up on it the teleconference today. Should we be changing this one to: "Use language which is as clear and simple as [appropriate or possible] for the purpose of the content." Gregg -- ------------------------------ Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D. Professor - Human Factors Depts of Ind. Engr. & BioMed Engr. Director - Trace R & D Center University of Wisconsin-Madison Gv@trace.wisc.edu <mailto:Gv@trace.wisc.edu>, <http://trace.wisc.edu/> FAX 608/262-8848 For a list of our listserves send "lists" to listproc@trace.wisc.edu <mailto:listproc@trace.wisc.edu> -- Charles McCathieNevile http://www.w3.org/People/Charles phone: +61 409 134 136 W3C Web Accessibility Initiative http://www.w3.org/WAI fax: +33 4 92 38 78 22 Location: 21 Mitchell street FOOTSCRAY Vic 3011, Australia (or W3C INRIA, Route des Lucioles, BP 93, 06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France)
Received on Tuesday, 18 June 2002 06:04:22 UTC