Write in paragraphs...please!
By T_Diamond
@T_Diamond (965)
New Zealand
July 20, 2010 4:47am CST
Some discussions are long, very long. But that doesn't mean you have to get carried away and write a big blob of text 20lines down!
It's hard to read and it certainly isn't doing anyone a favour.
Please, if you're going to make a large discussion, or answer, take the time to divide your post into easily readable bits.
;)
6 people like this
20 responses
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
20 Jul 10
Stine: Yes, it is to do with writing GOOD English
Diana: Of course, you are right.
This discussion may or may not survive. It's up to the powers that be. I hit the 'Respond' button when I should have hit the 'Report' button (but I still copied and pasted it to the 'Report' screen).
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
20 Jul 10
Are paragraphs something only common to the English language? 
1 person likes this
@T_Diamond (965)
• New Zealand
20 Jul 10
Mys, paragraphs are common to many languages, coming from Russia myself I know we write in paragraphs. All European counteries most likely write in paragraphs as well.
Stine, I'm not sure if making paragraphs is related to bad English =/ For me, it's more related to how you present your work, may it be written in English or another language.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
20 Jul 10
Hear hear! 
It does make it so much simpler when things are broken up into paragraphs. I find that it is easier to respond when things are set out neatly too because if it is broken up into pieces, I can then respond to each piece with a paragraph too.
Hopefully this will be great advice for many! 
It does make it so much simpler when things are broken up into paragraphs. I find that it is easier to respond when things are set out neatly too because if it is broken up into pieces, I can then respond to each piece with a paragraph too.
Hopefully this will be great advice for many! 1 person likes this
@ET28LV (1890)
• Latvia
20 Jul 10
Sometimes I make paragraphs, but sometimes don't. Well If people like this better I can try It in next time. It is good If discussions is long not one line discussions. This would be great advice to all members from your side.
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
20 Jul 10
... they sure do!
Just that some type quicker than others I guess 
Just that some type quicker than others I guess 
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
21 Jul 10
Seriously, I agree, when I see a post that's a page long with no breaks, it can be a pain to read it!
@jazzsue58 (2666)
•
20 Jul 10
It's true - there are "rules" to writing online, chief among which is short paragraphs and double spaces to split them up. All internet riters know this.
Why the heck people saw fit to graffiti this discussion with non-relevant tags is beyond me.
1 person likes this
@xxazndragon01 (1250)
• United States
20 Jul 10
well if you want people to write in weird divided sections sure but you know that is only gonna make thinks worst for people who actually type long hard written paragraphs
@jazzsue58 (2666)
•
20 Jul 10
Internet writing is NOT the same as print.
I have to read scientific papers as part of my job. They go online in same format they were typed up into print. I always have to break them down into chunks, otherwise I can't take them in. We don't read a puter screen the way we do a book - it's why, I think, these digital book readers will never catch on.
1 person likes this
@jazzsue58 (2666)
•
21 Jul 10
The ezine writing guide (free by the way) gives some good advice on this. If you want to make money writing internet content (as many of us here do professionally) You'll find it kets rejected if you don't do paragraph breaks.
Words of Worth, who I write for, remind us writers when pasting that the gaps which appear in microsoft docs as paragraph breaks dissapear in HTML, so you have to do a double return. Ditto Sharon Bucks tasks - she reminds us to do double breaks too.
Thinking about it, I wonder if some posters here do their posts as a word doc first, then paster them in? It would explain why the gaps disappear and yes, it is darn annoying!
@T_Diamond (965)
• New Zealand
20 Jul 10
Definitely Jazz. A lot of people, including myself find long paragraphs a hell of a lot harder to read on screen, than on print.
Dragon, I didn't say I don't appreciate the hard work people put in to writing long paragraphs, but have some respect for your readers. You're not doing us a favour throwing a large blob of writing at our eyes and then expect us to read every word.
On print, maybe I will, if it's interesting. On the net, I wouldn't bother reading your first few words.
@nancyrowina (3850)
•
20 Jul 10
Mylot tends to re-format your text when you post anyway whether you write in paragraphs or not I've noticed.
I don't know if that's changed since I last tried it but I've always assumed people writing in paragraphs are using break tags or something.
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
20 Jul 10
If you type a blank line, it should show as a blank line. It used to be that, when you attached an image, it messed up the formatting but that has been fixed.
@webzap (884)
• Philippines
20 Jul 10
Too long a post and with several paragraphs, I cannot understand no matter how many times I read it, looks like I'm reading with a blank mind. But we cannot tell anyone to refrain from doing so because once you type and thoughts are pouring into your mind, you got carried away . . . .
@jazzsue58 (2666)
•
21 Jul 10
I guess the people writing these posts must notice they're not getting hits. Hopefully, they'll ask the rest of us why!
@kbjunior15 (1309)
• United States
22 Jul 10
So true. I am a Language Arts teacher, so it particularly irks me on here when people write run on sentences and paragraphs that are forever long. Plus, like you say, it makes it so hard to read. I usually skip them and don't respond.
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
20 Jul 10
Whew! I have been waiting for someone to finally say this for everyone. Some people are just too expressive for their own good.
I usually skip very lengthy posts.
I have done long posts at least just twice but I was really ranting big time!
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
20 Jul 10
I can understand the difficulty for people who don't have Roman keyboards, especially those who are using Chinese keyboards. I understand that capital letters and English punctuation conventions are very foreign and not easy to achieve for them.
@prudent (314)
• India
20 Jul 10
I appreciate your suggestion. In addition, I would like to say:
1) The discussion should be long enough to cover the subject and short enough to preserve interest.
2) It should not dull and complicated.
3) It should be simple without the usage of abstract terms and technical jargon.
@shockrayz (199)
•
21 Jul 10
I think you've make a point pal. it is truly annoying to read 10-liner paragraphs and sometimes i just skip reading that.
its like when I'm reading a novel story. I'm bored with those having long paragraphs.
I prefer reading paragraphs with just 2-4 sentences only.
@BarBaraPrz (47274)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
20 Jul 10
This is always good advice, but sometimes people just get carried away with their thoughts and hit "send" without checking over what they've typed.
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
20 Jul 10
I would agree. I like to read paragraphs and short concise kind of discussions. A novel just too much for me. I would rather read a book to keep myself going rather than here.
@raviteja_ravi84 (2620)
• India
20 Jul 10
Oh nice one!
I always give my discussions in one simple paragraph all the time.
I will try and do as you said because i have also found that this is much easier to read!
@RedAwsomeness (118)
• United States
20 Jul 10
Well, it turns into a habit for me. Now I know to look out so that I don't have just a giant blog of text in my answers.
