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Call Them Demons, Call Them Heroes

by John S. Rhodes

Summary: The language you use on your web site is critically important and shapes the user experience in ways that you might not expect. You can seriously harm or augment the experience by changing words in small ways.

Go ahead and describe Mahatma Gandhi to a friend. It is very likely that you will use terms that portray the man in a very positive light. But give me a chance to describe Gandhi and I could very well say that he was a weak bald dude that wore glasses. I might then mention something about India too, and that he liked to wear robes. My description (which I really wouldn't use) makes Gandhi sound like a wimp. 

The point is that wording can be accurate but not necessarily truthful. (Zen comment: What is truth? Does it matter?) The words I used, for example, shaped your ideas and led you down a certain path. And, you didn't have much control either. For a moment, you thought about Gandhi and you thought about his baldness rather than his greatness, unless you think that baldness is greatness. 

Authors guide your experiences. What authors write, as long as you read it, influences how you view the world. Every word transfers energy; authors expend energy and you absorb it. 

You might be thinking that what I am saying is old news, or perhaps you are thinking that it isn't that important. But I beg you to listen to me, for your own sake! The exact language that you use on your web site is critical. About 25 years ago, Elizabeth F. Loftus started a psychological research paradigm where experimenters altered words describing an automobile accident (in very minor ways). In one study, all subjects saw the same video, but when the subjects were asked to rate the speeds of the automobile, the answers varied based on the word used to describe the accident. Subjects seeing the word "contacted" estimated the vehicle in the accident was moving about 32 MPH, whereas subjects seeing the word "smashed" estimated that the vehicle was moving about 41 MPH. The results were statistically significant (review the research details). 

One problem I often see is that web sites try too hard to get a point across. Before they know it, the claims they make are sensational. For example, above I used the word "beg" but that probably was not appropriate. I should have used the word "ask" because that is probably emphatic enough, especially since I concluded that sentence with an exclamation point. (Aside: Just deliver the data and get on with it. Give them what they want.)

I should also ask you to watch how you use your punctuation. I'm not here to tell you how to write, but it bothers me that so many writers have a love affair with the exclamation point. It is often useful, but let's get real folks, most material is not very exciting. A dressed up pig is still a pig. If you try too hard, you will sound like you are trying too hard. Further, I don't think the intense use of the exclamation point accurately reflects reality. Most speakers are not that excited or exciting. An exclamation can't smooth over the bumps found in dry, boring material. An exclamation point doesn't make this sentence any less boring! It is trick, a crutch, a sham. I'm as guilty as anyone, so if I sound too sensational, send a swift kick my way. Watch for that pesky exclamation point as a reader and a writer. Watch out! Here they come! Exclamation points!!

That last paragraph is interesting because I use words like "pesky" and "crutch", but were those the right words to use? Those words are meant to convince you that I am right. I am trying to persuade you, and I am trying to alter your reality. I am trying to get you to think that the exclamation point is a bad thing and that it is overused. But where is the truth? Where is the data? The words carry a lot of weight. My words and my exclamation points do alter you perception of this article. But did I give you data? No, I did not. So, why should you believe me? Why am I correct? Who put me in charge of punctuation?

Words can be demons or heroes. They can corrupt and pollute or they can save the day and take your ideas to new heights. Should you be outrageous with words? Sometimes. Should you bend them and flex them? Yes. That yields great writing. Should you abuse words and warp the customer experience with visions and illusions? Of course not. The thing to remember is that the words you use impact the reality of the user. The smallest changes can have the largest impact.

(Quick counterpoint: Everything influences everything. Big deal. What is the point I am making here? My point is that the details matter. Quickly writing something can yield results you don't like. This is a few steps beyond quality control and checking grammar. I am talking about the deep, experience altering undertones of an article. The small words you use and even the punctuation you use will impact the reader. You've been warned!)

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