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11/05/2001 Archived Entry: "5-Nov-2001 -- WebWord Comment"

WebWord Comment -- I often parse sentences in strange ways. When I saw this I just had to laugh. At first, I thought it was saying that British and American troops were beating the crap out of a slideshow. Ha!

Replies: 3 comments

Non-writers (especially) don't get that puntuation can make small pieces of text into a a label and a headline...

Slideshow: U.S., British Forces Strike Afghanistan.

Posted by Dave @ 11/06/2001 11:56 AM EST

This is not unlike many usability problems which arise when the designer/author cannot see the fault because he/she is too close to the problem having created it. Like many usability issues, you could argue that it should not have happened in the first place.

There is no substitute for user testing (or proof reading in this case) and questionable standards of workmanship like this seem to be increasingly common. "I understand it, therefore it is fine". We find it in writing and product design as well as interactive media design.

Posted by David S @ 11/06/2001 05:39 PM EST

This is just bad writing. Even a semi-knowledgeable writer should have known that "Slideshow: U.S., British Forces Strike Afghanistan" or "U.S., British Forces Strike Afghanistan (Slideshow)" is the proper way to write it.

The "cost cutting" measures are certainly making a difference, eh? ;)

Posted by Madhu Menon @ 11/06/2001 11:31 PM EST

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