this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2024
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8 Writing Tips for Software Professionals (optimizedbyotto.com)
submitted 7 months ago by otto@programming.dev to c/programming@programming.dev
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In this post, I share 8 principles I believe in:

  1. Less is more
  2. Start with the solution or the ask
  3. Show the facts, with examples
  4. Always quantify
  5. Include links and references
  6. Explain why it matters
  7. Ask feedback from one person
  8. Sleep on it

As engineers and developers, we often focus heavily on technical skills while neglecting the importance of clear, compelling writing. But the reality is, our ability to communicate effectively can have a major impact on our careers.

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[–] otl@apubtest2.srcbeat.com 10 points 7 months ago

The last two points, "Ask feedback from one person", and "Sleep on it" I think are great. Ironically the article ignores the rest of its own tips.

  1. Less is more

Circular logic. Q: "how do I write more efficiently?" A: "with less words" This "tip" could be omitted entirely.

  1. Start with the solution or the ask. [...] In ideal cases, the main message you want to convey is already in the title.

Better title: "8 Writing Efficiency Tips for Software Professionals", or maybe "8 Tips for Software Professionals to Communicate More Efficiently"?

  1. Show the facts, with examples

No text extracts provided in the article. For example a rewritten paragraph, or comparison of some summaries.

  1. Always quantify

Always! Except for this article which does not suggest a way to measure the efficiency of text e.g. number of words to convey the same message.

  1. Include links and references

None provided.

  1. Explain why it matters

Why would I want to write more efficiently? What real-world problems does efficient writing solve? Maybe I'm a software engineer new to the field and I don't know how pressed for time some managers are, or how people are drowning in verbose corporate junk words?

Maybe this article was LLM generated, like the cover graphic :(