Dragon Naturally Speaking Considered Harmful To Your Business...

Okay, I'll admit...I'm a fan!

Even though I haven't gotten the bugger to type what I'm saying with the accuracy and speed at which I can type. (Yes, I do type fast, thank you!)

(if anyone wants to turn this into a Letterman-style, 10 biggest problems with DNS created content, let's go for it!)

But I'm beginning to realize that I can spot DNS-created content from a mile away.

Symptoms:

#1 (and most irritating, imo) -- RUN ON SENTENCES.
If there's anything that copywriters can tell writers and other communicators about effective communication -- it's this: MAKE IT SHORT.

I have seen entire 5 and 6 line paragraphs that were ONE SENTENCE. Lots of commas (where can I buy stock)? And a real dearth of periods and other "stop" punctuation.

#2 Wrong punctuation.
I ran across some content and had a pretty good idea of who the ghostwriter was -- someone I cherish and respect, and, likewise, has a good rep here.
I actually asked the owner of the content to hire me to briefly (and cheaply) touch up some things that were driving me crazy. Specifically, the writer was using questions to engage the reader -- a great technique. But the questions didn't end in a question mark!

#3 Overly slangy content
With the same content from #2 -- if I had a dime for every time the word "seriously" was used in the content....(this wasn't something I fixed, btw.)

Please note that the content, the actual information, in the aforementioned ghostwriting -- was excellent, superb, top rate. More than made up for the deficits mentioned above.

But it could have been sooooo much better.

#4 Overuse of the word "I"
The problem with "just talking" is that humans fill up their communication with, well, "filler." It has its purposes. In verbal communication, it gives the listener more of an opportunity to digest what the other person is saying. (As we get older, when we hear a new fact or idea, we have many more things to run through to see how our old information fits with the new fact -- and maybe even what to do about it. As we have more information, it takes us longer to "absorb" new concepts (well, usually, anyway).

The words "I think" do NOT generally belong in formal or semi-formal communication. Are you saying it? Then, of course, it's "what you think" -- unless you indicate otherwise.

Overall, these trends in DNS generated content are disturbing.

The things we copywriters say "don't do" (with, perhaps, the exception of helping to create more of a conversational tone) -- seem to be encouraged by the use of DNS. (Note that these copywriter rules are not just good for copywriters, they are useful in communicating content that is easily understood, that makes the content engaging to the reader.)

Okay...that's my soapbox for the day. LOL.

What other tell-tale signs do you see in DNS-generated content?

(I used it to comment in a skype chat, and one of the participants said I sounded like someone whose 1st language wasn't English.)

Let 'er rip!

Live JoyFully!

Judy