Do you know of a document that makes about as much sense as a bear doing aquayoga? Let us know! Image by Ryan Grewell. Unsplash licence.
It shouldn’t take more than one reading to decipher a passage of text.
How often do you ponder a passage of text that you just can’t untangle on one reading? Every day, I expect. Today’s special for me was an email from a software firm that included terms like ‘personalisation’, ‘confidentiality provision’, ‘ecosystem partners’, ‘beta participants’, ‘busywork’ — and more!
One or two of these terms I could manage and, to be fair, the writer was trying to summarise a larger document that was even more complex. But the two very long paragraphs in the email were jam-packed with similar terms. So the overall result was that the email missed its mark. The text was dense and difficult to decipher, so I didn’t really bother to try.
Tell us about giving up on gobbledygook
Gobbledygook hides the main messages. The reader has to struggle to understand. And that makes our busy lives even busier. If they give up, they’ve wasted their time. It’s not okay.
The People’s Choice Awards give you the chance to find examples of gobbledygook in everyday communications and dob them in. Nominate the worst communications you’ve found for the Brainstrain Award. You can nominate documents or webpages from government or business organisations.
We’d love to hear from you so we can help to stamp out gobbledygook. This is your chance to change the way New Zealand communicates!
Find out how to nominate here
Find out about the 2018 Brainstrain winner here
Nicola Welby August 19th, 2019
Posted In: 2019 People's Choice Awards, Brainstrain
Tags: Brain Strain Award, clear thinking, clear writing, improved writing, Industry awards, jargon, jargon-busting, PEA, People's Choice Awards, plain English, Plain English Awards, plain language, power of plain English, writing for the public
Care about clarity? The People's Choice Awards are for you! Image by Alyssa Stevenson. Unsplash licence.
The People’s Choice Awards are the perfect opportunity for all organisations to get recognition for their clear communications.
Are you comfortable shouting from the rooftops about your fabulously clear documents? Or do you keep your clear communications a best-kept secret — just for your customers?
Whether you’re a tall poppy or a shrinking violet, the Plain English Awards are a great way to get recognition for all the great work you’re doing to make New Zealand a country of clarity.
How does your document or webpage get nominated for an Award?
You can’t enter it yourself — it’s up to members of the public to do that. That’s why they’re called the People’s Choice Awards, of course! But you’re more than welcome to point them in the right direction.
Shout from the rooftops
Have you got a great document that you think is worthy of the Best Communication Award? Why not use social media to let the world know. If people think your document is a great example of clear communication, they can nominate it in the Awards.
Encourage your customers
Let your customers know through your newsletters and website that you’d love them to show how much they admire your document by nominating it in the People’s Choice.
It’s free to nominate
Nominations are free of charge for the People’s Choice Awards. Here’s how people can nominate for the Best Communication Award
https://www.plainlanguageawards.org.nz/2019-peoples-choice-best-award/
Nicola Welby July 22nd, 2019
Posted In: 2019 People's Choice Awards
Tags: clear thinking, clear writing, Industry awards, jargon, jargon-busting, People's Choice Awards, writing for the public
What happens to the documents you've nominated once they're entered? Image by Lorie Shaull. Flickr licence.
Submitting your entry in this year’s People’s Choice Awards is one thing. What happens to your entry after that is another.
Your nomination joins the list so experts can decide who’s best and worst
After you submit a nomination, it joins a catalogue of other entries in our professional submission platform Submittable, where it’ll sit until entries officially close. Soon after that, the Awards administrators open up entries for the Best and Worst categories to their respective judging panels.
Our judges then sort through entries to come up with a shortlist, followed by a more in-depth assessment to create a list of finalists.
Finally, the judges decide which entries are our ultimate winners. This year’s winners will be announced on Thursday, 28 November.
The judges assess the entries using plain English criteria
Because our Awards are all about plain English, our judges use specific criteria to decide which entries are best and which are worst. These criteria are based on the following aspects of clear communication:
- Purpose
- Structure
- Usability (for websites)
- Headings and main messages
- Paragraphs
- Sentences
- Words
- Layout and presentation
Read more about our judging criteria
Find out how to nominate communications
Thanks to the Wellington band Fly My Pretties for being the inspiration for our blog title! Visit their website flymypretties.com
Nicola Welby July 17th, 2019
Posted In: 2019 People's Choice Awards, Judges
Tags: Brain Strain Award, clear thinking, clear writing, improved writing, Industry awards, jargon, jargon-busting, PEA, People's Choice Awards, plain English, Plain English Awards, plain language, power of plain English, writing for the public
Is your writing like a can of worms? Image by Sam Howzit, Creative Commons 2.0 licence.
You’re in for a plain English treat over the next couple of years. This year we’re pushing the People’s Choice Awards to the fore (we’ll be back with the full Awards next year). So right now, in 2019, we’re giving all of you in the public domain the chance to nominate your most and least favourite communications.
Here are three great reasons to get involved this year.
You want to do something about frustratingly confusing communications
When you nominate a communication for the not-so-coveted Brainstrain award, you’ll be helping to make a positive difference to the way organisations communicate. Almost without exception, organisations step up to ‘take it on the chin’ when nominated for the dreaded bin of sour worm lollies. With the public scrutiny they get from winning the Brainstrain category, they’re motivated to change.
You want to share a wonderful example of clear communication with the world
We love to celebrate the great work happening in so many organisations that are improving the way they communicate. Winning the award for Best Plain English Communication is a public pat on the back for New Zealand’s clearest communicators. Help them get the recognition they deserve.
You want to help improve the lives of everyday Kiwis
The People’s Choice Awards help organisations to keep things real with their communications. If they win the Best Plain English Communication award, they’re recognised for getting things right for their audience. If, however, they win the dreaded Brainstrain award, they have plenty of incentive to change for the good.
Don’t muck about. It’s time to send your nominations for this year’s People’s Choice Awards!
Nicola Welby May 27th, 2019
Posted In: 2019 People's Choice Awards, Industry awards, People, Social good
Tags: Brainstrain, clear thinking, jargon, jargon-busting, People's Choice
