{
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    "title" : "Using Plain Language to Write for the Web |Digital.gov",
    "description": "Using Plain Language to Write for the Web",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cm-topics-button-component/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cm-topics-button-component/2015/09/16/using-plain-language-to-write-for-the-web/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"Using Plain Language to Write for the Web","summary" : "Plain language will make you a better writer. For federal employees, it’s also the law. On September 9th, Katherine Spivey, Co-Chair of the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN), presented a webinar on plain writing principles and how to apply them to Web writing. She also addressed how federal writers can comply with the","date" : "2015-09-16T11:10:24-04:00","date_modified" : "2024-04-02T09:45:13-04:00","authors" : {"awichman" : "Ashley Wichman"},"topics" : {
        
            "communication" : "Communication",
            "plain-language" : "Plain Language"
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      "filename" :"2015-09-16-using-plain-language-to-write-for-the-web.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2015/09/2015-09-16-using-plain-language-to-write-for-the-web.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/cm-topics-button-component/content/news/2015/09/2015-09-16-using-plain-language-to-write-for-the-web.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/cm-topics-button-component/content/news/2015/09/2015-09-16-using-plain-language-to-write-for-the-web.md","slug" : "using-plain-language-to-write-for-the-web","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cm-topics-button-component/2015/09/16/using-plain-language-to-write-for-the-web/","content" :"\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/09/600-x-400-Signpost-showing-simple-or-complicated-keport-iStock-Thinkstock-481691104.jpg\"\n    alt=\"A signpost showing signs pointing in opposite directions; one says, simple, and the other says, complicated.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlain language will make you a better writer. For federal employees, it’s also the law.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn September 9th, Katherine Spivey, Co-Chair of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.plainlanguage.gov/\"\u003ePlain Language Action and Information Network\u003c/a\u003e (PLAIN), presented a webinar on plain writing principles and how to apply them to Web writing. She also addressed how federal writers can comply with the \u003ca href=\"http://www.plainlanguage.gov/plLaw/\"\u003ePlain Writing Act of 2010\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Spivey, plain language comes down to one simple question.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A student in [a plain writing] class gave me a tip: Every time I send a letter, I ask myself, would I want to receive it?” Spivey said. “That is it! When you send out something, would you be happy to receive it? Would you know what you are supposed to do with it? Would you sit there and ask yourself, ‘why did I get this?’ What am I supposed to do with this? This is the golden rule of plain language.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can watch the entirety of the webinar in the video below, or jump to specific parts from the table of contents.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"recap-video-table-of-contents\"\u003eRecap Video Table of Contents\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7oznnz3lQ#t=53s\"\u003eDefinition and governance\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7oznnz3lQ#t=6m48s\"\u003eBenefits\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7oznnz3lQ#t=9m17s\"\u003eTechniques and focus\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7oznnz3lQ#t=14m50s\"\u003eWho’s your audience?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7oznnz3lQ#t=19m47s\"\u003eWhat kind of page is it?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7oznnz3lQ#t=26m07s\"\u003eHeaders, lists and tables\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7oznnz3lQ#t=29m07s\"\u003eKeep things short\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7oznnz3lQ#t=31m56s\"\u003ePronouns\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB7oznnz3lQ#t=34m04s\"\u003eWrite directly\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"full-video\"\u003eFull Video\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv\n  class=\"video\"\n  style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 30px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;\"\n\u003e\n  \n  \u003ciframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/BB7oznnz3lQ\" title=\"Plain Language - Writing for the Web\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" \u003e\u003c/iframe\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\n"}
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