Category Archives: Robert’s posts

New Sophos series: “What is …?”

Sophos, the esteemed network-security company, is starting a new series on its always erudite blog. It is called “What Is …,” and it promises to turn “technical jargon into plain English.” The inaugural post, written by Paul Ducklin, is called … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Free musical scores

I prefer my classical-piano sheet music to be professionally edited, published, and printed. I like the help with fingering editors provide, and I like big easy-to-read pages in front of me. When I am experimenting with new (to me) composers, … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Foreign loanwords in transition: What should they look like?

You might be surprised how often this comes up for professional writers and editors. Bryan Garner, the ace lawyer & editor & language authority, explains: The more arcane or technical a loanword, the more likely it is to retain a … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged | Leave a comment

On Poetry

My friend Jonathan Mayhew has been on a tear of late, publishing a series of manifestos on poetry in his wonderful blog, Stupid Motivational Tricks. Some snippets (but read the whole thing): Manifesto (1) Nobody knows what poetry is for. … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The angry period. When texting.

Writes Clair Landsbaum in complex.com: It’s much easier to be aggressive over text because you’re not face-to-face with the person you’re talking to, and people are finding new ways to express that aggression via the humble period. A new study … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

CMO.com’s 2015 Guide to the Social Media Landscape

CMO’s always valuable social media infographics and slideshows have been staples in my classrooms the last few years, in particular its “Social Media Landscape” series. The one for 2015, thumbnailed above, takes a bit of a new approach, focusing on “overall … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Photogrammar: An historical treasure trove

This photograph, shot in April 1943 by Marjorie Collins, is part of a delightful & important project in which more than 100,000 images – taken from 1935-1944 by photographers working the Farm Security Administration / Office of War Information – … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Free textbooks and other resources for students and educators

Students who suffer under the burden of high tuition and large student loans need all the financial help the world can provide them. For my upper-level communications classes the last couple of years I have been using an excellent online … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The “trick to ambiguity”

From the great Language Log: Most of the ambiguity contained in normal language use is passed over without any awareness on the audience’s part of the potential for double meanings. If one of the two intended meanings in an ad … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Needing Readers

In my classes, as well as in my career as a “communications guy,” I stress the requirement that all written pieces be read by one or several people prior to submission or publication. My friend, the scholar Jonathan Mayhew, has … Continue reading

Posted in Robert's posts | Tagged | Leave a comment