Hopefully, I’m not contradicting myself right now by writing this post, but I think it is worth stating:
If you can’t think of something great to say, don’t say anything at all.
Joel Spolsky just pointed out a perfect example of how being redundant and wordy can make your product look lame.
In today’s world of information overload, getting noticed and remembered is about being remarkable and saying more with less.
This is true for many things, including: blogs, websites, emails, and even software installers.
Try substituting the word “Java” with the name of a drug! “By taking [fill in the blank], you will be able to experience the power of [fill in the blank].”
What a great marketing slogan! ha ha…
Susan: I like it! Now try substituting “Java” with the name of a spiritual deity: “By believing in [fill in the blank], you will be able to experience the power of [fill in the blank].”
whoa, i viewed that java advertisement and enjoyed the humor, but little did i know that i would waste a couple days reading the many articles over at joelonsoftware. I feel like a better engineer already, now to see if i can apply the many bits of advice hes talked about to some of my labview apps
Brent: Yes, there’s a lot of good reading over at joelonsoftware — although, I never feel like it’s a waste of time