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	Phil's Blogservations Friday, May 21, 2004 Posted by philgomes 10:49 AM English, Please English, Please So, yeah... On the last day of class, one of my students (obviously very confident in his grade) chided me for averaging only one post-per-week on this blog. So, okay. "Guess who's back. Back again. Shady's back. Tell a friend." Truth of the matter is that things have been incredibly busy — personally, professionally, and within that increasingly blurred line in between. How've you been? Doin' alright? Not working too hard, I hope. Thought I'd share this item, though. I've forwarded it to a few friends and colleagues, I'm sure this blog's readers might find it entertaining. Here's a great lesson for all tech PR people the next time they're tempted to slip into persuasive laziness and being to rely on buzzwords to convey a message: Here...is the exact language that one of the nation’s top home-computer companies uses on its Web site in attracting customers for one of its leading models: “Intel Pentium 4 Processor 2.8GHz w/533MHz FSB, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, 40GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive (7200 RPM), 256MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 333MHz (2x128M), FREE 15” Flat Panel Upgrade, Free Shipping!” I’ve been using home computers for nearly 20 years. About the only thing I understand in that paragraph is, “Free shipping!” The author offers another scenario: Norfolk’s police dispatchers and officers, in talking to one another over their radios, are being “encouraged to abandoned their longtime use of numeric codes for something new: plain language.” Responding to situations in “plain language,” the story said — instead of rushing off to “a 165” or “a 117” — will leave less room for errors or misunderstandings. This reminded me of that great scene in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back that takes place on the Miramax film lot: SECURITY GUARD: Echo Base, I got a ten-oh-seven — two unauthorized on the lot. Requesting backup. ECHO BASE: I thought that was a ten-eighty-two. SECURITY GUARD: No, sir. A ten-eighty-two is disappearing a dead hooker from Ben Affleck's trailer. ECHO BASE: Ooooooh, that Affleck! HOME | OBSESSIONS | FAQ | HEROES | CAREER | BLOG | CONTACT Note that the views expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect those of Phil's employer, its business partners, its clients, or anyone or anything that doesn't come from Phil.	ABOUT THIS BLOG This blog not only discusses PR and media matters, but Phil's everyday observations about a variety of topics. EMAIL phil[at] philgomes[[dot}]com SYNDICATE Feedburner ARCHIVE YAHOO! IM SKYPE WISH LIST PITCH POLICY MY PHOTOS www.flickr.com Photostream RSS Enter your Email Powered by FeedBlitz COMMENT AND TRACKBACK POLICY Comments and trackbacks are unmoderated, though I will delete the patently offensive ones. Any comments and trackbacks are the opinions of the individual writer of those comments and trackbacks, and not those of Phil Gomes, his employer, its clients, or its business partners. If you have a bone to pick, bug the people who wrote the comment or trackback.