LET'S COMMUNICATE
Agriculture Communication Newsletter
October 2000, No. 58

CONTENTS 

WRITE THE RIGHT WORD
VISUALS ARE AN AID, NOT A CRUTCH
E-MAIL LISTS: BE SPECIFIC

WRITE THE RIGHT WORD

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." Rudyard Kipling

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Last month I offered step one to becoming a more effective writer. (Read, with a critical and inquiring mind directed more at the writing than the content.) Step two (which probably should be step one) is to learn the rules of basic grammar and the conventions of punctuation. No one relishes this prospect, but it's probably not as severe a sentence (no pun intended) as you might think. You probably already have a reasonably good grasp of the rules and just need to increase your confidence level. Think of it in terms of watching a football game. Even if you think you know nothing about football, you can detect some semblance of order in the flow of the game. If you know a little bit more you might understand why the guys in striped shirts keep blowing whistles. As a player you need to know the rules at least well enough to stay out of trouble. If you coach or officiate the game, maybe you need to really know the rulebook. As a writer you probably should be at the knowledgeable fan or player level. Leave coaching and officiating to the editors. Know the basics well enough to recognize when something is wrong. If you are not comfortable with your writing, get a good grammar guide or stylebook and look up the things that trouble you. Chances are your first instinct is going to be correct most of the time. When you need fine tuning, learn the logic behind the rule so you can follow it with confidence.

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Punctuation was not used until the advent of printing in the 15th century. Punctuation is, after all, just an attempt to put the nuances of the spoken word into the written word. Before printed material became widely available, and a significant number of people were able to read, there was no real need for punctuation.

VISUALS ARE AN AID, NOT A CRUTCH

Visual aids should enhance verbal presentations, not substitute for them. In other words, why have a speaker if all the words are up on the screen?

Here are some tips for visual aids such as Powerpoint slides, overheads and 35mm slides.

• Start with an outline.
• Use photos and graphics rather than words as much as possible to enhance your message.
• Have only one topic per slide.
• Write in bullets, not complete sentences, with six lines and 20 words per slide maximum.
• Use a large, readable typeface.
• Keep a consistent color and format.

Better yet, show the genuine object rather than the words describing it or a picture of it as often as possible. Passing around containers of feed samples or diseased grain is much more effective than showing pictures of them on a screen.

(Becky Koch)

E-MAIL LISTS: BE SPECIFIC

Most of us sometimes need to send messages to e-mail lists--all-ext, all-exp, coa-fac, all-ag and the lists go on and on. E-mail of critical value to one person can be considered junk mail to someone else, and everyone knows we don't need more junk mail. Try to address your e-mail messages to the specific group you are trying to reach instead of broadcasting to larger groups that include many who may not be interested in your message.

Our Ag server uses a software program called Majordomo to manage mailing lists. Information on subscribing to e-mail lists via Majordomo can be accessed from the AgComm Computer Support Web Sites page at:
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/comphelp.htm

A current list of the various e-mail lists on our Ag server is available at:
http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/directory/extdir.htm

A common mistake is to send e-mail to, for example, all-ext and all-ag; all-ag includes everyone under the direction of the Vice President for Agriculture, including all teaching, research and extension faculty and staff. When you address your email to all-ag AND all-ext, everyone on the extension side gets two copies of that message. The same would be true for all-exp and coa-fac; they too are included in all-ag.

Please study the electronic mailing list of lists and address your e-mail to the group(s) that best identify your intended audience.

(Dave Rice)