by Leslie O'Flahavan | Feb 2, 2012 | Writing Matters Blog
What? Monster trucks in government?! It’s a video throwdown from GSA’s First Fridays Product Testing Program. They’re sponsoring a contest: make a two-minutes-or-less video explaining why your agency deserves a free usability test. You could win....
by Leslie O'Flahavan | Sep 26, 2011 | Writing Matters Blog
Satisfy your urge to give the government a piece of your mind by joining the National Dialogue on Improving Federal Websites. The government wants to know what you think should be the practices, policies, and principles that guide federal websites. To date, 277 ideas...
by Leslie O'Flahavan | Apr 5, 2011 | Plain Language Writing Courses, Writing Matters Blog
For this post, I am glad to welcome guest blogger Sarah Shepard, Senior Engineering Research Editor for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). You may remember Sarah; I blogged about her a few weeks ago. She’s the plain language...
by Leslie O'Flahavan | Mar 2, 2011 | Plain Language Writing Courses, Writing Matters Blog
Many thanks to the folks at PlainLanguage.gov who have just updated their Federal Plain Language Guidelines and published them at their site. I'm so excited about this wonderful resource that I'm presenting the entire Table of Contents here so you can easily...
by Leslie O'Flahavan | Feb 15, 2011 | Content strategy, Writing Matters Blog
On February 23, 2011, I am teaching a day-long course for Web Manager University in Washington, DC. Content Managers’ Playbook: Proven Strategies for Getting Readable Content is ideal for anyone who manages content and the people who write it. I’ve...
by Leslie O'Flahavan | Oct 22, 2010 | Plain Language Writing Courses, Writing Matters Blog
It’s good to know the folks at FedWeek have a sense of humor, even about plain language. Here’s their tongue-in-cheek announcement about the Plain Writing Act of 2010, signed into law by President Obama on October 13, 2010: Plain Language Act Signed...
by Leslie O'Flahavan | Oct 20, 2010 | Writing Matters Blog
Dear U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Usually I comment on the quality of the writing at a web site, but I’ve got to talk to you frankly today. The text on your home page is hurting my eyes: Your masthead is right-aligned Your left column is centered The...
by Leslie O'Flahavan | Sep 28, 2010 | Writing Matters Blog
Many congratulations to Paul Weiss, Senior Cataloging Policy Specialist, in the Library of Congress’s Policy and Standards Division. After participating in an Advanced Writing for the Web course I recently taught, Paul rolled up his sleeves for a re-do of his...
by Leslie O'Flahavan | Feb 1, 2010 | Social Media Writing Courses, Writing Matters Blog
From the National Association of Government Communicators list, I’m reposting information about a great resource: three social media toolkits from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Thanks to Susan Parker, Director of Mass.gov for this info.) The toolkits...
by Leslie O'Flahavan | Apr 24, 2009 | Writing Matters Blog
With a Blackberry-addicted president in the White House, it’s no wonder the federal government is focusing on ways to use new media to communicate with the public. Increasingly, officials and agencies are harnessing the immediacy and mobility of Twitter. President...
