Latin vs. Anglo-Saxon
The words derived from Latin are the enemy--they will strangle and suffocate everything you write. The Anglo-Saxon words will set you free...
--Zinsser, "Writing English as a Second Language"
Reading this brought me back to a topic I discussed in Dr. Jerz's J-Term EL 250 Video Game Culture and Theory course a few weeks ago. In a discussion about Children's Online Game play and Policies, we found ourselves analyzing Terms of Service Agreements (TOS). In my blog, as well as many of my peer's blogs, we acknowledged that many TOS agreements are bogged down with tons of technical jargon that no one understands or really cares to. A great example, which I included in my other entry is the NeoPets TOS. Unlike most websites, this one offers two TOS agreements--a "kid-friendly" version and the "full" version. In the "kid-friendly" version, they use smaller words, Algo-Saxon words, if you will. But, in the "full" version, they fill the text with Latin-based words that cause people to just hit "I agree" without wasting their time.
On a lighter note, it makes sense that Zinsser would have a problem with the longer, more complicated Latin-based words. When we write journalism pieces, we're encouraged to not necessarily "dumb-down" our prose, but to simply make it understandable by as large of an audience as possible.
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Jessie on Latin vs. Anglo-Saxon: It makes a huge difference. Bu
Maddie Gillespie on Latin vs. Anglo-Saxon: You make a good reference to N
Maddie Gillespie on Latin vs. Anglo-Saxon: You make a good reference to N
You make a good reference to NeoPetsTOS agreements. Having two versions of the same document would make one think that the company was attempting to be more people friendly, and I guess in a sense they are. After all, I think many more adults would rather read and comprehend the "child friendly" version than the regular TOS provided for adults. This thinking might naturally lead for more adults to buy the NeoPets as toys for their kids because they can actually understand simple Anglo-Saxon words and appreciate their straightforwardness.
It makes a huge difference. But I still feel like the TOS could've been "dumbed down" even further. I realize that some parts need to be written a certain way, but at the same time I still think that NeoPets is on to something with their "child friendly" version. It's a shame that more companies don't adopt this practice, but it's definitely possible that they don't want to.