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Book Review: Writing for the Web 3.0
Writing for the Web 3.0 sells itself as a book that will help you '... write persuasive, interactive content' and create '... dynamic sites that readers will love'.
At the outset the author stresses the importance of writing appropriately for each particular medium, pointing to examples of print websites that still look like print and TV websites packed with video. Ironically, the author then makes the same mistake he cautions against. The book is written in a style similar to a web blog (online diary). This style, with things like the insertion of long web links right into the middle of a sentence rather than in footnotes, is cumbersome in print and reduces the readability of the book.
There is useful information about web writing in this book, such as the description of what different types of web users prefer to see when they visit a website and the explanation of how to write text that is either "chunked" (broken up so that short blocks of text appear on each page) or that scrolls.
However, that information is quite difficult to extract.
The conversational tone of the book is somewhat undulating, making it difficult to scan the text to pick up important points. At its best points the book would have benefited from a more linear writing style, which would have added clarity to the text. At its worst points the book is obscure, reading more like an esoteric essay than a practical book that will help you write better web copy.
If you plan on reading this book, you are going to need time to uncover the gems of information. If your goal is to improve your writing, whether for the web or another medium, The I of the Storm might be a better investment of your time and money.
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