I'm in that small minority of people with a Computer Science degree and an English minor 😊, so I appreciate that you're making this point on dev.to. I want to add that writing prose is a lot like writing code in that the more good prose you read, the better prose you'll write. Most of how we communicate is based on convention, so it's important to understand what those conventions are and how to effectively use them.
I'd encourage people who find it challenging to write clear prose to take note of when they read someone else's writing which they find confusing. Is it because of the grammar? The word choices? The punctuation? All the above (and more)? When you have to pause to understand what you just read, identify what caused the lack of clarity, and consider how to make it clearer. This kind of thought process can help make you more aware of your own choices when writing.
And don't forget that proofreading is your (best) friend! 😁
I think the analogy between writing code and prose is spot on and not something that I considered before. Not just in the exposure sense that you describe, but also how you can more effectively approach the two: starting with the barebones and iterating/clustering/cleaning up.
I also agree that in assessing other people's work, we can learn a lot about our own pitfalls. Sometimes, it's hard to notice our own habits until we see them in another environment.
Thank you for the thoughtful insight!
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
We're a place where coders share, stay up-to-date and grow their careers.
I'm in that small minority of people with a Computer Science degree and an English minor 😊, so I appreciate that you're making this point on dev.to. I want to add that writing prose is a lot like writing code in that the more good prose you read, the better prose you'll write. Most of how we communicate is based on convention, so it's important to understand what those conventions are and how to effectively use them.
I'd encourage people who find it challenging to write clear prose to take note of when they read someone else's writing which they find confusing. Is it because of the grammar? The word choices? The punctuation? All the above (and more)? When you have to pause to understand what you just read, identify what caused the lack of clarity, and consider how to make it clearer. This kind of thought process can help make you more aware of your own choices when writing.
And don't forget that proofreading is your (best) friend! 😁
Very cool background!
I think the analogy between writing code and prose is spot on and not something that I considered before. Not just in the exposure sense that you describe, but also how you can more effectively approach the two: starting with the barebones and iterating/clustering/cleaning up.
I also agree that in assessing other people's work, we can learn a lot about our own pitfalls. Sometimes, it's hard to notice our own habits until we see them in another environment.
Thank you for the thoughtful insight!