User Reviews
 

Just spent an age writing a review of the K5 only to be hit with an error message AT THE END saying that it should be no more than 250 words. I wasn't going to do it all again, so I gave up.

It would be a really kind thing to mention AT THE OUTSET that there is a word count limit.

I sometimes wonder if the lack of consideration for users of this forum is not deliberate. :mad:

I've never come across a word limit, and I'm rather verbose.

That's hugely frustrating though. Something on the new thread/reply boxes about a word limit would be very helpful.

If you edit your review, you will find you can say the same thing using half the amount of words. Word counts aren't the only criteria to work with. The Flesch reading ease statistics are a good indicator of how your work reads, and you should aim for 60%-70%, which will give you a Kincaid grade level of at least 6.7 - age group of 13 to adult. If you use Microsoft Word you can turn the readability statistics on in Spell Check. Those percentages are for general readership. A different criteria will apply for the more technical or academic article. It's a very useful tool.

PS. You should check sentences as well as paragraphs with this tool to keep on track. Hope this helps.

[QUOTE=HinFrance;35991]Just spent an age writing a review of the K5 only to be hit with an error message AT THE END saying that it should be no more than 250 words. I wasn't going to do it all again, so I gave up.

It would be a really kind thing to mention AT THE OUTSET that there is a word count limit.

I sometimes wonder if the lack of consideration for users of this forum is not deliberate. :mad:[/QUOTE]

Am I right in thinking that you tried to post your review in 'User Reviews' under Angela Nicholson's PhotoRadar K5 review rather than as a forum post/thread H? As you say, there is no mention of a word limit there. Where is says [I]'Have you used this product? Tell us what you think about it here'[/I] it would be helpful if [I]'...in no more than 250 words'[/I] could be added if that really must be the limit.

Personally, I would be quite interested in reading your review so I hope you retained a copy.

Bump

Edit: Goodness Keith, I never cease to be amazed by the breadth of knowledge on PhotoRadar Forum. There's always something new to be learned.

[QUOTE=Mr Bump;36117]Edit: Goodness Keith, I never cease to be amazed by the breadth of knowledge on PhotoRadar Forum. There's always something new to be learned.[/QUOTE]

Yes, Mr. Bump. I found this tool about 5 years ago and have never looked back since. As I write short stories for pleasure during those moments of photographic boredom, this tool helps me to keep my writing at one level and prevents me from wavering between simple sentences (preferred) and the more complex sentences (not a good thing for fiction writing)...:D

[quote=KeithT;36120]Yes, Mr. Bump. I found this tool about 5 years ago and have never looked back since. As I write short stories for pleasure during those moments of photographic boredom, this tool helps me to keep my writing at one level and prevents me from wavering between simple sentences (preferred) and the more complex sentences (not a good thing for fiction writing)...:D[/quote]

Out of interest, do you consider paragraph shape? Being a scientist, we tend to write very long and complicated sentences (my published record is a sentence of over 50 words and my MSc dissertation had one of nearly 70!) and I was taught that paragraphs should have a curved profile. Difficult with science but easier in fiction...

[I]Edit: Ooops! Threadjack - Sorry H![/I]

Hi Chris

Yes, for fiction I try to keep paragraphs as short as I do my sentences, and a curved profile is a nice way to describe the shape I think. A simple structure is best for my type of writing and I do ensure that all paragraphs are unified and coherent before I feel satisfied with them. However, for the kind of stuff you write there is a whole different approach to the structuring of sentences and paragraphs. Such lengths as you mention could be seen as necessary and certainly essential for some academic subjects. You can still use the Flesch reading ease, and Flesch-Kincaid grade level tool, for academic writing though. I used it for my post teaching certificate of education essays (wish I'd heard of it before that), and used anything from 20% - 40% as an indicator for keeping on track.

Some info here: [url]http://www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz/writing_guide/writing/flesch.shtml[/url]