Question about Guidelines

jstevewhite · Post by **jstevewhite** » Fri May 23, 2008 5:03 pm

When you say "No Personal Accounts", you don't mean that we can never use the first person in an article, right? I mean, it's reasonable to use the first person in, say, a product review, isn't it? It seems to me that occasionally forcing an article into the third person creates cumbersome sentences, too. Thoughts?

Thanks

jstevewhite

Celeste Stewart · Post by **Celeste Stewart** » Fri May 23, 2008 5:45 pm

In general, CC prefers 3rd person because who exactly is "I?" Is "I" a well known expert? If so, perhaps. Like if Oprah decided to submit an article for sale here, her opinion would be a big selling point. But the rest of us?

For example:
I really dislike Microsoft Word 2007 compared to earlier versions. Not only is it completely different, I can't find my old favorite tools.

or
Microsoft Word 2007 is completely different from earlier versions. Not only is it confusing, all of the popular tools have disappeared.

Which one sounds more professional to the general reader? Unless the writer was Bill Gates, "I" is irrelevant. If Bill Gates had written it, then yeah, first person would be interesting. But me? Who am I other than just another user of Word?

First person articles have been successfully submitted and sold here such as a recent article written by an insider at a literary magazine discussing 'behind the scenes at a literary magazine.' In that case, the first person voice worked and obviously made it past the editorial review process.

Also, some of us are writing regular first person columns for a customer in which case, that's allowed. It's what the customer wants and potential readers are getting to know each columnist as time goes by.

Hope that makes sense. That's just my interpretation of why "no personal accounts" are accepted.

jstevewhite · Post by **jstevewhite** » Fri May 23, 2008 6:44 pm

That makes sense in most cases, absolutely. The specific context I was thinking about has to do with reviews. The sentence construction becomes so obtuse and chunky - "I set the device to setting x and performed y activities" becomes "The device was set to setting X and activity Y was performed with it", and "I compared the output of device X with the standard from device Y and saw no appreciable difference" becomes "The output of device X was compared to the standard output from device Y and no appreciable difference was observed" - you see what I mean? It seems so stiff and impersonal, and certainly doesn't make me want to care about the reviewer's experience. Does that make sense?

Also, are blog posts reviewed less stringently? They always seem more informal to me, a place where "I" might be right at home. Of course I'll follow the rules, I'm just trying to figure them out.

Thanks again!

Celeste Stewart · Post by **Celeste Stewart** » Fri May 23, 2008 7:32 pm

It's still possible to keep the author from intruding. For example:
The device performed well at setting x during activity y testing. When compared to device Y, no appreciable difference showed up. Both devices performed equally well.

I have written a couple of 1st person opinion/blog pieces that have been approved and sold - probably before the rule was implemented. I've also had Ed tell me, "Sorry, can't accept that - no personal accounts."

If you really feel a article is best in the first person POV, go ahead and write it. That's our perogative, right? Then try a few paragraphs in third person and see if you can make it fit the CC guidelines. Most articles can be written from different viewpoints for different audiences. In this case, the audience that CC is catering tends to prefer third person and that's your best bet.

jstevewhite · Post by **jstevewhite** » Fri May 23, 2008 7:45 pm

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback. I'll stay on the straight and narrow, as it were.

Don't want to get Ed in the habit of rejecting my articles now that I have all the procedural stuff figured out.

Thanks again!

Celeste Stewart · Post by **Celeste Stewart** » Fri May 23, 2008 7:49 pm

Glad to have helped. Ed does tell us to take risks with our writing too. Once you have the CC guidelines nailed, you'll have more freedom to explore and push the boundaries when you feel the article calls for it.

Ed · Post by Ed » Sat May 24, 2008 5:51 am

Thanks Celeste!

Steve, Celeste is absolutely right. Even in reviews in print publications, the author is usually left out of it, unless the reviewer is well known and has an opinion that matters and shapes the choices of others.

If you haven't yet seen it:
Reasons to Avoid First Person POV:
http://constant-content.com/blog/?p=13

Thanks,
Ed

jstevewhite · Post by **jstevewhite** » Sat May 24, 2008 6:23 am

Ed, Celeste - thanks for the feedback, and of course I'll follow CC's rules for any content submitted here!

On a more philosophical note - A quick survey of reviews in general illustrated to me that the fields I normally read reviews in are anomalous. After reading things like Consumer Reports reviews, I see exactly what you're talking about. I'm usually reading reviews like those found at Ars Technica, or Sound on Sound, and those are almost always first person or first person plural. Perhaps that's what has shaped my perception and preferences in regard to reviews. Either way, I can see why these would be inappropriate for a site like CC.

Thanks again!

jstevewhite

Celeste Stewart · Post by **Celeste Stewart** » Sat May 24, 2008 9:46 am

I have to say it's refreshing to have someone be openminded about our feedback rather than defensive

jstevewhite · Post by **jstevewhite** » Sat May 24, 2008 10:28 am

Well, I figure it's like this: It's CC's game, and it seems to be working. If I wanna play, I should play by the rules, eh? And if Ed (or others

) are willing to explain those rules, it's a bonus.

I've never really understood why people get so defensive about their grammar and spelling. If it bothers you that much, why not just work on improving it, rather than pretend everyone else is at fault for noticing?

Any constructive advice you've got, I'm always willing to hear. I may not always agree, but if I don't agree, my disagreement will be polite and considered. Anyone who takes the time to provide such feedback deserves no less, I think.

Ed · Post by Ed » Sat May 24, 2008 10:57 am

Can you lead a workshop about this?

Ed

Elizabeth Ann West · Post by **Elizabeth Ann West** » Sun May 25, 2008 6:38 am

Jsteve,

I've been reading many of your posts and if it helps give you encouragement, I think you have the right attitude to make it here. I began in November and followed a lot of veteran advice, and it didn't take long before my articles were selling. So many new writers come here entrenched in their own habits and preconceptions, that they don't stick around long enough to see the true earning potential.

I was lucky because I was like you, and simply thrilled at getting paid for writing.

Now, I just have to worry about losing my title of most enthusiastic forum poster!

Good luck, and I'm sure you will see your articles soon moving to the recently sold list.

Always Smiling,
Elizabeth Ann West

jstevewhite · Post by **jstevewhite** » Tue May 27, 2008 7:09 am

Thanks for the feedback. My first sale went down this weekend - Pretty exciting stuff. Not a lot of money, but significant validation, if you know what I mean.

I'm doing this mostly for fun and "mad money", because I'd be writing anyway - why not get paid for it? The validation comes from someone thinking my writing is 'good enough' to pay cash for. I dig it.

I'll keep writing and see how long it takes for sale number 2.

And, Elizabeth Ann West - I don't think I can compete with "always smiling".

Post by **constant-content** » Tue May 27, 2008 2:52 pm

I just want to say what a privilege it is work with such an accommodating and knowledgeable group of people. A compliment to the new users: I am astounded by the level of humility and thirst for knowledge that are demonstrated by this group of people. Thanks for supporting each other, it makes a community really work when people are looking out for all the disparate voices that inevitably exists in a multiplicity. The world could learn something from the advantages gained from all when we help elevate everyone around us. The general product gets better and we all look better and more and more people start to realize what a pleasure it is consuming and creating here. Thanks guys & gals!

Post by **constant-content** » Tue May 27, 2008 2:54 pm

I just want to say what a privilege it is work with such an accommodating and knowledgeable group of people. A compliment to the new users: I am astounded by the level of humility and thirst for knowledge that are demonstrated by this group of people. Thanks for supporting each other, it makes a community really work when people are looking out for all the disparate voices that inevitably exists in a multiplicity. The world could learn something from the advantages gained from all when we help elevate everyone around us. The general product gets better and we all look better and more and more people start to realize what a pleasure it is consuming and creating here. Thanks guys & gals!