by Sue Horner | Jun 21, 2009 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
The 2009 IABC World Conference in San Francisco was a whirlwind of learning opportunities and social events. (Great promotional clip for it here.) Here are some of the highlights: Brian Dunn, COO and soon to be CEO of Best Buy: Down-to-earth, personable, enthusiastic,...
by Sue Horner | Jun 17, 2009 | Writing samples
(Article published in Escarpment Views magazine.) Debby McLachlan has strict instructions: no big purchases, because her tiny condo is already jam-packed. So we’ve arrived at the Aberfoyle Antique Market about mid-morning, coffee in hand, “just to...
by Sue Horner | Jun 17, 2009 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Back from the 2009 IABC conference in San Francisco (it’s a week ago already!) and I’ve finally found a few minutes to blog about it. (If you’re visiting from Les Potter’s blog, welcome! Be warned you’ve arrived at the PotterHorn mutual...
by Sue Horner | Jun 3, 2009 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Some great terms, many from BuzzWhack: Menoporsche: Male menopause. Symptoms include a sudden lack of energy, crankiness and the overpowering urge to buy a Porsche. Seagull platform: Generally a break room or common area, where food is left out for employees to eat...
by Sue Horner | May 29, 2009 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Random petty annoyances in the usability world: When a web site makes me log in, but has nowhere for me to log out. When a site makes me log in more than once (for instance, once to enter a members-only section, and again to comment on a discussion forum). When my...
by Sue Horner | May 27, 2009 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
I just love finding words eloquently or imaginatively written for the enjoyment of readers. No coincidence, such writing also helps readers visualize what you’re explaining. Here are more examples spotted recently, with my fave parts in bold: “An earthquake will...
by Sue Horner | May 22, 2009 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Our basement was crowded with toys, games, puzzles, children’s books and more, the result of two sons, two sets of grandparents, multiple doting aunts and uncles, hand-me-downs from a dozen cousins, birthdays, Christmases and a house of people who keep...
by Sue Horner | May 15, 2009 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Have you ever heard a song, smelled a perfume or tasted food that instantly transported you to another place and time? I had that experience while having lunch the other day with my mom and two sons at the Mandarin restaurant, our after-Mother’s Day treat. The...
by Sue Horner | May 11, 2009 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
The sun is shining and it’s a brand new week. Time for a reminder to be careful out there by looking at some of the recent errors spotted in our imperfect published world: “eek out a living” (eke, although I like the frisson of living on the edge...
by Sue Horner | May 4, 2009 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Have you noticed the use of somewhat dated phrases in modern copy? While they are interesting, I wonder if the reader’s eyes just skip right over the words without registering them. Here are a few examples: “Above the fold” when referring to a web...