How to Write "Official"

Here is a quick tutorial on How to Write "Official," which is to say how to NOT write for this course. This was developed by Dr. Gerald Grow at the IU Learning Systems Institute and Communication.

  1. Start with a simple statement: We quit. Why? Nobody knew how to program the computer.
  2. Put it in passive voice, and dilute the responsibility: It was decided to quit.
  3. Expand with terminology that does not add meaning: It was decided to terminate.
  4. Build in noun strings: It was decided to terminate project processes.
  5. Add a qualifier of uncertain relation to the original statement: On account of the status of the computer, it was decided to terminate project processes.
  6. Add noun strings and terminology to the qualifier: On account of the status of the computer programming assessment planning development effort, it was decided to terminate project processes.
  7. Equivocate: On account of the uncertain status of the computer programming assessment planning development effort, it was proposed and tentatively accepted to terminate until a later date the project processes.
  8. Obfuscate: Due to the uncertainties in the status of the computer programming assessment planning development effort, proposals were carefully considered and tentatively adopted to suspend temporarily until a later date project processes.
  9. Cover your tracks, make yourself look good: Due to unavoidable uncertainties in the status of the computer program assessment planning development effort, a number of contingency proposals were carefully considered and one was tentatively adopted to suspend on a temporary basis until a later date those project processes deemed unessential to the expeditious fulfillment of contract requirements.

Return to ISM4113 page