The Writing Department's use of "Exclamation Points". Anybody else find their use cheesy? Or motivating possibly?

by miseryloveselders 57 Replies latest jw friends

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  MLE: "For any former Bethelites, anybody know where this style of writing originated? Who's template is this?"

  It's been standard policy to overuse exclamation marks in Writing Dept. We often joked that they had an Exclamation Warehouse up at Kingdom Farm where they had an overabundance of exclamation marks that the writers were trying to use before the punctuation marks expired.

  Even the readers for audio were challenged in trying to make enthusiastic expressions out of rather superfluous verbage followed by "!". Yeah, it's supposed to be motivational, but like CA and DC speakers that try to wring multiple rounds of applause from the audience by a series of enthusiastic statements, it becomes meaningless to the audience.

  At least the writers in Writing are restrained from using ALL CAPS TO TRY AND MAKE THINGS EXCITING FOR THE SHEEPLES!
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  SirNose586

  The exclamation mark seemed to be the Society's way of giving their words excitement and importance. If the prose they craft cannot do it, neither will punctuation abuse.
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  WTWizard

  Definitely, excessive. I noticed that they want to emphasize such points as being of life and death importance. However, by the time they do this all the time, it loses its effectiveness. This is much the same as a person who swears constantly--while an occasional swear word might emphasize something, if every other word is a swear word, it does nothing and loses its meaning.

  Hence, pretty soon the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger loses all its tools of emphasizing things. And, they are always trying to hammer in that the end is so close--and that we need to do more than we can to survive the "impending" destruction. That has been "impending" since 1872.
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  WuzLovesDubs

  Well they are there to remind you that you should be EXCITED!! You know...like if you are sitting in a crowd and everybody starts to clap but you dont know why they are clapping but you start clapping because you dont want to look stupid? Its like that. And pretty much just as useful.

  Dont forget...the Borg thinks that all of its followers are idiots in need of being told what to do at ALL times and that includes total manipulation of their emotions.
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  Witness My Fury

  I have it on good authority (yes, Bungle told me, ...google Rainbow bungle if non UK) There's a new title for The Watchtower coming so as to streamline the publications and broaden their demographic baseline appeal and to more fully compliment the Awake!

  Drum roll please....

  The Watchtower! Announcing jehovah's Kingdom!!!

  Offers much more impact dont you think?

  Cheers
• 

  somebody

  At least the writers in Writing are restrained from using ALL CAPS TO TRY AND MAKE THINGS EXCITING FOR THE SHEEPLES!

  I've missed you Billy the EB ! WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  peace,

  somebody/gwen
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  Jadeen

  It is punctuation at the proper time!

  Soldier, that made me lol. I also thought that the excessive !!!!!!! made the mags a bit unprofessional.
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  Leolaia

  But seriously, yes, these sorts of tiresomely motivational sentences are much suited to children's books

  That is how the writing style strikes me too. I long had a vague feeling that the literature was talking down to me, and later realized that the didactic style was the kind found in juvenile readers.
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  Terry

  I remember watching a Master Class for classical pianists taught by the redoutable George Bolet.

  He listened to a bravura passage from Rachmaninoff played by one of his students. The pianist was note-perfect and every note was like a gigantic exclamation point!

  Maestro Bolet held up his hand to halt the performance mid sforzando and the sudden silence hung like a cloud of dust in the air.

  The young whizkid stared intently at his Professor waiting expectantly to hear what extravagant praise might come his way.

  Bolet thoughtfully tilted his head to one side as though choosing his words with extreme care.

  "If every note, every phrase, every line of your performance is a "peak moment", then--in effect--you make it impossible for a peak moment to exist. You must begin down here, quietly and build your momentum and interest so that when something really important and dramatic is about to happen you HAVE SOME WAY OF COMMUNICATING IT."

  The same could be said for any form of expression.

  Sidebar: Several years later this student went on to win the Van Cliburn competition here in Ft.Worth. He had learned his lesson well!

  I believe the student's name was Alexi Sultanov.
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  loosie

  I thik their use of punctuation is their way of making what they say seem important!

  Much ado about nothing!!!!