Government's impact on plain English

- Understanding the history of the plain English movement…certainly won't make you a better plain English writer,…but a brief overview of the why behind the what…might help clarify why plain English is such a big deal,…and it's not just a fad of here today and gone tomorrow.…In fact, it's becoming a bigger deal…in both business and in government.…Trying to mandate plain English isn't a new concept.…Actually, one of the early movements was after World War II.…Nor is the movement isolated to the United States.…

plain English initiatives are also important in other…countries such as Great Britain as early as the 1970's.…Australia, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Sweden,…and the United Kingdom also have initiatives…in place for plain language use.…John O'Hayre and employee of the…US Bureau of Land Management wanted less…bureaucratic language used so wrote…Gobbledygook Has Gotta Go in 1966.…If you're interested in seeing the original message…and how it was revised, visit this website…to read the first part of the book.…

There Federal Communication Commission is usually credited…