Of course, radical simplification is always possible by elimination of content entirely. But, obviously, simplification, like any other remedy, is only actually all that desirable only so long as it will not actually become purpose defeating! Otherwise, as ever required, any investment of more cerebral effort in processing texts read, alas, cannot actually guarantee greater relevant information retrieval and comprehension nor, indeed, greater more densely engrossed content of whatever sort to begin with. -let alone relevance to one's own particular needs and preferences. Hence, unavoidably, such allocation of any such precious personal resources even as sheer mental concentration of focus remains something of a risk of possibly wasted time and disappointment. Hence, to arrive here on this website not, perchance, to hazard just such liability whatsoever (no matter how tentatively and experimentally), frankly, would that not constitute something of a decided lack of real interest or even trust? And that given, what, then, would one ever presume to expect in return? And so, why and how, ever come away afterward, feeling all that deprived? Alas, many seem somewhat conflicted in willfully deciding just such inevitable choices. Remember, the prime tactic of obfuscation nowadays, remains sheer unmitigated over simplification! Depth remains our only defense!

The test question as regards that previous example sentences comprising the above paragraph, in all of their ponderousness, is one that I hope will not arise again. To whit: How does it make you feel? First of all, is the above actually, honestly and truly, difficult to read for you? If so, and assuming that English is your primary language, then, in such an event, it may be well to consider Remedial Education. Secondly and otherwise, do the sentences in question tend to anger or upset you, particularly as ever they may strike you as utterly pretentious? In that case, is all writing style of equal or even greater elaboration or complexity automatically pretentious and upsetting to you (especially given the assumption that whatever prose in question is fairly contemporary)? Or else, does syntaxic elaboration or complexity ever at all reflect greater content, in any qualitative sense, whether intrinsically/objectively, artistically/esthetically or as regards any sort of Gestalt inter-relationallity? Depending upon the severity of any such obvious inferiority complex manifesting, behaviorally, such vehement anti-intellectual "allergies" and the unquestioning assumption and acceptance thereof, the memetically "infected" individual must live with certain intellectual and practical rigidity, analytically, critically and creatively, as well as chronically actingout, displaying the unreasoning hostility characteristic of poor impulse control consistent with a tragic and pointed lack of self awareness. The true issues, then, run that much deeper than whatever writing style or personal taste alone, but adaptability at all.

Do you know how to read?-Analytically, critically? Are you sure? Can you read long complicated sentences? Are you willing to read an arrangement of words in succession twice, if you ever failed to work it all out on the first pass? Ideally, one should quickly reread any sequence of text as many times as necessary, whenever not immediately clear, routinely, automatically, by habit and without even realizing it! Indeed, even by reflex, the eyes of fully literate people actually rescan each line of text, line by line, until either understanding dawns or until a specific and pertinent incongruity comes to light. -Not just some general observation or objection, citation of "rules" even however somewhat arbitrary, rather than actually grasping principles, if even that little, or worse, simply grinding to a halt like a crashed computer. In other words, real analytic literacy and Critical Thinking demand routinely parsing repeatedly, until resolution of syntax and derivation of meaning is attained, or else until some specific identification of errors and ambiguities (such as might actually account for failure of the signifier) is achieved. FNORD// Or else if you won't, even though you can, because, frankly, anyone can, then at some point in life you must have actually chosen or become habituated to function only on an ersatz mediocre semiliterate level, because, tragically, somewhere along the line for you, the bar has been set too low as standards have steadily declined. And therefore (but in deep dark secret to avoid upsetting your peers, needlessly), it may prove fruitful to confront within yourself the devious prevailing societal anxiety conditioning of uncritical apathetic anti-intellectual slave mentality, a rotten fraudulent bill of goods, a slippery bullying con job, that you may have so unfortunately embraced, perhaps without even noticing. //FNORD Moreover, much the same expectations apply for composition of texts as a whole, as it does just for sentence structure. In other words, the ability and willingness to scroll down the page and skim in order to locate what one seeks, followed by close concentration whenever anything in particular proves more interesting and demanding. One should also be able and willing to navigate hyperlinks in sequence as dictated by one's own informational needs and curiosity, and to relate distinct pieces of information presented within provided context.  

Remaining deliberately obtuse about whatever one finds unclear may seem like tit for tat and sweet revenge, but as such, decidedly unilluminating. Rather, if and whenever one still does not understand something in particular, one ought still to be able and willing to cite the page by it's URL (full web address typically beginning with "http") and then pick apart and dissect the text in order to point out precisely whatever might be unclear, so that any such ambiguities can be discussed by email or on the site forums, and amended, cleared up, in due course. Otherwise, it will be impossible to guess what might be the problem or even with which of more than two hundred pages and counting on this website. So one ought never refuse, instead making a fuss and becoming rude, abusive, accusatory and hostile, as, alas, so many people are all too often wont and, indeed, actually even encouraged, Online.

If all this is too much trouble for you, then please go away. Sorry, but much of the various subject matter of the website is often complicated and involved, the approach substantive and the goals challenging; and the aspects of literacy examined herein will be the least of the right stuff required and what's really not easy, and, no, I'm not kidding.

Thank you to anyone serious enough to give any of this any sort of a real chance.

Copyright Aaron Agassi 2003 - 2010