UXnet supports Plain language
Thursday, May 18th, 2006 by Keith InstoneUXnet sends letter of support for Plain Language
UXnet sent the following letter in support of plain language.
To: Representative Candice Miller and the House Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs
From: Dirk Knemeyer, President, User Experience Network (UXnet) and the UXnet Board of Directors
RE: The Regulation in Plain Language Act of 2006 [HR 4809]
The User Experience Network (UXnet) wishes to express its support for plain language.
UXnet began representing the user experience community in 2004, creating connections between people, resources, and organizations interested in user experience. We have put together an international network of 82 Local Ambassadors representing 62 locales across six continents - including 29 regions in the United States. We have also created networks to facilitate events, connect organizations, and educate professional managers.
We believe that a good user experience promotes efficiency and effectiveness in the use of products and communication, increases profitability for organizations that invest in it, and contributes to an improved quality of life. Plain language is essential to a good user experience: particularly in a government or legal context, unclear communication results in ambiguity, confusion, and anxiety. When that further leads to mistakes in form completion, unintentional non-compliance with guidelines or regulations or an inability to procure necessary services, it can result in significant inconvenience or even harm to the people or organizations involved.
As such, we believe the requirements in the Regulation in Plain Language Act of 2006 [HR 4809] would be of major benefit to the operation of government by enhancing the ability of both businesses and citizens to comply with regulations and to obtain needed services.
We support the views expressed in the testimony of Dr. Annetta Cheek, Professor Joseph Kimble, Professor Thomas Cooley, and Mr. Todd McCracken in your March 1 hearing.
We encourage the Subcommittee to take HR 4809 under serious consideration and expeditiously produce a bill for review by the full House.
Thank you for your promotion of plain language in the Government.
Dirk Knemeyer, President
And the UXnet Board of Directors: David (Heller) Malouf, Keith Instone, Nick Finck, Richard Anderson, Whitney Quesenbery
