Home Essay TL;DRs
Contribute!

Contribute a TL;DR!

Think of the tl;dr as a punchline.

Not subtle, but effective, and memorable. At first, the impact matters more than the subtlety but, if you pay a bit of attention to it, the punchline can become an elegant aphorism, compression a lot of insight into a couple of words.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

  1. Remember that you are someone, and that you are talking to someone. It's ok to use personal pronouns (me/you/etc.)
  2. Remember that this someone might be tired. Make things easy for them.
  3. People pay attention when they get why they should pay attention. Be direct and imply the stakes and context.
  4. Don’t be afraid to be funny or quirky. People remember it better than long demonstrations.
  5. Avoid technical terms. If you use technical terms, make sure you explain them in casual terms.