I hate the word “different.”
A sentence in the August 31 Wall Street Journal demonstrates why. The article, “Age-Proofing Your Job Application,” includes this sentence:
A Gmail account gives off a markedly different impression than an AOL or Hotmail account, for example, as does a user name that includes your name or initials and includes only a couple of numbers at the end, if any at all.
So…if I were an older job applicant, which email account should I have? The article doesn’t explain, nor does it enlighten me about whether a user name with a “name or initials” and “a couple of numbers at the end” is good or bad.
All I know is that email addresses are…different.
Gee, I think I knew that already.
Journalists, take note: Clarity should be high on the list of qualities you strive for in your writing.