IanKelley - 6:36 pm on Mar 23, 2009 (gmt 0)

Nope, again. I don't know anyone who respects pointless polysyllabics.

I would agree about pointless vocabulary words... however there are countless instances where 6th grade and above words convey meaning that would otherwise take a dozen little words. In those cases they improve the flow and readability.

It's an interesting debate and I can see both sides. On one hand virtually all forms of media have a tendency to underestimate the general public, which over time presumably becomes a kind of self fulfilling prophecy. On the other hand it's true that people are more likely to be skimming and jumping around while reading online.

The only thing I'd add is that it is perhaps a little silly to assume that you have "lost" a reader just because they've encountered a word they don't know the definition of. If they're interested in the topic they will infer a vague meaning from the context and continue reading. You have to hit someone with quite a lot of words they can't parse before they give up.

It really depends on context... If you're writing catalog descriptions for alarm clocks, keep it simple. If you're writing an article on a topic that requires some level of intellect, don't patronize your audience.