We live in a world where we are overborne with information. This provides
compelling reason to make the class of people targeted by a text as wide as
possible. The more that a particular text is accessible to a reader, the quicker
they can acquire and process information. However, this comes at a cost. To
make text accessible to additional readers requires extra effort by the writer
and also takes more space, often a major consideration of publishers.
These considerations prompt an obvious rule. To decide whether to make a
text accessible to a wider class of readers than its primary audience, carry out
a cost benefit analysis. First, consider the cost or disadvantage involved. This
consists of more effort by you the writer, and more space. Second, estimate
the benefit or gain that is achieved if the class of readers is so extended. Third,
compare the cost with the benefit. A writer should extend the class of reader
when the benefit of transferring the information to the extended class
outweighs the cost. This is an application of the
economics of information
transfer.
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Chapter 5 Characteristics of a Text. The relevant part is the
discussion of length, in particular the treatment of completeness.
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