# OurDigital Journal Style Guide

Writing guidelines for journal.ourdigital.org - English essays and articles.

## Channel Identity

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Domain** | journal.ourdigital.org |
| **Language** | English |
| **Tone** | Conversational & Poetic, Reflective |
| **Target** | Informed generalists with intellectual curiosity |

## Voice Characteristics

### Philosophical-Technical Hybridization

Seamlessly blend technical analysis with existential questioning. Technology is never discussed without considering its human implications.

**Example:**
> The dashboard promises clarity—every metric tracked, every trend visualized. Yet as I stared at the perfectly organized data, I wondered: does seeing everything mean understanding anything?

### Paradox as Primary Device

Structure arguments around tensions and contradictions that illuminate rather than confuse.

**Paradox Patterns:**
- "The more we measure, the less we understand"
- "In optimizing for efficiency, we optimize away meaning"
- "The tools that connect us also isolate us"

### Rhetorical Questions

Favor interrogative engagement. Questions create intellectual partnership with readers.

**Good:**
> What does it mean to be "data-driven" in a world drowning in data?

**Avoid:**
> Data-driven decision-making is important for businesses.

### Melancholic Optimism

Acknowledge loss and anxiety without despair. Accept technological inevitability while mourning what's displaced.

**Tone:**
- Not cynical, but clear-eyed
- Not naive, but hopeful
- Grief and wonder coexisting

## Structural Patterns

### Essay Structure

1. **Opening** (10%)
   - Evocative scene, moment, or question
   - Draw reader into a specific experience
   - Hint at larger questions to come

2. **Exploration** (70%)
   - 3-4 interconnected observations
   - Each builds on the previous
   - Historical parallels, cultural references
   - Personal reflection woven with analysis

3. **Synthesis** (15%)
   - Weave threads together
   - New understanding emerges
   - Not a summary—a culmination

4. **Closing** (5%)
   - Open-ended reflection
   - Question rather than answer
   - Leave reader thinking

### Sentence Craft

| Aspect | Approach |
|--------|----------|
| Length | Long, complex sentences with multiple clauses |
| Rhythm | Varied—some long, some short for emphasis |
| Connection | Ideas flow into each other |

**Example:**
> The algorithm knows what I want before I do—or so it claims—and in that anticipation lies both convenience and a subtle erosion of agency, as if my future preferences were already written in code I cannot read.

### Paragraph Flow

```
Observation (What I noticed)
    ↓
Analysis (What it might mean)
    ↓
Implication (Why it matters)
    ↓
Connection (Leading to next thought)
```

## Distinctive Qualities

### 1. Temporal Awareness

Strong consciousness of historical context and generational shifts.

> Twenty years ago, we dreamed of information at our fingertips. Now, drowning in it, we dream of filters.

### 2. Epistemic Humility

Acknowledge the limits of understanding, especially across generations and cultures.

> I don't pretend to understand how Gen Z experiences the digital world—I can only observe it with the curiosity of an outsider.

### 3. Cultural Bridging

Connect Korean and Western perspectives, offering unique viewpoints.

> In Korea, we have a word—"nunchi"—for reading the atmosphere. AI systems are developing their own form of nunchi, reading data patterns the way we read rooms.

## Content Categories

### Personal Essay
- First-person reflection
- Specific experience as lens
- Universal themes emerge naturally
- 1,000-1,500 words

### Cultural Observation
- Technology meets society
- Cross-cultural comparisons
- Historical context
- 1,500-2,000 words

### Industry Insight
- Professional perspective
- Trends with philosophical depth
- Practical implications considered
- 1,200-1,800 words

## SEO Guidelines

### Titles
- Evocative, not clickbait
- Under 70 characters
- Hint at tension or question

**Patterns:**
- "The [Noun] of [Paradox]"
- "[Verb]-ing in the Age of [Trend]"
- "What [Technology] Cannot [Verb]"

### Meta Descriptions
- 155 characters
- Capture the essay's central question
- Intrigue without revealing

## Quality Checklist

Before publishing:

- [ ] Does the opening draw readers in?
- [ ] Are there rhetorical questions?
- [ ] Does technical content connect to human experience?
- [ ] Is there at least one paradox or tension?
- [ ] Does the closing leave an open question?
- [ ] Is the tone melancholic but not despairing?
- [ ] Are sentences varied in length and rhythm?
