clipped from www.useit.com

Writing Style for Print vs. Web

Summary:
Linear vs. non-linear. Author-driven vs. reader-driven. Storytelling vs. ruthless pursuit of actionable content. Anecdotal examples vs. comprehensive data. Sentences vs. fragments.

I’ve spent many columns explicating the differences between the Web and television, which can be summarized as lean-forward vs. lean-back:

The Web rewards comprehensive coverage that’s more specific than print content.

Web users want actionable content; they don’t want to fritter away their time on (otherwise enjoyable) stories that are tangential to their current goals.

websites must support the user’s personal story by condensing and combining vast stores of information into something that specifically meets the user’s immediate needs. Thus, instead of an author-driven narrative, Web content becomes a user-driven narrative.