Why Don't I Use Hype?

I used to do a thing called 'hype'. Hype is short for hypothetical.

I wrote in depth about this in a sample Letter from Evolving Your Digital Work: Untethering from Hype.

These days, I try to avoid hype in my writing and communications as much as possible. I do this because when I use hype, I'm setting expectations about where or what I'll be doing in the future. If I end up not doing what I said I was going to do, then I've set expectations and not met them.

This is particularly problematic when I say I'm going to do something extraordinary. When I say I'm going to do something extraordinary, then I've created a promise to you that I'll do something. "I'm going to do something... soon!"

If I end up doing something else, then there's confusion.

Then, I'm in a situation where I've broken my promise to myself and to you.