May the bullet-in board prosper

Taking a bullet for someone, or finally biting the bullet and no longer procrastinating may not be the kind of things one looks forward to. But maybe it's high time the bullet, or bullet point, used in typography is released from the confines of PPTs, presentations, manifestos and brochures and finds a wider grazing ground in other more 'gentrified' forms the written word takes. Here's why:

l It forces the writer to get straight to the point

l It allows the reader to get straight to the point


l Its very presence neatens the page or screen, breaking the clutter of words heaped in paragraphs

l It takes up very little space, thereby leading from the font in economic use of space and language

l It makes it easier to recall what was read

l It can be used with any language without any transmission and distribution loss in translation

The bullet, once used liberally across the pages of articles, books and even novels, may actually bring new freshness not only to these forms of writing, but also to the bullet itself. The bullet may not usher in balletic writing - we have enough of that - but it could certainly make for a lean, mean fox trot. May the l be with you.