Most people write for the “in crowd”.
They do it without knowing or thinking about it.
They use acronyms, jargon, and odd phrases. They don’t give context. They assume prior knowledge.
But inevitably, someone from outside the “in crowd” will come along.
And they’ll be baffled.
So why not ask ourselves the question anytime we put pen to paper: “Will the uninitiated be able to understand this on the first reading?”
If the answer is “no”, we still have work to do.