I don’t agree with this as a principle, although it may be a correct output. I think the notion of “a decent default” misses the mark compared to “think about your audience and the key elements of your message before deciding your form and tone.”
To use a simple metaphor, if you need to anchor two pieces of wood together, a hammer and nails are usually going to be the quickest and cheapest way to do it. A drill and screws are often overkill. However I don’t think that makes the hammer and nails the default; I think it makes them the correct tool in the majority of situations and the drill and screws the correct tool in a minority, but whichever one you end up using you should think about what type of stress your join will be under and use the right tool for the job.
I don’t agree with this as a principle, although it may be a correct output. I think the notion of “a decent default” misses the mark compared to “think about your audience and the key elements of your message before deciding your form and tone.”
To use a simple metaphor, if you need to anchor two pieces of wood together, a hammer and nails are usually going to be the quickest and cheapest way to do it. A drill and screws are often overkill. However I don’t think that makes the hammer and nails the default; I think it makes them the correct tool in the majority of situations and the drill and screws the correct tool in a minority, but whichever one you end up using you should think about what type of stress your join will be under and use the right tool for the job.