Editor's Note: Readers often find it quite surprising how many different kinds of writing exist in a newspaper, magazine or on an online site like AVSIM Online. Here AVSIM Associate Editor Chuck Boudreaux takes us on a tour of the various types of writing found on AVSIM Online.

How many different types of writing do you think can be found at AVSIM Online? Two? Four? Six? Where do you find these different types of writing? Can they be anywhere or are they only in predictable places?

Knowing the answers to these questions can make your visit to AVSIM Online much more enlightening and more enjoyable. Drum roll please! The answers are four, everywhere, and predictable places.

Okay. Maybe you need to know a bit more than just the answers ;-) Let's look at each of the four types of writing and where you will find it at AVSIM Online. As noted above, there are four types of writing you can find at AVSIM Online. And no, good and bad are not two of them! They are articles, opinion columns, editorials and objective analysis.

The most common type of writing found here at AVSIM is the Article. In most cases, this takes the form of factual news briefs updated around the clock on the AVSIM Front Page. These articles answer the who, what, where, when, why, and how about a particular subject. For expanded information, the reader may be directed to a bigger article on AVSIM or via a link to another site.

An example might be the recent announcement of the AVSIM Spring Social. In just a few lines of copy, the reader learned who (AVSIM Online), what, (the spring social), when (April 28 at 6:30 p.m.), where (Holiday Inn Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Virginia) and why (to let AVSIM readers meet the staff).

The other common type of writing you find on AVSIM Online is the Objective Analysis. This is just a fancy term for a review. Many readers would describe a review is just another article. Others shrug it off as one guys opinion. All are correct and incorrect. The objective analysis is a type of writing all its own with strict guidelines.

In a review, the AVSIM staff writer uses his experience to describe what the reader can expect if he were to buy or download the product. As in an article, the reader learns the basic facts, but in addition, the experience of the reviewer gives the reader a much more targeted perspective. At the very end, the reviewer will also give his subjective feelings about the advantages and disadvantages of the product.

The reader has the option of using just the objective analysis or combination of the facts and opinion. This is only possible because the reviewer strictly follows the guidelines on where objective facts and subjective opinions are placed.

But what about style? Some readers just seem to connect better with certain reviewers. The objective analysis allows just enough latitude for the reviewer's style, or intrinsic thought patterns, to shine through the bare facts. And as they say, like minds tend to seek each other out.

In addition, there is a unique type of objective analysis found on AVSIM Online where style is truly highlighted. These are the Top 5 Picks "mini-reviews" introduced in 2000. These small reviews are meant to be as amusing as they are informative. This makes writing mini-reviews more difficult than one would think. Maintaining the critical balance needed to handle what are pretty much opposite goals is what makes them so enjoyable.

The third type of writing on AVSIM Online is the Opinion Column. These are the pieces of writing found in the Contrails column on the right side of the Front Page. This is basically the opinion of the writer on a specific subject. Since there are many definitions, even among experts, of what delineates one type of writing from another, this column is in Contrails (such as you are reading here).

Wide latitude is given to the Contrails writer since it is his opinion being presented. However, there are still guidelines. Personal attacks and unsubstantiated claims are not allowed. Nor is the use of language or characterizations inappropriate for the wide audience AVSIM Online serves.

The final form of writing found on the pages of AVSIM Online is the Editorial. The editorial is similar to an opinion column, but instead of representing the opinion of a single writer, it represents the opinion of the senior editorial staff and thus institution as a whole.

Because the full force and power of the institution is behind an editorial, it is the most powerful and persuasive form of writing. It is not a common occurrence here at AVSIM because few topics are of such importance that the institution as a whole must go on the record. However, when such a stance is needed, the senior AVSIM editorial staff will not be silent. We will vigorously defend this pastime that brings us so much happiness.

AVSIM Online editorials will begin on the Front Page and then normally jump to an inside page to leave room for other news on the Front Page. They are clearly labeled as representing the stance of the AVSIM Editorial Staff. And please remember that we encourage your reactions and comments—click on the "Feedback" icon at the end, or send us a note in our "Letters to the Editorial Staff" forum.

As you can see, there are no complex mathematical formulas, sentence diagramming, or complicated grammar associated with distinguishing the different writing types. However, knowing the differences can make a significant difference in how the reader interprets what he reads.