Drivel Defence - an Introduction

We are pleased to announce Drivel Defence, a software toolkit that will help you to check your Plain English!

In these modern times, much written content is produced on computer, so wouldn't it be good if the computer could help you to check it? That is exactly what the Drivel Defence toolkit does. It includes 2 tools:

• Drivel Defence for Text. This allows you to check any old text by copying it from any computer application and pasting it into a checking window. It's ideal for letters or reports. You can use Drivel Defence for Text from this website, or you can download it and run it locally on your own computer.
• Drivel Defence for Web. This is a tool specifically to help web developers check the Plain English content of web pages. To use it you must download it and run it locally on your own computer.

Both programs can give you a detailed report on your Plain English, but neither makes any changes. This leaves you in control. Use them to keep drivel at bay.

We are extremely grateful to John Rugg, for developing the programs, and to the University of the West of England, who carried out independent evaluation testing.

Please note that these programs are provided free, unsupported and unguaranteed. However, please e-mail any comments you have to us here (no unsolicited attachments please), with 'Drivel Defence' in the subject description. This will help us to improve the programs. Also, keep an eye on our Drivel Defence Frequently Asked Questions page

Drivel Defence - you know it makes sense!

Downloads

Both programs are quite small, so should download very quickly (less than 25 seconds on a 56k dial up modem). The programs are JavaScript based web page files (ie. just web pages). Nothing is actually installed on your computer, you just need to put the files together in one directory (or folder) on your computer. Because the programs are just web pages, they should run on any operating system that has a recent web browser.

• Download Drivel Defence for Text
• Download Drivel Defence for Web
• Download Drivel Defence for Text and Drivel Defence for Web