Dead Writing Theory

The story

Dead Writing Theory tests one claim: that since ChatGPT, the writing on the web has been collapsing into one machine voice. Same words, same rhythm, same punctuation, everywhere. The site does not argue for the theory or against it. It tests it case by case and publishes the evidence on both sides.

It is framed as a trial, "The Court of Public Prose", which is a figure of speech and not a real court. The prosecution brings evidence for the theory, the defence brings evidence against it, and every study is a case on the docket with a verdict.

Who it is for. Anyone who suspects online writing has drifted towards a single voice and wants to see what the measuring actually shows. It suits anyone who works with words, since the site looks at prose, copy, advertising and marketing.

How it works in practice. Each finding is an exhibit, numbered P for the prosecution and D for the defence. Each study is a case, from DWT-001 onwards, and ends in a verdict: for the prosecution, for the defence, or split. The homepage opens with an optional clerk's voice of about 14 seconds, with every line captioned, or you can enter quietly. Anyone can submit a page that sounds like every other page as evidence.

What makes it different. Third-party studies are credited, linked and weighed with their caveats, and their numbers are quoted from the original, not re-measured. The site's own studies are ScriptGrain studies, measured with deterministic code and never a language model.

Where it stands now. Live, with 15 cases and 37 exhibits, 18 for the prosecution and 19 for the defence. Two of the cases are the studio's own studies and 13 are other people's. There is a blog and a docket that lists the next matter being measured. Reading it needs no account, and analytics are anonymous and first-party, with no cookies.

What it deliberately does not do. It does not declare the theory true or false in advance. It takes the narrower, measurable corner of writing and leaves the wider Dead Internet Theory alone, and it says it is not affiliated with it.

What it does

• 15 cases on a public docket, each with a verdict
• 37 exhibits: 18 for the prosecution, 19 for the defence
• Own studies measured with code, never a language model
• 13 third-party studies credited, linked and caveated
• Open to submitted evidence
• No cookies, no accounts

Next door in the Work Quarter

• Product Photo Shots

  Plot 21 · Live

  One photo of your product in, professional campaign shots of that exact product in new scenes out. Each shot is checked against your original before you see it. From £19 for 3 shots.

• Chartsmade

  Plot 22 · Live

  Turns a table, a CSV or Excel file, a Google Sheet or a sentence into a finished chart you can embed or download. Part of Look Good Tools, free to start with no account needed.

• Decksmade

  Plot 23 · Live

  Turns a report, a spreadsheet or an old deck into a designed presentation. Every number on a slide is read from your file, and you check each one before the deck is built.