Re: Archimedes Socrates, ace tech writer, wins another one
The point of my little attempt at humor is that there are those
frequent posters on the list who seem to believe that the users'
needs really don't matter, and that the measure of a 'good' tech-
writer is that he knows a lot of details about how the software
was designed, and why.
I have to admit that I was more struck by the bizaareness of the original post than its humour. I didn't think it applied to anything ever said on the list.
Those of us who argue in favor of technical expertise. (and I've been known to) tend to assume basic writing skills, such as audience analysis, are a given for working in the field. We just don't think these basic skills are always enough - nor that it's an either/or choice between writing skills and technical knowledge. If the need for technical expertise is sometimes over-emphasized, I think that that is a necessary corrective, since too many people tend to neglect it.
I'm assuming, of course that most of us would prefer to do an outstanding job, if at all possible. And, even if we can rarely do a perfect job, our work is likely to be more useful if we know what we're writing about by the time we finish (I add "by the time we finish" because, sometimes, the attempt to put a concept into a useful structure is an aid to understanding).
--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com
"We feel the breeze from the storm to come,
And up and down this coast
We're waiting for the wheel to turn."
-Capercaillie, "Clearances"
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A landmark hotel, one of America's most beautiful cities, and three and a half days of immersion in the state of the art:
IPCC 01, Oct. 24-27 in Santa Fe. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
+++ Miramo -- Database/XML publishing automation. See us at +++
+++ Seybold SFO, Sept. 25-27, in the Adobe Partners Pavilion +++
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