RE: describing the minority as literate is a circular argument?

Subject: RE: describing the minority as literate is a circular argument?
From: Mailing List <mlist -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 12:05:39 -0400



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gene Kim-Eng [mailto:techwr -at- genek -dot- com]
> Sent: August 16, 2004 3:19 PM

> From: "Mailing List" <mlist -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>

> > The rules give you something to go
> > back to, and they provide a necessary inertia against
> > the vagaries and ephemera of popular usage.

> They also give you something to rebel against, if that's
> what you're looking for. What's to become of "cutting
> edge," or "avant garde" works if there are no rules to
> violate? How can anything be unconventional if there
> are no conventions?

A mark of sophistication in writing is to knowingly,
and with precision, break rules for some particular
effect.

Another mark of sophistication is to recognize the
difference between knowledgeable rule-breaking and
ignorant or uncaring blundering.

The former might be accused of being "cutting edge"
or "avant garde". . . or maybe just witty.

The latter, well. . . :-)

In general, neither one belongs in tech writing, but
I've seen examples of humorous usage that worked to
convey technical info/instruction, while keeping the
reader's attention. But then, I happen to know that
I fell within the same ethnic and educational parameters
as the people who wrote those documents. . . a . . . minority.

Kevin

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