Re: What Are Writing Skills?

["Tom Johnson" <tjohnson -at- freeway -dot- net>]

Tony, the DFD, Evangelist Pronounceth:

Solution:  Journalism and English programs should
teach Data Flow Diagramming!

> > In terms of documenting systems, of
> > course English Departments don't understand how to
> > structure documentation!  As Ed Yourdon (Data Flow
> > Diagram guru) teaches: Systems are
> multidimensional;
> > English (text) is one dimensional; it is not
> possible
> > to effectively document a multidemensional system
> > using single dimensionsional text. 


Tom says:

If they don't know how to structure documents, how are they going to 
teach structure? Someone has to teach them. So, there you go Tony. 
Your mission in life can be: Go ye therefore unto the universities and 
the colleges and the STC conventions and make DFD disciples of all the 
world. Think of all the money you can make. Make a better DFD and the 
world will beat a path to your door.

Seriously, why haven't other people started beating this drum? After 
hearing this mantra eight or a dozen times, is anyone trying it. I 
feel like I'm listening to a TV infomercial for a handistitcher or 
that orange cleaning stuff. If it is so great, why so much 
advertising? Doesn't the product speak for itself? My guess is that 
some people perform this process in their minds, almost 
subconsciously, when they're organizing documents. Infomapping, 
Chunkinetics (TM), and DFD's are all useful to some and not necessary 
for others.

Who knows, maybe you're onto something. I think I'll remain a skeptic 
and stick with my outlines and my multidimensional brain. Thanks 
anyway.

Cheers,

-- 
Tom Johnson
tjohnson -at- starcutter -dot- com



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