RE: What Are Writing Skills?

[Tony Markos <ajmarkos -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Sharon:

OK, instead of saying "Data Flow Diagrams are needed",
I should say "for non-trivial systems Data Flow
Diagrams are needed".

Are data flow diagrams needed for cash register
systems or cell phones?  I don't know; they appear to
be, software wise at least, very small systems that
don't require alot of analysis to understand. 

Heck, even with very large software systems, once we,
using TW terminology, "chunk" the system into small
enough pieces (just a few interacting functions per
piece), we no longer need to chunk these pieces down
into yet smaller pieces to write effectively. 

(Note: I have read that, for larger-scale electronic
systems, DFD's are indeed applicable. However, as all
my experience has been in software, I will not comment
further on electronics.)

Boy, one really needs to cover all bases when posting
on this listserv!  Like when I post stating that
grammar skills are not very important to a TW,
inevitably someone will strongly object, basically
stating that if you are a complete grammar cripple -
like a third grade dropout - you are not going to be
able to write.  Well yeah, but the truth is also that
if you have completed grammar 101 at least a grade of
B - which an awful lot of people have - you have all
the grammar skills you need to be a TW.

Tony Markos
Show Me Your DFDs 

--- Sharon Burton <sharon -at- anthrobytes -dot- com> wrote:

Tony, are you saying that once you understand the flow
of the data thru a product, you have everything you
need to know to tell a user how to use the product?

How would you apply that to a cash register? What on
earth would following the data in a cash register tell
the user about using the cash register to ring up
sales in their store? How about a cell
phone? How would knowing how the data flows thru the
phone help the user at all?  How does that help you
program the voice thing?
> 



		
__________________________________ 
Do you Yahoo!? 
Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. 
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WEBWORKS FINALDRAFT - EDIT AND REVIEW, REDEFINED
Accelerate the document lifecycle with full online discussions and unique feedback-management capabilities. Unlimited, efficient reviews for Word
and FrameMaker authors. Live, online demo:
http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help 7.5 Professional: New version with new features, improved performance and reliability, plus much more!  Download your free trial today at www.componentone.com/techwrlfeb.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.