Re: The 'user' in User Manual

Subject: Re: The 'user' in User Manual
From: Ned Bedinger <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>
To: Lauren <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>
Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2007 23:56:22 -0800

Lauren wrote:

I've never heard the phrase "the old saw about foolish consistency." When
did consistency become foolish? I might not understand what you are are
saying here.

"A foolish consistency is the hobgobblin of little minds."

The writer of your Tester's Manual (that was it wasn't it?) took the rule of consistency, applied it to the techwriting convention of addressing the audience as 'you', and produced a document that reputedly has the word 'you' in every sentence. I think this is a foolish consistency.

The quote is from "Self-Reliance", an essay from 1841, by Ralph Waldo Emerson. True lions of technical writing will want to read it. True tech writers will find much to quibble with in it. Anyway, here's the last paragraph, where 'foolish consistency' and at least one other oft-quoted line come from.

<quote>
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day.--"Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood."--Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood. . . .
</quote>

Trancendentally yours,

--Ned
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References:
RE: The 'user' in User Manual: From: Lauren

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