TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> Political Correctness in TW'ing is a bottomless pit.
I think that Political "Correctness" is becoming a blight in communication
that can exceed political incorrectness. Perhaps the concepts of
"correctness" are emanating from a society that cannot find anyway resolve
its guilt for past wrongs or maybe for some people striving to be more
"correct" is some form of righteous competition. Whatever. I think that we
are beginning to see the absurdity of excessive attempts to be correct.
> I've tried manfully (person-fully?) to ignore the subject, but as one
> whose self esteem might be "damaged" by these "oppressive" terms, I
> gotta weigh-in on this one.
"Manfully"? I've never heard that term before and I had to look it up. Man
= Person. Just because the prefix "were" was left off of the term for male
human, "wereman," in the 12th century doesn't mean that the word "man"
should only be associated with the male of the human species. People are
men, some men are women, all men are people, and some people are male.
Incidentally, the original term for "woman" was "wifman" and "wif" is the
source for the modern term, "wife."
> My profession is Technical Writing/Editing; my heritage is
> both African
> *and* Hebrew; and I was born and raised below the U.S.
> Mason-Dixon Line.
> The words "Master" and "Slave" - when used as technical terms - have
> NEVER......EVER conjured up images of whips, chains, picking cotton or
> building pyramids. I feel extremely patronized when someone
> considers my
> skin to be so thin that such widely and historically accepted
> technical
> terms as these would be offensive to me. Any technical author who went
> through some of the contortions discussed in this thread - however
> well-intentioned - to avoid being "insulting" would produce
> the opposite
> result in my case and many others.
This is a refreshing and enlightening perspective. Thanks.
> for me, "PC"
> stands for either Proper Communication or Poor Communication; anything
> else does not belong in the realm of technical communication.
When I see "PC," I think of personal computer. That's technical, I think.
;)
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
