Nitpicking on the list

Subject: Nitpicking on the list
From: ejray -at- OKWAY -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 1994 08:07:08 CDT

Chad Kaiwi Southern <csouther -at- TUBA -dot- AIX -dot- CALPOLY -dot- EDU> said:

>I sent a message to the tech writers list last week. I must apologize
>for its incorrect context. Obviously and thankfully I am not an English
>major. I felt much like a politician. People started attacking
>individual pieces instead of looking at the main point. Interestingly
>enough, I was repeated my point back to me as a moral of a story sent
>by C. P. Campbell. The point was don't get caught up in the active vs.
>passive dogma. Unfortunately, my grammatical error received all the
>attention.
>I wrote before that I am no where near as intelligent or experienced as
>those who sent me responses. For this I am realizing the term, "out of
>my league" which I always took as a dare in the past. My little
>flirtation with the tech writers list now will end.
>I can't communicate with those who speak a different language so I won't
>continue to try. Good luck with active writing, and thanks for the
>memories.

I think it is a shame that this message was ever
written, much less that this list provoked it.
Nitpicking grammar in this forum is ridiculous and
completely goes against the reasons I created this
list. I don't believe in trying to direct the
discussions on the list, but this has gone too far.

As listowner, I can (and will) remove nitpickers from
the list. If you want to talk about technical editing
and writing, this is the place to do it. If you want to
EDIT, find your VCR manual and have fun.

As far as I am concerned, this nitpicking issue has
ended. If you have comments or questions, take them off
the list and direct them to me at the address below.

Can we please return to the topic?

Eric
ejray -at- okway -dot- okstate -dot- edu
TECHWR-L Listowner, and an angry one at that.


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