Tech Writer's Test

Subject: Tech Writer's Test
From: David Blyth <dblyth -at- QUALCOMM -dot- COM>
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 13:36:02 -0800

Hi all;

>I hope your test questions are tongue-in-cheek.

Some were, some weren't.

The bottom line is that Tech Writing is about communication.
Thus, a student Technical Writer needs to learn how to observe
carefully, think clearly and for themselves, and not to make
assumptions about what they document.

There are some tears in this, a lot of laughter, and a lot
of hard work. But don't take everything I say so seriously! ;)

>Your test is not a test; it's a damn obstacle course with a
>bunch of hidden traps

So is Real Life. I still certainly intend to _write_ the test.
Still, you don't need to _ give_ the test to every student on every
level. For example,

o On the JC level, you could pull problems off the test and
work through them in front of the class.

o In an Upper Division class, you could include one or two
problems from the test on a real test (warn the class
in advance)

o In a Graduate Program, warn the class about Gotchas then
actually give the test!

o In Real Life, we all face these questions and worse. And
in Real Life, we can laugh!

One person didn't see any smilies so wondered if I had any
emotions.

What do I do
to show you that I laugh?

What do I do
to show you that I cry?

I cry
when I see my own anger

I laugh
to help, to clense, to make a new world.

I collect
the nastiness

to scream at it

I collect
the nastiness

to laugh

But most of all,

I collect
the nastiness

to help people learn

how to kill it dead.

-- David (The Man) Blyth
Dec 18, 1995


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