Re: Microsoft & Tech Writers

[Scott Miller <smiller -at- PORTAL -dot- COM>]

The point wasn't about the writing, but about how we ended up with such an
unfriendly mess as the dominant platform, and how that's reflected in the
instructions for something that should be simple. The Mac wasn't the only
casualty, I worked for the now-defunct Convergent Technologies, where
installing any peripheral was as simple as latching plastic boxes together.
I was horrified when I first saw a PC, where you had to handle actual
circuit boards. Disgusting! Like killing a cow whenever you want a
hamburger. I couldn't believe we were making customers do such a thing, and
now it's normal. Oh well, it keeps writers employed.

- Scott M

> Bruce...I'll address this in a way that shouldn't decompose into a
> hardware
> holy war.
>
> I think you are comparing apples and oranges (get it? huh? apples?)
> Anyway.
> you cannot blame tech writers for creating different isntructions for
> different
> proceesses?
>
> Does the fact that a mfg powers a hard disk differently mean that because
> it's
> written differently then the writer must be at fault?
>
> We all know about the diferences in the interpretation of plug and play
> between
> the two camps. I don't think it was fair to place the blame on the writer.
> Would the Apple writers have written their same instructions if they were
> writing about the PC?
>

 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=