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.
Subject:Re: OT -- "its" vs "it's" From:Jeff Hanvey <jewahe1 -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 8 Jan 2001 09:41:40 -0800 (PST)
--- Michele Davis <michele -at- krautgrrl -dot- com> wrote:
<snip>
> they should, by that point,
> with an IQ of 80 or above, be able to know the
> difference between something
> plural and a contraction, in addition they should
> damn well know the
> multiplication tables, and basic addition and
> subtraction.
<snip>
> These are people that should have some
> sort of high school diploma,
> writing legally binding documents and they don't
> know how to spell---and what,
> we're supposed to "cut them slack" because it's not
> their occupation to KNOW how
> to spell????
My point is that language is a skill - and not
everyone should be expected to have the same skill as
us. What might seem simple to you or I is not
necessarily simple - or clear - to others. We have to
give people the benefit of that doubt.
In addition, skills erode over time. Someone might
have clearly understood the difference between "its"
and "it's" in ninth grade, but by the time s/he is 25
- and hasn't written formally in years - s/he probably
will have some difficulty remembering the difference
between the forms.
For that reason, yes, we have to cut people some
slack, because our langauge is confusing - those who
don't spend everyday in front of a keyboard or holding
a pen shouldn't be expected to pull out the difference
between "their, there, and they're" on the fly.
Again, that's why we have jobs - as specialists with
communication, we should aid people in their writing,
and not condemn them because they make certain
mistakes.
By the same token, we should demand more from
communication and force people like Michele's lawyer
to employ people who CAN use the language correctly.
That said, even we writers make mistakes - as
Michelle's typo proves.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online! http://photos.yahoo.com/
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY. http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.
Sponsored by DigiPub Solutions Corp, producers of PDF 2001
Conference East, June 4-5, Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. http://www.pdfconference.com or toll-free 877/278-2131.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
