Re: The Problem With Fonts (RE: Font Selection Methodology)

[eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com]

Andrew Plato wrote:

>>There was no attempt at manipulation. I posted a humorous incident from my
>>office. Some people ran with it and turned it into a more serious discussion.
>>That's cool.

Glad to hear it. In an off-list discussion I said I would eat crow on-list if my
impressions were wrong. Assuming that the whole incident was a fabrication was
my error and I will be big enough to freely admit it.

Unfortunately, while I admit I was wrong in my assessment of the origins of the
thread, I think we could all learn some civility and mutual respect.

If it's cool that a serious discussion erupted from a humorous post, why not
acknowledge the helping hands offered?  I think it's even cooler that,
considering the history of the poster, someone stepped forward to help even if
the poster wouldn't have done likewise to a similar request. The original post
did after all ask for help, even if the request was meant to be taken tongue in
cheek. Why not show respect to those that do have knowledge in a different area
and learn from them?

There was no dumb war, there was no obsessing. There were professional
discussions, ideas, and pointers to resources.

I will admit that Andrew has often been falsely attacked for directly insulting
or flaming others. But it's only a case of semantics. Using derogatory terms to
describe ideas or activities indirectly insults and attacks everyone who is
participating in the thread.

A new techwriter who asks about single-sourcing, IMM, fonts, or styles should
not get a  response that states 'XXXX is used by worthless writers to avoid work
and most writers don't know cr*p and the rest are whiners and liars'. It may not
be a 'direct' attack on them, but it's certainly painting a wide swath and
pretty much insinuating guilt by association. (which can be seen in the thread
RE: And you wonder why people lurk...)

Whether a new techwriter or an old hand, why not be supportive give them a hand
and point them to resources? After all, if "Design should take about 1 to 5% of
your time on a technical document." why shouldn't that 5% be done in the best
way possible? If we help each other get over the design, process, and style
issues quickly or show others how to do it all concurrently won't we then allow
everyone to get on to the important task of documenting the technology?

"I don't ridicule people, I ridicule attitudes, ideas, and practices. It isn't
my fault if you chose to transfer that ridicule from the idea to yourself."

Heard it before, but I'm not so sure. If someone claims to be a communicator I
think it is very much their fault if their meaning is repeatedly misconstrued.
But if we are to take posts at face value, the attitudes, ideas, and practices
often being ridiculed are being supported or discussed by large numbers of
techwriters and do have some relevance (admitted by all without exception) to
techwriting in general.

How does ridiculing an attitude not ridicule the person that has it? How does
ridiculing a practice that is perfectly sound when correctly and not obsessively
applied not ridicule the person who is in a fix and desperately trying to sort
out a problem applying it? How does ridiculing an idea successfully applied by
respected professionals not ridicule those same professionals? I would also
wonder if ridicule is ever acceptable or professional.

As a parliamentary debater, I was taught to question attitudes, ideas, and
practices (who, what, where, why, when, how). Ridicule and insult of the same
was the last resort of someone without ideas of their own. Funnily enough, if I
ever uttered the words stupid, ridiculous, preposterous, or had the temerity to
laugh at the presentation of others I lost. When I stuck to questioning, I
almost won a provincial championship.

Remember that TECHWR-L is a very good cross-section of the techwriting community
at large. I think it is perfectly valid that offense be taken at non-specific
denigration of writers or writing practices in general. After all, where should
you be able to find respect of your fellow practitioners if not in a group of
your peers? Even the 'Flat Earth Society' should expect respect for their
activities if they are at a gathering of their peers.

Eric L. Dunn

Apologies for the length of this post and congratulations to all that had the
patience (or stubbornness) to read it to the end.




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