Of Terms and 'Tudes

Subject: Of Terms and 'Tudes
From: Doug Grossman <Doug -dot- Grossman -at- sas -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 12:32:55 -0400


Folks,

I can't help but notice the use of two new terms and one new attitude occurring in Techwhirl posts over, say, the past week or so. They struck me enough that I want to come out of (mostly) lurker mode in order to at least mention them.

1. The use of "methinks": Where did this one come from (or, from where did this one come?)? It has been popping up suddenly and without warning, and has appeared in at least a few posts just today. Are we going to use Olde English, in general? I know that this is probably not really Olde English, but that's not my area, so please hold the flames on that one. Anyway, methinks that it is odd that this word should be used so much.......not necessarily bad, mind you, but odd nevertheless.......and I can't help but wonder what it means and where it might be taking us.

2. The use of such phrases as "back to work, me" and "off to bed, me": We all know the origin of this one. I would imagine that Mr. Plato's ears must be ringing several times a day, at this point.

(Long aside: I was thrown off the list for about a week just approximately two weeks after joining it, for posting to the list a point-by-point description of several grammatical errors that Mr. Plato had made in his most recent post at the time. Having not had prior experience with Mr. Plato by that point, and having been incensed by something that I saw as a challenge to prove editing skills in his most recent post, I stupidly let myself do something that I knew all too well would get me in trouble with Eric, and it did. At first, I disagreed wholeheartedly with Mr. Plato's rants about the word "technical" being the much more important part of our titles, as I see myself as a writer first, and technical second. I am quite a decent writer, and I thought that was enough, at first. For my particular job, it really, truly is, and all of my internal customers gush about the value I bring to projects. But through Mr. Plato's posts, along with posts from many others on this list,
I saw that it is indeed not enough just to be a good writer, and that if I were to ever find myself out there in the job market again searching for a similar position, I could find myself in a heap of trouble. I'm still on the low end of technology, compared to many of you, as I'm already working long hours just to keep up with all the project work I've already got, and haven't had a lot of time to do either informal or formal technical training, but thanks to this list, I can now recognize my deficiency, and can at least try to come up with a plan to fix it. I'll probably always have more emphasis on the word "writer" in my title, but I realize that a 100/0 ratio of one word to another just won't cut it, in most places.)

Anyway, back to the subject at hand, "back to work, me" (and similar phrases being bandied about lately): I like it. Maybe I'll tire of it after time, but that hasn't happened yet. Right now, it kind of feels like a little inside joke that I can share with all of you, my tech writer brethren (and brethrenesses), and I kind of dig that.

3. Niceties and apologies: Suddenly, many of us are taking great pains to write in such a way so as not to offend anyone, and putting out disclaimers with our posts as much as saying so. In addition, if we find that we have offended someone, even unintentionally, we then apologize and clarify our statements. It's kind of nice. Maybe we have become a list of 5000 Geoff Harts, at least temporarily. I don't expect it to last, necessarily, but for the time being it's like a breath of fresh air that has come along with the spring weather, and I kind of dig that, too.

That's all,
Doug

P.S. I was wondering where Geoff Hart has been, now that I've mentioned him, and because I have met him in person and have the utmost respect for his knowledge, as well as for his personal demeanor. Then I remembered that he was off to, I think, Ireland, for "holiday." I can only hope that he has an opportunity to see the posts praising his very name when he return to Tech Writerville, Canada.

P.P.S. Yes, I know that "brethrenesses" is not a word.


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