[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Author Index (this month)][Thread Index (this month)][Top of Archive]

Re: Yahoo has no staff tech writers

Subject: Re: Yahoo has no staff tech writers
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 10:49:01 -0700


Kevin McLauchlan wrote:

We can be leaders in setting -- and insisting upon -- good examples of the written and spoken word.

Good luck. Do you really think that anyone is looking to us to lead, or will follow if we claim linguistic leadership?

I try to be conscientious in my paid work, so that I can represent myself and my clients well. I avoid phrases or words that seem inappropriate for the context of my writing, and I won't use turns of phrase that strike me as ugly or unclear. But I refuse to inflate my work into an example for the ages.

Or, we can let it slide and follow the language down the tubes, defending every abberation as we defend every opinion, as being equally valid and valuable.

The trouble with this view is that it is completely static. It refuses to accept the undeniable fact that language changes or that "abberations" are one of the mechanisms for change. For me,this refusal means getting caught up in an imaginary situation that has little relation to reality.

Prescriptive grammarians have seen every change for centuries as a degeneration of the language. Yet, somehow, English survives and thrives,and great writing continues to be produced in the language. But, if your view is accurate, then everything's been down hill since "Hwaet, we gar-Dena..."

--
Bruce Byfield bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com 604.421.7177
http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield

"Down, set down your liquor and your girl from off your knee;
For the wind has come to say, 'You must take me while you may,
If you'd go to Mother Carey (Walk her round to Mother Carey!)
We're bound to Mother Carey where she feeds her chicks at sea!'"
- Rudyard Kipling, "Anchor Song"


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Buy ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 6.0, the most powerful SINGLE SOURCE HELP
AUTHORING TOOL for MS Word. SAVE $100 on the full version and $50 on the
upgrade. Offer ends 10/31/2002 (code: DTH102250).
http://www.componentone.com/d2hlist1002

All-new RoboHelp X3 is now shipping! Get single sourcing, print-quality
documentation, conditional text and much more, in the most monumental
release ever. Save $100! Order online at http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l

---
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.


Follow-Ups:

References:
RE: Yahoo has no staff tech writers: From: John Posada
Re: Yahoo has no staff tech writers: From: Bruce Byfield
Re: Yahoo has no staff tech writers: From: Bonnie Granat
Re: Yahoo has no staff tech writers: From: Kevin McLauchlan

Previous by Author: Re: Yahoo has no nucular staff tech writers
Next by Author: Re: Yahoo has no staff tech writers
Previous by Thread: Re: Yahoo has no staff tech writers
Next by Thread: Re: Yahoo has no staff tech writers

[Top of Archive] | [Author Index (this month)] | [Thread Index (this month)]

What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:

Sponsored Ads