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Actually, the only thing I disagree on is using
technical writing as a means of expressing your
personality or pet turns of phrase. I'd say, it's
about expressing your company's personality and turns
of phrase.
With regards to the rest, I want to write well and be
right, both. It's not really an either or thing for
me. I perceive I can have both.
Quite often, at the office, I am challenged about
this, that, or the other. I like to have my ducks in a
row in advance of such challenge so I can demonstrate
a solid case, even though I'm not going to get my
way--and I only want my way because I don't enjoy
rework, and changing what is written for some
arbitrary preference of somebody else is rework.
Thus, I ventured onto the list for technical writers
and technical writing, showed that I had done some of
my own homework, and set about seeing if there was a
stronger case in any of the courts from the jury of my
peers. That is, I did not know if there was a reason
for preferring one over the other before I asked.
Maybe somebody knew that there was a standard GUI
definition . . . who knows? Not really having strong
personal reasons for picking one over the other, I
thought one of my peers might have a strong opinion
and persuasive argument to boot.
I still argue that there is a difference between
asking about GUI terminology and 0.5 point difference
in font sizes.
It's funny that I could write well, be right, and be
so very wrong, all at the same time. <g>
Cheers,
Sean
--- Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com> wrote:
> Sean Brierley wrote:
>
> ><g> The "Zog
> >like fire" approach to technical writing, cool.
> >
> First, thanks for taking the comment well.
Oh. I didn't think I was nasty about it. I thought I
ventured forth with tongue firmly implanted in cheek.
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