Fw: 47. RE: Okay all you independent contractors: hit the bricks with THI---S

Subject: Fw: 47. RE: Okay all you independent contractors: hit the bricks with THI---S
From: "Eileen Neumann" <eileenn -at- the-wire -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 19:36:15 -0400



Hi Mike,
Thanks for responding to my post.

I agree that writing to impress etc is not what we're 'supposed' or want to
be doing. I just lost a job several months ago where the 'impressiveness' of
the writing was a concern, and where the manager didn't want it to look 'too
simple'. So I know that attitude is out there.

And marcomm is a little different, I believe, as they focus on emotional
impact. So their stuff doesn't have to make a lot of rational sense, but
make emotional appeals. The kind of thing I'm talking about is different -
it may or may not be intelligent, but is written in a dense, difficult
style.

Anyway, have a good day,
Eileen

> And I also agree that from a business perspective, you may not want to
convey
> information so much as create an impression - of competence, intelligence,
and
> of having things under control. If the reader then doesn't understand, the
> reader blames themselves. The business giving the documents is seen as
powerful
> and in charge. Businesses like it that way.


As has already been suggested -- this is the
'Emperor's New Clothes' in action!

Certainly there are different reasons for
publishing.

Writing to convey information clearly and
accurately is what *we* are supposed to be
good at.

Writing to mystify, impress, hoodwink,
bamboozle -- see the MarCom folks down
the hall.

--
Mike West
Melbourne



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