Re: Technical Communication in Manufacturing Industry

Subject: Re: Technical Communication in Manufacturing Industry
From: "Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 11:52:43 -0700


Don't take my comments as a statement that all engineers could write well once upon a time. Even in the "good old days" there
were plenty of engineers who couldn't string a proper sentence
together. It was simply that being able to communicate your
ideas clearly without the need for support from a writer was considered a characteristic of a *better* engineer, just as most
managers evaluating writers would likely consider one who can create figures without the assistance of an illustrator a better
writer. An engineer who couldn't create a usable document wasn't necessarily considered unqualified, just less qualified,
and could easily be gainfully employed for an entire career, with somewhat lesser prospects for advancement. In any company that lacks either the resources or the will to have a technical publications group, this is often still the case.

Gene Kim-Eng


----- Original Message ----- From: "Dick Margulis" <margulisd -at- comcast -dot- net>

When there were fewer engineering schools (pre-Sputnik, in other words) and those schools saw themselves as educational institution rather than trade schools, the majority of engineers were required to write clearly as a condition for graduation. Those old-line schools still have that requirement.

However, as I'm sure you are well aware, the proliferation of second-tier (but still accredited) engineering schools has led to a market flooded with degreed engineers who have a glorified technical institute education. So while I'm sure you and your colleagues wrote admirably functional documents, today's younger engineers cannot be counted on to be able to do so.



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References:
RE: Technical Communication in Manufacturing Industry: From: Nuckols, Kenneth M
Re: Technical Communication in Manufacturing Industry: From: Gene Kim-Eng
Re: Technical Communication in Manufacturing Industry: From: Dick Margulis

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