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I chose the word rhetoric because of the book *Rhetorical Grammar*
(Kolln) which illustrates the effect of grammar on meaning and clarity.
Merriam-Webster 11th Collegiate (MW11C) defines rhetoric as:
1 : the art of speaking or writing effectively: as a : the study of
principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient
times b : the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication
or persuasion.
I like the word, because it describes exactly what I think of as being
the key to *writing* in technical writing. We study organization,
editing, grammar, and so forth, but the "art" (or perhaps science) of
saying something is rhetoric, as I use the word.
Unfortunately, I think that "rhetoric" in the modern world is more often
used in strictly in the sense of *part* of definition 1b. Rhetoric seems
to equal the "art of persuasion". Or, it is interpreted as part of the
second definition given by MW11C:
a : skill in the effective use of speech b : a type or mode of language
or speech; also : *insincere or grandiloquent language*.
Rhetoric in technical writing is the art of writing so clearly that the
language seems to be a glass covering the meaning.
Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Tony Markos
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 9:59 AM
To: Me Too; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Rhetoric And Technical Writing?
--- Me Too <klhra -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote:
...the actual use of training in rhetoric would be applicable in only a
small fraction of technical documents. After all, technical docs are
almost never intended to influence ways of thought or persuade people on
how to decide things.
Tony Markos responds:
I feel this way also, but I have been wrong before.
Anyone care to estimate the percentage of time that rhetoric would "come
into play" in a tech comm project?
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