SOAPBOX WARNING - Was RE: Breaking into the tech writing job market

Subject: SOAPBOX WARNING - Was RE: Breaking into the tech writing job market
From: "Diana Ost" <Diana -dot- Ost -at- msmcorp -dot- com>
To: "Mike Schmidt" <mschmidt -at- weathercentral -dot- tv>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 10:34:23 -0400

I hope everyone will keep an open mind.....

When I refer to "writing to a # grade level," I am basing that comment
on Robert Gunning's Fog Index, as contained in his book "How to Take the
Fog Out of Business Writing." The Gunning Fog Index is one of the
measures included in Microsoft Word's readability statistics.

It is NOT about being condencending or attacking anyone's intelligence.
Believe me, when I worked for the medical equipment company that made
kidney dialysis machines, when they said they wrote the machine
instructions at "a *fourth-grade level*" I believed it, because making
sure the patient understood the instructions for interfacing that
machine with their body was critical, to the point of death if they
misunderstood what was written.

You could say, "I'm not writing medical stuff, so I don't need to do
that." Why make any writing more difficult than necessary? Technical
writing by it's very nature is created so that people can solve a
problem. They *don't* read it for pleasure; they read to find an answer.
Why not make that experience as easy as possible for them?

FYI, according to Gunning, here are some grade levels for current and
past popular publications:

Reader's Digest - 10
Time, Newsweek - 11
Harper's, Atlantic Weekly - 12
The Bible - 7


The AlexanderCommunications.com Web site says this(in their wonderful
style guide):
"Anything beyond grade thirteen will be too difficult for most readers.
Most major metropolitan newspapers, for example, are written at the
>>sixth grade level<<. [Emphasis mine]. The Wall Street Journal is
written at grade twelve. The IRS code is so complex it measures
'unreadable.'" [No kidding!] (Gunning coached the "Wall Street Journal"
staff about writing to an effective grade level (12th grade) for their
readers.)

In a study by Donna M. D'Alessandro, MD, Peggy Kingsley, BA, and Jill
Johnson-West, MSW, at the Children's Hospital of Iowa University, they
determined that "The readability of patient education materials on the
Internet is too high for average adults" and said "Such data should be
written at the 8th-grade level or lower, the authors said, noting that
about **50 percent** of the U.S. population **reads at or below that
plateau.**" [Notice 8th grade level OR LOWER]

If you want to read more, or order the book, go here:
http://www.richardkallan.com/

...putting soapbox away now....

Diana Ost
Technical Writer/Reporting Analyst





This message and any attachments may contain confidential or privileged
information and are only for the intended recipient of this message. If
you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender by return
email or phone, and delete or destroy this and all copies of this
message and all attachments. Any unauthorized disclosure, use,
distribution, or reproduction of this message or any attachments is
prohibited and may be unlawful.




-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+diana -dot- ost=msmcorp -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+diana -dot- ost=msmcorp -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Mike Schmidt
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 9:58 AM
To: Robotti, Anne (Carlin); techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Breaking into the tech writing job market

I'm repeating what I've been taught. It's not condescending at all. The
theory is that many don't refer to the manual until they're having a
problem (myself included), and at that point, they don't want wordy,
grammatically perfect novel writing. They want: "To make it go, push the
green button."

My first boss (and mentor in this field) used to write like we was
writing a novel. Too wordy, too involved, etc. I agree that you need
simple, concise, easy-to-read steps. Hence, a 6th grade level.

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+mschmidt=weathercentral -dot- tv -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+mschmidt=weathercentral -dot- tv -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On Behalf Of Robotti, Anne (Carlin)
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 8:53 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Breaking into the tech writing job market


> Something we have a lot of in our audiences. If you remember your
> basic intro to tech writing classes, they tell you to write at about a

> 6th grade level.

I think that's a very condescending and obnoxious thing to say. And it's
probably a root cause of the "users is soooooo stupid" attitude that
makes a lot of engineers and tech writers unbearable, IMO. If you're
writing for adults who are brand new users of a technology or product,
you have to be particularly clear about each step, which you should be
anyway. There's no reason to term that "a sixth grade level" and it sets
up bad karma.

Anne


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Carlin Equities and its affiliates' (Carlin) e-mail systems are for
business purposes only. Messages are not confidential. Authorized
supervisors, compliance personnel, or internal auditors may review all
e-mail. E-mail will be archived for at least three years and may be
produced to regulatory agencies or others with a legal right to access
such information. Carlin will not accept trade order instructions via
e-mail. Please telephone your firm representative or the Order Room to
place trade orders.

Please be advised that any discussion of U.S. tax matters contained
within this communication, including any attachment, cannot be used for
the purpose of avoiding U.S. tax-related penalties or promoting,
marketing, or recommending to another party any transaction or matter
addressed herein.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to any popular
Help file format or printed documentation. Learn more at
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as diana -dot- ost -at- msmcorp -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/diana.ost%40msmcorp.c
om


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to any popular Help file format or printed documentation. Learn more at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Follow-Ups:

Previous by Author: RE: locking out styles in MS Word
Next by Author: RE: Breaking into the tech writing job market
Previous by Thread: Re: Is anyone using Powerpoint with Articulate? Apologies
Next by Thread: RE: SOAPBOX WARNING - Was RE: Breaking into the tech writing job market


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


Sponsored Ads