RE: Poll: Is technical writing a sellout or fallback career?

Subject: RE: Poll: Is technical writing a sellout or fallback career?
From: "Lauren" <lauren -at- writeco -dot- net>
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 11:37:23 -0700

There are contradictions...

> From: John Posada

> Then your answer is NO. The question isn't making you select from one
> of the two. It's making you select between those two on one side and
> all the orther possibles.on the other.

That is not a valid inference to the question by itself. The question gives
the options of [A *or* B] and not [[A *and* B] OR [all other
possibilities]].

If the option was that technical writing is either of a sellout or a
fallback, then it should state "either of." The use of "or" in the question
implies mutual exclusivity, so the answer cannot be yes or no. The use of
yes or no in the answers requires an inference that "either of" is implied,
but the question by itself suggests answers that contradict either yes or
no.

The poll question is poorly-formed and that is more of an issue here because
it appears on a writing web site. Otherwise, it is not really a big issue,
but the contradictions it creates against the answer possibilities grate my
nerves! No, contradictions, no!

Lauren



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References:
Re: Poll: Is technical writing a sellout or fallback career?: From: John Posada

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