TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Working "with"; working "on" From:"Lin Sims" <ljsims -dot- ml -at- gmail -dot- com> To:"McLauchlan, Kevin" <Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com> Date:Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:50:53 -0400
On Mon, Aug 11, 2008 at 2:07 PM, McLauchlan, Kevin
<Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com> wrote:
>
>
> Are you saying that you don't, by default, get a different flavor and
> implication from "Jaimie's working _with_ GPS mapping software" and
> "Jaimie's working _on_ GPS mapping software"?
>
> That's my question to everybody. I immediately hear "working on" as
> "Jaimie is programming it or maybe testing it", but at the very least,
> Jaimie is having a hand in creating or modifying it. But "working with"
> suggests to me that Jaimie has some job or task in which GPS mapping
> software is useful... but somebody else (not likely Jaimie) created that
> software. Do others generally note a similar distinction when they
> encounter "with" or "on" in such sentences? Or is most of it peculiar
> to me? I'm makin' it all up, and I should adjust the meds?
I think I'd make the same distinction. If you're working _with_
something, it's a tool you're using to accomplish a goal and any
effect on the tool is incidental to where you're going. If you're
working _on_ something, your goal is to directly affect that
something.
--
Lin Sims
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ComponentOne Doc-To-Help gives you everything you need to author and
publish quality Help, Web, and print content. Perfect for technical
authors, developers, and policy writers. Download a FREE trial. http://www.componentone.com/DocToHelp/
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
