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Subject:Re: More about paradigms From:Joseph T Chew <jtchew -at- CSA3 -dot- LBL -dot- GOV> Date:Thu, 18 Mar 1993 15:54:40 PST
> In The Art of Technical Documentation (Digital Press, 1992),
> Katherine Haramundanis suggests there are 3 types of technical
> writing...
Hmm. She's far from the only one to make those three
divisions (reports, proposals, and manuals, to paraphrase
her terminology). It's a popular way to divide up the
various forms of technical writing, and is useful. I
also agree with the idea that the divisions can get
pretty vague. But take Haramundanis with a grain (or
two) of salt. The book got what I'd consider a pretty
unfavorable review in the last issue of Technical
Communication, and I'm probably not going to be much
gentler in IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.
I haven't revisited Bly and Blake in a while, but as I
recall, it seemed to be pretty thin stuff by the standards
of the advanced student or the experienced practicioner.
As a beginner's introduction (augmented by other works and
good guidance) it's useful.
--Joe
"Just another personal opinion from the People's Republic of Berkeley"
