Re: ethics of technical to marketing writing

[Bonni Graham <Bonni_Graham_at_Enfin-SD -at- RELAY -dot- PROTEON -dot- COM>]

Steven Owens writes:
Perhaps we can start another thread here; what do you (list members)
think of the idea of making a book more "personable", to more
effectively engage the reader's imagination?
     ***end of original message

Given that a seemingly vast majority of people will ask a co-worker
before they will consult a manual, I feel that the more "personable" we
make manuals (depending, of course, on the audience) the more we serve
our users.  Perhaps if they think of the manual as a "person," they'll
take their questions to it, first?  Granted, we don't want to overdo it
(think of a manual written by Faulkner, or Joyce -- lovely to read, but
could you ever find what you wanted?), but I feel that removing our
egos from our books is problematic, at best.

Sorry if this sounds fuzzy -- I'm back at work after a sick day due to
a cold.

Bonni Graham                               |
Technical Writer                           | serif, n.  A teensy-weensy
Easel Corporation, ENFIN Technology Lab    | crossbar attached to the
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President, San Diego STC                   | malevolent typesetters.  Ac-
                                           | cording to popular legend,
NOTE: apparently my email address needs    | the first serif was designed
to be typed exactly as it appears here,    | at Nottingham.
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upset.                                     |          --Ezra Shapiro