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Subject:Re: Documentation plan? and Degree? From:Karen Kay <karenk -at- NETCOM -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 1 Dec 1993 16:32:52 PST
Fred Wersan said:
> Almost any basic text on technical writing talks about a documentation plan of
> some sort. If you are asking this question, I have to assume you haven't been
> exposed to any of these texts.
Why? I *have* looked at technical writing books, but Len gave me
a much better delineation of what actually goes in a document plan
than any of the texts I looked at.
> Strunk and White "Elements of Style" - the basics
This may be part of a technical writer's bookshelf, but it is also
part of a *writer's* basic tools. I found the general tone of your
post offensive, and in particular I found your suggestion that
I might not have heard of Strunk and White condescending.
> One way to
> change this is to encourage anyone who wants to join our ranks to learn the
> basic skills before they start looking for work, not after they've got the
job.
For your information, Fred, I am not currently applying for technical
writing jobs. I said that I was looking at job ads, which is one way
to find out about the requirements of a field. The other way is to
ask questions. With the exception of your post, Techwr-l has been
unfailingly helpful and supportive when I have asked questions.
Karen Kay
karenk -at- netcom -dot- com
(not to be confused w/ Karen Merrill:) )