Stereotypes (Peeved)

Subject: Stereotypes (Peeved)
From: "Arlen P. Walker" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 1995 10:04:00 -0600

Technical communicators are being taken very seriously in
Japan. Japanese technical documentation is most definitely _NOT_ the
laughingstock of the entire world. American's inability to read and
speak many languages fluently is, however, THE laughingstock of the
entire world.

By all means, the way to refute a stereotype is to employ one yourself.

I'm tired of this particular one, never more so than since the World Youth Chess
Festival was held near here in 1990. We welcomed folks from all over the world,
parents as well as players. We had a real fun time finding ways for everyone to
communicate, but at the center of the multilingual efforts to communicate was
almost invariably an American.

My experience there taught me that Americans are just as likely to know someone
else's language (or a viable third-party language) as any other national group.
You want me to take your defense of Japanese tech writers seriously, don't use
the same tactics to smear another group. It makes you sound like a hypocrite.


Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 24

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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In God we trust; all others must provide data.
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