Re: 'author' as a verb

Subject: Re: 'author' as a verb
From: SANDRA CHARKER <scharker -at- OZEMAIL -dot- COM -dot- AU>
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 10:26:08 +1000

Christopher Shade <christopher -dot- shade -at- PSCMAIL -dot- PS -dot- NET> wrote:

> How do you feel about the use of the word 'authored'?

> Examples
> --------

> * in marketing material: "Our company authored project documentation
> while adhering to strict configuration management policies."

> * on a tech writer's resume: "Authored Software Design Document.
> Authored marketing material..."

I hate it, but there might not be a good substitute. If it's being used as a
synonym for "wrote" (which seems likely in "Authored marketing material..."),
then it's pretentious waffle. But if it's being used to cover defining document
and library structures, coding and testing hyperlinks, designing the documents
(this seems to be a growing usage for on-line docs), as well as writing the
text -- well what else is there?

BTW, I don't mean to say that "writers" haven't always had to structure
documents and libraries. We have, but that part of the work is hidden when we
say that we "'wrote' an acquisitions procedure manual".

Sandra Charker


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