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Subject:Comma, Uncle Ralph, and Milspecs From:Richard Lippincott <rlippinc -at- BEV -dot- ETN -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 15 May 1995 18:30:31 EDT
Joyce Flaherty wasn't too happy with some comments regarding consistancy
and Milspecs, in particular she seems unhappy with Loren Castro's comment
about "independents" in the list of "what I need."
When I read the posting, I took the word "independent" in context with
the phrase "big defense contractors."
"Big defense contractors", to me, suggests Lockheed-Martin, McDonnel-Douglas,
General Electric. These companies are big enough to have a hundred tech
writers employed at any given time.
In that context, "independents" suggests companies like Arkwin Systems, or
AirCruisers. The former makes hydraulic valves, the latter makes inflatable
aircraft escape ramps. Neither company is large enough to have even -one-
tech writer employed.
I didn't view the comment as a knock on independent tech writers.
(BTW, although many of us -love- to make fun of Milspecs, I'm amazed at the
number of times the following happens at my present job: I'm in a meeting,
we run into a problem of "How should we do this in the manual?" I make a
simple suggestion, it's the perfect answer. Where did I get the idea? The
problem had been solved years before in Milspecs.)
Rick Lippincott
Eaton Semiconductor
Beverly, MA
rlippinc -at- bev -dot- etn -dot- com
