TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Obsession with University Degrees From:Kris Olberg <kjolberg -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 25 Sep 1996 07:42:48 -0700
At 08:33 AM 9/24/96 PDT, you wrote:
>Lori Lathrop writes:
>>How about making it the Big Four so we can include indexing skills?
>Because indexing is lumped with production skills (along with book design,
>layout, and typesetting) rather than with writing skills.
To whose "lumps" are you referring? In my "lumps," indexing is a writing
skill, not a production skill. I know the list has discussed this before,
but indexing requires more skill than just slicing headings or topic
sentences into individual words.
> Also, indexing
>is one of the items that tends to be well worth sending out to an expert,
>rather than doing in-house. I took an indexing class, and I know quite
>a bit about proper indexing -- I just can't STAND indexing!
I hear ya, Robert, but I prefer to write my own, tedious as they are. I
wrote the book, so I know the audience, the history, the business, and the
product. This makes me the best judge of the most appropriate first-level
entries, synonyms, and cross-references.
Often I leave the indexing for last for two reasons: (1) the book is
complete, so not only can I form a complete mental image and outline of the
index, I have a place to insert entries and (2) I'm not fond of the task,
either.
Regards...Kris
--------------------------------
kjolberg -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com (preferred)
kjolberg -at- aol -dot- com
kolberg -at- actamed -dot- com
102031 -dot- 3556 -at- compuserve -dot- com
s -dot- othoudt -at- worldnet -dot- att -dot- net