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Subject:I was pushed, the sequel From:Edward Savitz <sg94cshj -at- DUNX1 -dot- OCS -dot- DREXEL -dot- EDU> Date:Tue, 12 Nov 1996 08:55:19 -0500
Just thought I would share this snippet from a member of another news group.
I didn't fall into Tech Writing. I was pushed!
PART 2 - This was the predecessor posting
Ed Savitz sg94cshj -at- dunx1 -dot- ocs -dot- drexel -dot- edu
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To: techcomm -at- user -dot- itconsult -dot- co -dot- uk
From: renata -dot- vincenti -at- galactica -dot- it
Subject: How I fell into Technical Writing
Reply-To: techcomm -at- user -dot- itconsult -dot- co -dot- uk
X-ListMember: sg94cshj -at- dunx1 -dot- ocs -dot- drexel -dot- edu [techcomm -at- user -dot- itconsult -dot- co -dot- uk]
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Status: RO
<snip>
I'm not a TW but a translator. There reason why I joined this list was to
spy out your secrets. As a translator, I usually end up by rewriting a text
from start to finish (only I do it in a different language) and I want to
make sure the quality at least reflects (I dare not say "matches") what is
considered good practice at the time. I read a lot - trade and fiction - to
get the feel and then use my own judgement, but I do believe that knowing
what goes on behind the scenes is as important. How certain expressions are
born. Why certain terms are preferred. The clockwork.
However, before crawling back to lurkdom, I do have a question that's been
bugging me for years now and you good people are sure to know the answer. In
the good old days, when one wrote numbers in a text, the custom used to be,
e.g. 1 (one) - that is to say, to avoid that people could take "1" (one) for
an "I" or an "l" (ell), the full value was spelled out in brackets. Now -
and I think you mostly US TWs are to blame 8-)- it's the other way round:
one (1). Where's the logic? The reason why I'm asking is that the habit is
creeping into Italian as well, and before I lay down my arms I'd like to
know what I was fighting against.
TIA, and congrats for the new list.
Renate
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Renate Vincenti, Member of AITI
German, Dutch, French, Spanish to Italian
e-mail: renata -dot- vincenti -at- galactica -dot- it
Vox+Fax+modem: +39 35 361726, Vox: : +39 35 344066
Via del Guerino, 5/a, I-24123 Bergamo
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