Re: _Technical Communication_ and Its Audience

[Robert Plamondon <robert -at- PLAMONDON -dot- COM>]

Most academic writing is garbage.  None of the best, most lucid papers
of yesteryear could be published now because they're not dreadful
enough.  That's what you get when a peer review of non-writers is
set up to enforce style.  Imagine what would happen if technical
writing standards were defined and enforced by committees of engineers.
(Well, some of you don't have to imagine it -- that's how it's done,
some places.  The results are about what you'd expect.)

I think it's shameful that anyone would ape the ineffective, pompous,
incompetent style of academic writing in a technical writing journal,
or the the editors wouldn't rather cut their throats before letting
such a thing get into print.

        -- Robert
--
Robert Plamondon, High-Tech Technical Writing, Inc.
36475 Norton Creek Road * Blodgett * Oregon * 97326
robert -at- plamondon -dot- com * (541) 453-5841 * Fax: (541) 453-4139
http://www.pioneer.net/~robertp

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