Re: Liberal Arts Grads Can't Grasp?

Subject: Re: Liberal Arts Grads Can't Grasp?
From: Peter G Margaritis <chief -at- NCMS1 -dot- CB -dot- LUCENT -dot- COM>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 13:41:26 -0400

> A person whose training is geared too much toward liberal arts or a
> technical field is not going to be a great technical writer.
>
> Pure techies tend to downplay the softer side of technical writing
> (user-friendly wording, attractive layout, etc.) which are required in
> good documentation, while pure liberal arts folks tend not to fully
> grasp what they are talking about. That's not intended as an insult...
> it just reflects a lack of training in a certain area.
> Many, many writers without much technical training often "just don't
> get" what they're writing about, and it takes a techie to catch
> such errors.

Our senior tech writer has a M.S. in English. He even taught it
here at OSU (Go Bucks!). He also has a background in computer
programming (no formal education there), and in telecommunications
(military). And he's considered by many as being one of the best
in the industry.

Pete Margaritis
chief -at- ncms1 -dot- cb -dot- lucent -dot- com

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