Re: Programming vs. Technical Writing

[Matt Ion <soundy -at- SOUNDY -dot- ML -dot- ORG>]

On Thu, 13 Aug 1998 14:03:12 -0400, Hutchings, Christa wrote:

>>The programmer has a very small, primitive, inflexible, and
>>unexpressive "language" to work with. The technical writer has a vast
>>and highly expressive language to work with.
>
>Seems to me this means that the programmer's job is easier than the
>TW's, because the programmer only has to worry about her audience (the
>computer) interpreting things one way. The TW, on the other hand, has to
>consider that her document could be interpreted differently by everyone
>who reads it.

If you consider only the language, yes... but you must also consider
the "audience".  In the case of the programmer, the "audience" must be
told EXACTLY what to do from within the confines of the language, and
that audience WILL do EXACTLY what it's told, even if it's told to do
something wrong.  Thus the programmer must be far more precise, and can
never assume that the audience will be able to interpret or extrapolate
missing or unclear information.


 Your friend and mine,
 Matt
 <All standard disclaimers apply>
 "Reality is in alpha test on protoype hardware."
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 "If Houses were constructed the way Programs are written,
 the first Woodpecker to come along would utterly destroy
 Civilization as we know it."
                                - author unknown


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