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: A moment of editorial indecision From:"Christensen, Kent" <lkchris -at- sandia -dot- gov> To:"'TECHWR-L'" <TECHWR-L -at- LISTS -dot- RAYCOMM -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 15 Jun 2000 08:45:07 -0600
re: ... it just occurred to me that the same folks who don't know which way
is X and which way is Y may be just as confused about what horizontal and
vertical mean. So maybe I should reconsider this. What do you think?
I think that life has prerequisites; why not your product? Perhaps this
question should be ... can there be tech writing without assumptions?
Assumption--an unfairly maligned word, I think. And, I'd reconsider the
assumption "anything that smacks of algebra is off-putting for a lot of
folks." Maybe for a tech writer, but why for someone who would purchase a
product that produces charts? Perhaps an appendix: "What is a chart?" How
about "What is a computer?" "What is a dictionary?" Or ... a terms
glossary.
