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Subject:Re: Well, I Sure Won't Be in Chicago From:Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 12 Apr 2001 09:16:31 -0700 (PDT)
<jgarison -at- ide -dot- com> wrote:
> We tried to do something very similar to this at Help University a
> couple of
> years ago. The only problem was that people stayed away in droves. At
the
> local Boston STC conference (InterChange), we had a couple of GREAT
> technical sessions by Jim Currie on client- and server-side functions.
No
> one showed up.
As depressing as that is, it too does not surprise me. The STC's
conference is a clear demonstration of what is fundamentally flawed in
technical communications today: a complete de-emphasis of technical issues
in favor of management, organization, and tool issues.
STC and universities have taught droves of writers that content is
secondary to all these management, organization, and tool issues.
> It all boils down to numbers, folks ... and if you start to narrowcast,
> you
> will get fewer attendees, and if you get fewer attendees, you go broke.
>
> STC gives its membership more or less what they want. I would like to
see
> more technical presentations, too, but they appeal to too few people. We
> try
> and hold 'em, you don't show up, we stop holding 'em.
While that may be partially true, it seems STC also focuses on what
speakers like to give. Its a lot easier to pontificate about meaningless
generalities regarding managing people and organizing your life than it is
to discuss real-world technical concepts.
I could probably talk for hours about my brilliant theories of life and
liberty. it would make me feel like a genius, but my audience wouldn't
learn anything useful (except how to steal my wallet.)
Andrew Plato
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