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Subject:Re: OT: Pertinent words From:SIANNON -at- VISUS -dot- JNJ -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 13 Sep 2001 10:44:20
<<Ironically, this poem was selected by terrorist Timothy McVeigh to serve
as his last words before being executed.>>
Two other list members mentioned that to me. It is annoying, but it
doesn't change the validity of the poem: not any more than the use of
bible verses by women's clinic bombers and mentally ill serial killers
changes the validity of the bible verses, nor any more than the attacks
currently believed to be perpetrated by Muslim extremists changes the
validity of Islam as a religion.
It is disconcerting, to discover, though, yes. I hate to have that context
overlay the actual content.
...I guess this is where we bring it back to a techwhirler-relevant topic:
context and audience. Anyone who did not monitor the details of McVeigh's
crime, trial and sentencing, or those who were familiar with the poem prior
to that time would not have that association dominant in their minds.
I've found that to be one problem in getting info. from SMEs, too:
they assume knowledge by association. If I receive upgrade instructions for
a piece of software, sometimes I have to go back over it with them a couple
times because they will, say, assume everyone automatically knows a manual
uninstall is required first because their own app.'s have always required
an uninstall first. The users who are used to other products that upgrade
without requiring a manual uninstall won't assume that.
...It's something that will need to be considered even more thoroughly in
writing for an international audience, as the analogies we may use to
explain a concept won't necessarily mean the same thing in another country.
(There is always that cautionary tale of marketing, the Chevy NOVA in
Spanish-speaking countries.)
A landmark hotel, one of America's most beautiful cities, and
three and a half days of immersion in the state of the art:
IPCC 01, Oct. 24-27 in Santa Fe. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
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+++ Seybold SFO, Sept. 25-27, in the Adobe Partners Pavilion +++
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