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>Phil Levy [mailto:phillevy -at- yahoo -dot- com] asks:
>
>>Actually, don't you think that XML will soon make it
>>easy for engineers to just fill in the blanks, thus eliminating the
>>need for most tech writers?
>>
>>>Bruce Byfield replied:
>>>No. It isn't just a matter of adding content in the appropriate
places -
>>>it's a matter of adding useful content. That's an obvious statement,
but
>>>people can easily forget the fact.
I agree Bruce. Structure is great, but it can't produce content. (This
example is highly Americanized--I have no idea what equivalents in other
educational systems would be.) Think about your first year university
students. What's the class most of them have the hardest time with?
English Comp. Your average essay has had a very basic structure for
years:
A very specific structure that students struggle with endlessly. It's
very logical, very simple, and it does very little to help them produce
coherent content. Just giving people blanks in which to plug content
does nothing to help them produce good content.
Lisa
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