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Subject:Re: STC Letter to the Editor From:Andrew Plato <gilliankitty -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 4 Nov 2002 09:05:40 -0800 (PST)
--- SteveFJong -at- aol -dot- com wrote:
> Andrew, if the definition of a writer is someone who understands the subject
> matter, what are you doing typing things in this thread? You demonstrate no
> understanding.
Personal attacks are not going to make you any more credible. Stick to the topic
Steve.
> Anyway, we are left with your point that the competition does not assess
> technical accuracy. I did not say that technical accuracy was an unreasonable
> standard, I said the opposite: that it is the most important quality factor
> for a technical document. What I did say, which you ought to understand
> because you retyped it, is that assessing the technical accuracy of a
> document as part of the competition requires access to the product it
> documents, which STC does not have; and that such an assessment would, if
> done right, be too valuable a service to offer merely for the Competitions
> entry fee.
You're right. Which is why STC should change the name of their competitions to
"Design and Layout" competitions and drop the "technical communications"
competition because its clear that the most important aspect of communication
cannot (or will not) be evaluated in these competitions.
> Do you have any suggestions how to assess the technical accuracy of a
> document without access to the product it documents? Does anyone?
Finalists should be reviewed by technical experts and power-users, not STC
elders. There should be NO pre-set guidelines. Simple goals like "does this
accurately communicate these concepts" are sufficient. Guidelines, like what are
used now, force contestants to meet STC's vision of perfect documentation. And
that has little to do with a reader's vision.
Andrew Plato
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