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Subject:RE: STC Letter to the Editor From:"Grant, Christopher" <CGrant -at- glhec -dot- org> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 4 Nov 2002 11:13:18 -0600
> Why should STC competition judges be expected to load some
> unknown piece of software on their machines just to judge the
> contest?
If they're judging the winners of a "technical communication" contest, they
should do whatever it takes to be able to judge how well one entry or
another provides technical communication. This means that judges must be
able to judge the technical accuracy and completeness of a document, not
just how pretty it looks or how well-organized it is.
If this can't be evaluated - and I think it CAN'T, by STC judges anyway -
then such a contest should not be called a "technical communication"
contest.
I think these last few posts illuminate the challenges in judging this
critical aspect (technical accuracy and completeness) of technical
documentation. It almost brings the whole thing full circle:
How can technical writers write about stuff they don't understand, and how
can STC judges judge content that they don't understand? I think it's the
same argument. IMHO, without understanding, judging must be limited to
things like format, layout, and organization. That's not enough to call it
"technical communication."
Seeing as how it seems to be impossible for STC judges to judge the accuracy
or completeness of the stuff they're reviewing, I have to see these contests
as not terribly significant or legitimate - at least as the way they're
being labeled now.
Chris Grant
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