Re: Proof that content is more important than style

[Chris Hamilton <cah_91 -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Andrew and all-- 
Here's some surface-to-air missiles to shoot down your
bomber: 

1. Only pinheads have to choose. The key is to get
*both* to the appropriate degree. A professional
shouldn't nees to form a committee and apply for a
grant to be able to create a document that doesn't
look like garbage. That's part of what you get paid
for. And it takes maybe an hour, if you're slow about
it. 

2. I have worked for three commercial software
companies. While inaccurate documentation is not
acceptable, so is ugly documentation. The market
requires that you produce usable documentation. That
means that it must be (in order of importance)
correct, well-structured, visually attractive enough
to not induce migraines. 

3. Which brings me back to point 1. The job is to not
produce crap, in any of its possible dimensions. Get
an effective layout with reasonable fonts (then leave
it alone), then lay out a logical structure for the
content, then go out and get the information and write
it. Get it reviewed, make the appropriate changes,
print it, then go home. 

So while Andrew's point is correct, it is incomplete.
(Or more correctly, purposely overstated to be
provocative, because Andrew has nothing better to do
than irritate list members.) 

More to the point, the time spent arguing about it
could better be spent looking for ways to be more
useful to your employer or more marketable in case
your employer goes away. 

Take that! 

Chris
(smiling a big toothy grin at his own provocative overstatements)

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