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RE: NASA Technical Documentation WAS RE: An urban legend regarding documentation?
Subject:RE: NASA Technical Documentation WAS RE: An urban legend regarding documentation? From:"technicoid -at- cableone -dot- net" <technicoid -at- cableone -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 13 Nov 2003 15:34:41 -0500
Beth wrote:
>The literature I've read on this case wasn't about some deleted warning,
>but it was about how the communication breakdown within the organization
>in the form of the technical correspondence was to blame.
That's really more likely, and I think Tufte's comments on the subject
probably illustrate that point. Haven't reviewed them myself--shame on me.
However, Goob's amusement has more to do with how we as technical
communicators sometimes blindly accept such comments about the deletion of
a warning or the inclusion of more than 9 steps (7 +/- 2) without applying
our minds to see if what we're hearing makes any sense. If we're not able
to use our minds better than this, are we surprised that our employers want
to send our jobs to Bangalore?
Now, the original poster's BS meter must've been working because she had
the sense to check to see if this story was an urban legend (and it
apparently is). However, for a discipline that is supposedly an
"engineering" discipline (and I'd dispute that categorization, in many but
not all cases), we sometimes display an unacceptable lack of rational
skepticism.
But then I'd still be happy to tweak some templates for NASA. I can format
a warning like no tomorrow.
technicoid -at- cableone -dot- net
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