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Re: ADMIN: An Open Letter to the TECHWR-L Community - a new idea
Subject:Re: ADMIN: An Open Letter to the TECHWR-L Community - a new idea From:"Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 9 Aug 2004 09:11:26 -0400
Solena -dot- LEMOIGNE -at- fr -dot- thalesgroup -dot- com wrote:
> M. Bill Hall wrote:
>>
>> Although I am not a formal member of any of its member organizations,
>> I believe that Techwr-l would fit well within its primary purpose:
>>
>
> To which Mrs Bonnie Granat answered :
>
> "That site is filled with errors, inconsistencies, and other signs
> that
> it needs the professional attention of a couple of good writers and an
> editor."
>
>
> Although it is true that a professional organisation for technical
> communication should be an example for others to follow, does your
> remark mean that the site's purpose, intentions, participants were
> lost amidst the errors?
Yes.
> In short, did the typos get in your way of understanding the content?
>
It's far more than just typos. It's the organization, the content, and
the writing itself. If it were just a typo or two, I wouldn't have
commented at all.
> Would you care to volunteer some of your time to help Intecom reach
> the quality it should set? If you could spare just one hour per week
> to proofread the site, you would bring a fair value to this
> organisation.
I would be happy to help, but it would require a lot more than
proofreading and would not be something I could do for you overnight. It
would take time, and I would need more information about the
organization. I would also need access to someone who would be willing
and able to answer my questions about the organization.
> If you do not wish to do so, then do not bash in public an
> organisation that is trying to get some work done.
>
That organization was suggested as a possible sponsor of this list. I
was not bashing. I was raising an objection. The moment an organization
is suggested as a candidate to be associated with this list, it is fair
game for comment.
> The German branch is hosting every year the biggest technical
> communication event in Europe (3 days, more than a hundred speeches,
> thousands of visitors). It has actively been promoting a European
> work on the quality of goods documentation. The result is a white
> paper that is en route to be adopted as a law in all european states.
> Intecom works with all organisations of good will, and should be
> considered as such.
>
I am sure its intentions are quite laudable, but somehow the Board of
Officers did not apply the most fundamental tenets of the profession to
the Web site.
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