TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
-----sueahrenhold -at- ameritech -dot- net wrote:-----
<snip>
My nose has been well and properly nipped. Don't expect me to ask any
more questions.
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Sue,
Your questions were perfectly within what is expected and allowed on this forum. Please don't feel put off by some of the replies that you received. You have every right to ask a question here and to expect relevant answers without having your credentials questioned. That doesn't happen every time... I mean, it usually doesn't happen... Well, okay, it happens most of the time, but you learn to grin and bear it. The people here have a lot of knowledge, but some are a bit brutal in the way that they choose to share their wisdom.
Guys, if your wife asks you, "What do you think of this dress?" do you go off on a tirade about how someone else has critiqued that dress before and tell her that she ought to research it rather than wasting your time by asking for your opinion? (Maybe you do...)
People shouldn't have to do a thorough search of the internet or the archives before posting a question. Not everyone has been subscribed to Techwr-l for years, so not everyone is aware of what has been discussed before or what the topic was called another time around. Plus things change, so even if something was discussed previously, the methods or preferences discussed before might have changed. And not everyone has the time to poke through the dozens or hundreds of messages containing rebukes and bickering when they're trying to find the one message that contains a legitimate answer to the initial question. Do you have any idea how many messages have been generated in the last two days with the topics "Silly but important to me," "and then," and "This page intentionally left blank"? How would someone go about searching for answers relevant to the initial questions?
Come on everyone. People shouldn't have to include their resumes to prove that they have the right to propose changes based on what they learn here. Let's take it as a given that people wouldn't be asking questions if they didn't feel that they had those rights. When someone asks a question, answer it or ignore it, then move on. If you know that a topic was discussed before, find a link to a relevant message in the previous discussion and reply with it. Don't spend half the day belittling the person, who was only looking for help from what should be a good resource, or arguing about the punctuation and grammar in the initial message. This banter might be fun, but it clutters up someone's search for information. If you must go off on a tangent, change the subject line (as I did here) so people know you're not answering the initial question. This will help everyone accomplish what they need to. People who ask questions will get the answers they need while others can joke with each other or discuss the fundamentals of the English language. And we'll all be one big, happy family!
Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now. I'm pretty thick skinned, so flame away at me if you must. I'm not afraid to stand up for my opinions, plus I just put on my flame-retardant underwear. So nah-nah! :-)
Donna
Donna L. Jones
--------------------------------------
Technical Writer II
Zebra Technologies Corp.
Vernon Hills, IL
djones -at- zebra -dot- com
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