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Re: Technical Writing - What's the catch?

Subject: Re: Technical Writing - What's the catch?
From: Dick Margulis <margulisd -at- comcast -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 14:06:30 -0500




Lou Quillio wrote:

[snipped]

Brian Jennings wrote:

Orwell says a writer should ask himself:
1. What am I trying to say?


Dick Margulis wrote:


For most of us the questions are something more like this:
1. What is the audience?
2. What information do they need?



I must be missing something, because these lists look alike to me. Dick's list even appears to be (displays as? ;) a subset of Orwell's.


Lou,

Yes, you appear to be missing something. Orwell is focusing on what _I_ (first person, the writer) am trying to say. Tech writers (most of us) are focusing first on the expectations of the audience ( = _other_, third person). I'm not arguing with Orwell at all; I'm just saying the list Brian quoted is focused on _self-expression_ rather than on _knowledge transfer._ Different purpose, different list. That's all.

Dick

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Follow-Ups:

References:
RE: Technical Writing - What's the catch?: From: Brian Jennings
Re: Technical Writing - What's the catch?: From: Dick Margulis
Re: Technical Writing - What's the catch?: From: Lou Quillio

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