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> I guess it all comes down to a matter of definitions. I, for one, feel
> that the word rhetoric has pejorized far more than it ever should
> have. It was once considered a high art, but someone along the way
> decided that rhetoric was manipulative or something. I'm not sure. Any
> one know for sure the history of the word? Fortunately, I had a
> teacher who once taught me the original meaning of the word. I think
> that is the definition that Joe was trying to convey.
>
That's why people who aspire to be technical communicators, or who are
already working in that capacity, should STUDY rhetoric in a formal way. You
do not get the same thing out of a semester's course as you get by reading
the dictionary. You read great stuff and you learn new things.
Also, how can technical documentation be said to be boring? To whom? A filet
mignon is boring to a man who's not hungry. When you are looking for an
answer to a question you have about software or your new digital piano,
aren't you quite interested in finding the answer?
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