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.
"Make a frappe from a couple of published sources and pour it out, for sale, to another market."
Got It! Thanks. That's my new business model.
________________________________
From: techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com on behalf of Ned Bedinger
Sent: Thu 1/18/2007 4:07 PM
Cc: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: FYA
Janice Gelb wrote:
> Tariel, Lauren R wrote:
> >
> > Well that's one way to get your name and article
> > published in a big newspaper.
> >
>
> What is, writing an amusing and clever column? Ian
> Frazier is a well-known humor writer
I appreciate the shot of mirth :-)
Still, the essay distresses me because I feel it is very derivative--I
know I've seen similar articles before, and am surprised that the
editors at the New Yorker would let it be re-hashed in their marvelous
mag, which after all has the reputation for publishing fine original
creative and journalistic writing.
So I googled "shower curtain physics" and Lo! Wikipedia has it, with
links to other versions of this topic for a broad spectrum of
audiences. An Ignobel Prize was awarded in 2001 for research into
shower curtain billowing. Scientific American covered it as a physics
problem in 2001. NPR (National Public Radio) covered it on their
program All Things Considered in 2006.
Perhaps I'm being overly harsh in labeling this essay as derivative or
unoriginal. I know that not everyone listens to NPR/ATC or subscribes to
the Annals of Improbable Research or Scientific American, so maybe many
New Yorker readers won't feel their antennae twitching when they read
about the shower curtain thang. Can I extrapolate that any topic is
fair game for an article--all I need to do is make a frappe from a
couple of published sources and pour it out, for sale, to another
market? I would feel like a feather merchant for doing something like
that. Am I naive?
WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu -dot-
WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
