RE: Poll: Is technical writing a sellout or fallback career?

["Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>]

Well, I hate to get sucked into this, because it really is just a dumb
little time-waster question intended to fill a specific hole in his
sidebar. But Lauren said:
 
> Should we assume that the answer is
> "yes" if either of A or B is correct and "no" if neither of A or B is
> correct?  That assumption requires an inference that contradicts other
> valid
> inferences!  Contradictions grate my nerves.

Yes, you should. If the choices available are yes/no or true/false, that
assumption is exactly correct (and required by the rules of logic). 

There's no contradiction involved -- we use "or" in this manner all the
time, and not just in logic: "Would you like a drink or some chips?"
"No, thanks." "Are you going by the supermarket or 7-11 on your way
home?" "Why, yes. Do we need something?"

Richard


Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------








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