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.
Subject:RE: Proofreading your own material From:"Al Geist" <al -at- geistarts -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Sat, 14 Feb 2015 11:08:58 -0500
I have never worked for a place where you could get fired for proofreading
your own material. When I was lucky enough to have a staff, we shared the
duties, but that was not often. In my last position, I had it included in my
contract that the SME would be responsible for ensuring technical accuracy,
but I still did the final proofreading. Reading it out loud is a good idea,
if you are in a location where you can do that. Another method is reading it
backwards. Typos pop out instantly using that method, but when you're book
is 500 pages or more, that may take too long, so you do what you can to
within the time constraints. I have to say that although the systems and
programs I documented could harm or even kill people if they didn't follow
the procedures, I was never, ever threatened with termination if I proofread
my own material. Then again, I didn't work in the medical industry, health
care industry, or pharmaceutical industry where a lot more government
regulations and the potential to cause harm is a serious problem if they
text is wrong.
Al Geist-Geist Arts
Fine Art Photography
Mobile: 231-301-5770
E-mail: al -at- geistarts -dot- com
Website: www.geistarts.com
Facebook: Geist Arts
See Also:
Technical Communication, Help, Documentation Management
"...I walked to work, quit my job, and kept walking. Better to be a pilgrim
without a destination, I figured, than to cross the wrong threshold each
day." (Sy Safransky)
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+al=geistarts -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+al=geistarts -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of
Rick Quatro
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2015 9:14 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Proofreading your own material
This may be a good idea for amateur writers responding in comments, but
dangerous for professionals. I have worked at places where you will get
fired for proofreading your own material. On another note, replying to
idiots is usually fruitless, regardless of how good your spelling is.
Rick Quatro
Carmen Publishing Inc.
585-366-4017
rick -at- frameexpert -dot- com
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+rick=rickquatro -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+rick=rickquatro -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Peter Neilson
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2015 8:52 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Proofreading your own material
Newly discovered (or rediscovered) proofing technique may be of aid to lone
tech writers.
My wife has recently become a prolific contributer to a couple of amateur
science blogs. She has noticed that in the heat of responding to
idiots////// people with whom she disagrees she can make errors. The most
difficult kind is typing one valid word where a different one was intended.
Recently she wrote "leave" instead of "live".
She's found a proofreading technique that I'd never considered. She copies
and pastes her material into LibreOffice and changes the font size! The
bigger size is easier to read and moreover it now looks like something
written by someone else!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doc-To-Help: The Quickest Way to Author and Publish Online Help, Policy &
Procedure Guides, eBooks, and more using Microsoft Word | http://bit.ly/doctohelp2015
Looking for articles on Technical Communications? Head over to our online
magazine at http://techwhirl.com
Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions? Search our public
email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doc-To-Help: The Quickest Way to Author and Publish Online Help, Policy &
Procedure Guides, eBooks, and more using Microsoft Word | http://bit.ly/doctohelp2015
Looking for articles on Technical Communications? Head over to our online
magazine at http://techwhirl.com
Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions? Search our public
email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doc-To-Help: The Quickest Way to Author and Publish Online Help, Policy & Procedure Guides, eBooks, and more using Microsoft Word | http://bit.ly/doctohelp2015
