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Subject:Re: Side issues From:Len Olszewski <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 22 Jun 1993 14:18:28 -0500
> Vicki Rosenzweig said:
> > It might be worth doing what the Sun-managers list does: the
> > etiquette there is that answers to questions (or, in our case,
> > technical questions) go to the asker, who then posts a summary
> > to the entire list.
> I'd rather have lots of short messages on a topic than a long summary
> to read. I am on other lists that follow this procedure, and I lose
> interest by the third screen. Also, you have to keep the whole file
> instead of just the relevant portions.
> --Karen
> karenk -at- netcom -dot- com
There's a lot to be said for remaining just unpredictable enough to keep
people on their respective toes. I like to be open enough to new
information so that I can absorb things that, while not immediately
useful, will fall into place for me as I search for some synergy to
solve intractable technical communication problems. Today's apparent
non-sequitur can be tomorrow's chapter-filling metaphor.
I, too, dislike reading summaries. They are useful for certain things:
product reviews, compendia of techniques, expressions of yea or nay
opinions on a given topic, recommendations for restaurants, etc. I
prefer discussions. They better create the feeling of real interaction,
and emphasize the best aspects of having intelligent, thinking people at
the other end of the email.
OBLIGATORY TECHNICAL WRITING SECTION:
Has anybody out there developed standards or guidelines for the use of
text in interfaces? I'm thinking of something similar to a style sheet,
but for an interactive application interface. How did it turn out, how
did you go about doing it, and has it proven to be worthwhile? Any
pointers to share?
Later.
|Len Olszewski, Technical Writer |"Never give anything a name that you|
|saslpo -at- unx -dot- sas -dot- com|Cary, NC, USA|might have to eat." -Klingon Proverb|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Opinions this ludicrous are mine. Reasonable opinions will cost you.|
