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Subject:Re: Corruption of Language From:Len Olszewski <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 13 May 1994 09:23:51 -0400
> Len Olszewski says this:
> > I really don't care how John Sununu evades the truth. I'm concerned about
> > improving the way I communicate the truth in specific mechanical ways.
> but Dan Dieterich says this:
> I'm not quite sure what you mean by "communicate the truth." (Didn't Pilate
> also have a problem deciding what "truth" was?) Do you mean that you're not
> out to hide the truth in the technical writing you do? But, when you write
> about your newest product, knowing that it's the second or third best in its
> field, I imagine you don't mention that fact in what you write, nor do you
> list the names and toll free phone numbers of competitors who have better
> products. And yet, that's "truth," isn't it?
Maybe "truth" has too much philosophical baggage. How about I substitute
the phrase "facts and instructions" for "truth" in my sentence? I'll
leave the exercise of determining whether my writing is the "truth" to
you, and others who want make that assessment. And I apologize for the
poor choice of words.
> I'm not trying to be an S.O.B.--at least, no more so than usual.
My impression is that we all lucked out, in that case. 8-0 8-)
[...]
> If everyone in the U.S. better understood how people use language to obfuscate
> matters, our democracy would function more effectively. We'd also all have a
> better understanding of how to communicate clearly.
I don't have any argument with this. The gist of my previous post was
that to me, the application of the principles of clear communication are
most important within the context of my work, Sunnunu and the rest of
society notwithstanding. I notice you never commented on whether *you*
would like to see Sunnunu dressed up like Mary Poppins.
|Len Olszewski, Project Manager |"Is your IQ still as low as it was |
|saslpo -at- unx -dot- sas -dot- com|Cary, NC, USA| when I first met you?" - Groucho |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Opinions this ludicrous are mine. Reasonable opinions will cost you.|
