Re: Background

[Steve Fouts <sfouts -at- ELLISON -dot- SC -dot- TI -dot- COM>]

|} What do you find is the best combination between technical knowledge
|} and composition experience?  In other words, should an aspiring
|} technical writer/educator strive to be more versed on computer
|} science fundamentals or advanced grammar?  Where do you believe
|} that one's priorities should be placed?  Make any distinctions
|} (ie education vs. workplace) that you need to make as I understand
|} that different circumstances dictate different responses.
|}

I won't go with ``advanced grammar'' as an important topic. Advanced
composition is important. Techniques of advanced composition are
important to technical writers in that they need some tools and
techniques for writing clear, concise, English. Grammar is a
necessary subset of good composition.

In my book, this is just as important as a fundemental understanding
of the subject matter. Every bit as important. To write a navigable,
easy to understand document on any topic, you need to understand both
the topic, and the writing.

Computer science is the choice you make if you want to write books
about computers and software. Geology may be the choice you make if
you want to write about seismic instruments. There is nothing magic
about CS. If you come to work for me, you might have an MS in
Computer Science or an EE degree, and I might still send you to
class to learn about developing applications for floating-point
DSPs because I want you to have applicable subject matter expertise.

I want to see both things on your resume because I want to see that
1) You can write clearly and concisely, and
2) You can understand the topic of discussion.

Do I want one _more_ than the other. No. I want both. One without the
other is worthless to me.
    _______________   _____
   /  ___  __/__\  \ /  / _\    Steve Fouts
  /___ \|  |  ___\  |  /  __\   sfouts -at- ellison -dot- sc -dot- ti -dot- com
 /   /  \  |      \   /      \
/_______/__|_______\_/________\ "She understood, as he did, that all writing
was infernally boring and futile, but that it had to be done out of respect
for tradition"                  --Stanislaw Lem