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:ON-SCREEN EDITING From:tpis!gregg -dot- roberts -at- TPOINT -dot- NET Date:Sun, 25 Dec 1994 09:31:58 -0600
A colleague of mine has pointed out that the size and shape of typical computer
monitors markedly reduces their effectiveness for writing. He has a black and
white full-page monitor, and has had to struggle to get the manufacturer
(Samsung) to support their three-year-old product with video drivers for
Windows and a Compaq 486. But it has been worthwhile, for the very reasons
Rosie (Sitze? -- sorry if that's wrong) has recently laid out, regarding being
able to see the whole, or at least larger parts of it.
I didn't think the full-page size would be that much better than my
equally-wide-but-short 12" monitor -- until I actually worked with it for a
while. The PC industry has really saddled us writers with these funky,
flattened monitors. If full-page had been the standard from the beginning, and
someone had come along and said, "Hey, I've got an idea: let's make computer
monitors that are shorter than they are wide and sell 'em to writers at a
discount," he'd have been laughed out of town.
--Gregg -dot- Roberts -at- Tpoint -dot- com
Note: My netmailer is doing funky things right now with incoming email
addresses; be careful if you send me a reply, since the system might be doing
similar things to my outgoing "From:" address.