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:Benefit of digest subscript From:Gregg Roberts <gr -at- STRATSYS -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 5 Apr 1995 10:56:29 U
Benefit of digest subscription
I, too, have found the digest format a little frustrating compared to individual
emails. However, overall, I think it's better for the list that more people are
using the digest format, precisely because it raises the cost of posting to the
list. Though the volume has been reduced, I have seen a dramatic increase in
the proportion of relevant, professionally useful posts. No criticism intended,
just an observation.
I see a clear analogy to how the advent of the word processor made it easy to
write and move chunks of text -- but with the result that my first drafts aren't
nearly as good as they were when I used a manual typewriter. Back then I would
think more before I wrote, because I had to push hard on the keys, and I wanted
to avoid retyping or physically cutting-and-pasting poorly thought-out material.
I suspect that the digest format has restored some of that healthy
self-restraint!
Gregg Roberts
Technical Writer/Software Tester
Strata Systems
Austin, TX
gr -at- stratsys -dot- com