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:Re: Definately and English teachers... From:Dee Gardner <dgardner -at- UWOHALI -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 6 Jun 1995 16:16:17 -400
> This is ordinary, everyday language. What happens when the same writer,
> out of laziness or ignorance, misspells or misuses technical terms when
> explaining a procedure? Does the end-user mix in the wrong chemical,
> perhaps? Does the medical technician use the wrong instrument or
> procedure on a patient?
This is a very good point. It reminds me of an episode with a co-worker about
2.5 yrs ago. She was trying to explain some of the workings of a complex
computer system we were to be working on together, I was the "new kid on the
block". She had a ppor understanding of computers in general and we ended up
almost yelling at each other because she was incorrectly using various
computer terms and then got pissed at me for correcting her on the "semantics"
of the conversation. The problem was, what I was trying to find out got
twisted around the wrong way because of her incorrect use of terms and I am
fairly computer literate. If documentation is written this way, it's worse
than usual!!!
> Part of our problem in being taken seriously as technical writers is
> that our work product is not well enough differentiated from "creative
> writing". I sometimes say, with tongue in cheek, that I enjoy writing
> science fiction, and software documentation is the closest thing to it.
> But I think we do our profession a disservice when we consider proper
> spelling the "icing on the cake".
It's also important for those who may be originally from another country and
emmigrated here. English as a second language complicated by misspellings can
be nearly impossible. My boyfriend (who has been in the States for 12 yrs and
speaking English for much longer than that) still has trouble if words are
misspelled. There are many professionals in the workforce today who were not
born and raised here.
