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: Minimalism: Opportunity or Menace? From:"Wing, Michael J" <mjwing -at- INGR -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 23 Jan 1997 13:15:25 -0600
<snip>
>You can turn a hundred gallons of maple sap into a gallon of maple syrup, but
>not by extraction; the process, boiling, is long and slow. Though I believe
>in the minimalist writing process, I worry about having the results
>arbitrarily imposed: "Thou shalt write no more than 50 pages per book." What
>do you think?
>
> -- Steve
>
I think that the minimalist approach/fad (at least applied as you
describe) is to writing what the Scarsdale or Grapefruit diet was to
weight control. It sounds gimmicky and fancy and gains some quick
converts, but what is really needed is control of eating and proper
exercise. Or in the case of documentation, the proven "clear and
concise".
Dictating a minimalist "formula" as a mold to be fit rather than a
target to be approximated sounds to me like "a one size (in this case
very small) fits all - albeit, leaving many readers hungry" solution.
It has its applications. Instructions to operate a pencil sharpener?
It probably would work well here. Instructions to disarm a bomb or
start up a nuclear reactor? I may want some detail of and extrapolation
on the basic concepts before I perform the step-by-step.
Mike Wing
_____________________________________________
| Michael Wing
| Principal Technical Writer
| Infrastructure Technical Information Development
| http://www.ingr.com/iss/products/mapping/
| Intergraph Corporation
| Huntsville, Alabama
| (205) 730-7250
| mjwing -at- ingr -dot- com
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
