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Re: Liberal Arts Grads Can't "Grasp?" Give me a f&*#ing break.
Subject:Re: Liberal Arts Grads Can't "Grasp?" Give me a f&*#ing break. From:Michelle Law <shell -at- CS -dot- UTK -dot- EDU> Date:Wed, 10 Sep 1997 15:56:33 -0400
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> A person whose training is geared too much toward liberal arts or a
> technical field is not going to be a great technical writer.
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> [snip good stuff about value of liberal arts education]
> Bottom-line: most anyone can learn technical specifics. You sit down
> with me for five hours and tell me about your latest widget. I'll ask a
I think you gave it away it here, why some managers go for the
techy technical writer before the "artsy" technical writer. I think
they're counting on you/me taking 5 hours to grasp something technical
that a techy could grasp in 1 or 2. Also, and this is my main point,
I think many managers assume a liberal arts degree is "softer", easier
to get than a technical degree. Thus, liberal arts majors like you
and me are assumed to be softer in the head than technical majors.
They totally miss the point you made so well about which skills are
easier to pick up on the job, AND about how hard a liberal arts degree
can be.
Michelle Law
Technical Writer
Celerity Systems Inc.
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