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.
Re: That's not a stand-alone question (RE: Is Grammer [sic] Important ?)
Subject:Re: That's not a stand-alone question (RE: Is Grammer [sic] Important ?) From:Mike Stockman <stockman -at- JAGUNET -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 21 May 1998 12:54:32 -0400
On 5/21/1998 12:28 PM, Wilcox, John (WWC, Contractor) (wilcoxj -at- WDNI -dot- COM)
wrote:
> If you're writing to an audience that expects good grammar,
>you'd better use it. But a great example of the opposite is the old
>Compleat Idiot's Guide to Volkswagen Repair, by John Muir. What a
>classic, even if you never owned a VW.
>
>First and foremost, always remember the TW's Prime Directive: Consider
>your audience. Audience analysis must come first. Everything you
>write, draw, or otherwise communicate depends on that.
This brings up one important reason that I've always considered good
grammar to be the default mode to use: if your audience expects good
grammar, you must provide it. If your audience doesn't expect good
grammar, you can't cause trouble by using it anyway.
This assumption lets me focus my audience analysis on other matters, such
as organization, technical level, and content.
----->Mike
____________________________________________________________
Internet: stockman -at- jagunet -dot- com AOL: MStockman
