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Subject:Re: word processing or DTP From:"Flood, Laura" <Laura -dot- Flood -at- WESTGROUP -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 24 Jul 1998 14:57:02 -0500
Hutchings, Christa wrote:
<snip>
Seriously though, many of us can't afford to hire a writer who can't do
his/her own page layout. We'd just have to turn around and hire a
formatter too, and why hire two specialists when one good generalist
would suffice? (And there *are* folks out there with both good writing
*and* DTP skills.)
<snip>
I think it is pretty common that tech writers are required to their own
formatting. In my Professional Writing, Technical Writing, and Advanced
Technical Writing classes at RIT, page layout was stressed just as much
as clear and concise writing.
Here is a direct quote from the Advanced Technical Writing course
description:
"Develops in students those skills necessary for designing, writing and
editing long technical documents, such as final reports and manuals.
Special emphasis is given to computer-designed graphics and page layout.
Students enrolling should have command of concise English prose. (This
course is taught with a Macintosh microcomputer.) May be taken as a PTC
elective, part of the language concentration or as a liberal arts
elective. (0502-220 or equivalent) Class 3, Credit 4."
Laura K. Flood
Technical Writer
Common Tools & Services Development
West Group
Rochester, NY 14694
Phone: 716-546-5530
Fax: 716-258-3721
Email: laura -dot- flood -at- westgroup -dot- com
The views, opinions, and judgments expressed in this message are solely
those of the author. The message contents have not been reviewed or
approved by West Group.
