Re: Credibility (WAS: Texts on Grammar)

[Jason Willebeek-LeMair <jlemair -at- ITEXCHSRV2 -dot- PHX -dot- MCD -dot- MOT -dot- COM>]

George dazzled me with:
>  we TWs are very much in the business of dazzling the readers, in my
> opinion, because we tell them what they need to know.
>
And Deborah refused to be dazzled with:
> > I don't think we're in the business of dazzling anybody
> > with anything.
>
I am in agreement with George in this matter, except that I prefer the
term "delight" to "dazzle."

We all know how documentation often gets a bad rap, whether from current
poor documentation or from the impression left over from a legacy of
poor documentation, and how many users still think of the manuals as
something more useful for propping their monitor up to the ergonomically
correct height rather than using an application or piece of hardware.

That has been done to death on this list.

But I firmly believe that, if we do our jobs well, we do in some small
way delight the user.  I know that I am delighted when, while trying to
achieve a specific result with an application, I turn to the manual and,
lo, the info is there and I can continue on my merry way.

But, then again, maybe I just have low expectations and am easily
delighted.  8-)

Jason

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