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Subject:RE: STC Letter to the Editor From:jgarison -at- ide -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 1 Nov 2002 15:37:58 -0500
As a local and international STC judge, I agree with the difficulty of
getting away from the "beauty contest" aspects of judging and more into the
real merits.
However, it's almost an impossible task.
We are asked to judge the documentation outside the context of its real
purpose and use, which is in conjunction with a product. Until we can become
users of the product and access the documentation as a real user would, we
will have no idea of its accuracy or true usefulness. All we can do is look
at it, read it, and use our professional experience and judgment to
determine whether or not we think it would be helpful.
Ironically, I don't think this is always difficult. Sometimes it is, but not
always.
This bodes well for a long discussion!
John
John Garison
Documentation Manager
IDe, Concord, MA
978-402-2907
jgarison -at- ide -dot- com
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Bruce Byfield [mailto:bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com]
<snipped>
>>Technical aspects to both writing and design that can be
>>judged more or
>>less objectively on how well they are executed. However, very few
>>judging committees of any sort can stay with this criterion for any
>>length of time. Inevitably, they start comparing not on
>>execution, but
>>on personal or fashionable preferences.
>>
>>Even worse, they start to make decisions on personal considerations,
>>rather than merit. To some extent, blind judging can eliminate this
>>tendency. However, in the world of tech-writing, anyone experienced
>>enough to be a judge would probably also have the connections to know
>>which company and which writers were responsible for any
>>local entries.
>>
>>In general, I consider prizes of these sorts - whether
>>they're local STC
>>competitions or the Booker Prize - to be exercises in PR and
>>chances to
>>bestow favors.
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