Re: Not done on the blank page yet!

Subject: Re: Not done on the blank page yet!
From: Suzanne -dot- Cole -at- pattersondental -dot- com
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2004 10:51:14 -0500






Lynne commented, "And if its a question of making things match old word
processing documents, that's also backwards thinking. Outdated material
should be brought up to modern standards, not vice versa. "

Sometimes thinking, backward or forward, has nothing to do with it. :-)

What I mean is, not every company is willing to break its style standards
simply because someone questions them--whether or not the question is
valid. At what point does something become a standard? It has to freeze at
some point, right? Should TWs support style standards and consistency in
company-wide documentation, or should we ignore whatever standards we
perceive to be antiquated? Sounds like situational ethics to me.

While I agree that "we've always done it this way" rankles, and I too chafe
at that attitude and often find it a poor argument, nevertheless the writer
should need to provide a compelling reason *to* change an established
design, other than "this seems outdated to me". In the case in point, there
is nothing to indicate that this is not a "modern standard" except the
writer's own perception. It could very well be in use for legitimate
reasons.

It could also have some unrealized or hidden impact on the company or the
audience, for whatever reason it was implemented in the first place. What
may on the surface appear to be an innocuous adjustment, one that makes us
feel better about our work environment or tasks, may have farther-reaching
effects... in such cases, the change has to be backed out due to the
backlash. It happens all the time. (It's happened to me, too. Experience is
a harsh teacher, but its lessons are well learned.)


So, don't advocate change just for the sake of change. Have a good reason
to do it first, especially to help C.Y.A. if something unexpected happens
as a result.


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