RE: What is More Important?

[<richard -dot- melanson -at- us -dot- tel -dot- com>]

OK, fair enough. Well written = understandable English, the occasional missing comma, active/passive voice used inconsistently, about what a current college grad could write. 
Technically accurate = The manual could be used to, lets say, to build a back yard storage shed from scratch w/o any additional instructions. How's that.  :-)
Rick

 
  _____  

From: Diane Boos [mailto:dianeboos -at- comcast -dot- net] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 6:22 PM
To: TEI Melanson, Richard
Subject: Re: What is More Important?


Richard,
Before we can make a choice we have to have a definition of "well written" and "technically accurate." I hate to be a nit-picer but my definition of well written includes technically accurate.
Diane

	----- Original Message ----- 
	From: richard -dot- melanson -at- us -dot- tel -dot- com 
	To: dgreen -at- associatedbrands -dot- com ; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com 
	Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 2:22 PM
	Subject: What is More Important?

	May I ask everyone a question. What is more important, having the content of a manual written well or having the content of a manual technically accurate, and no they are not mutually exclusive :-) 
	
	Please may I ask that you just pick one or the other, I know that we can list a myriad or reasons why each is important and at times mandatory, I am just asking everyone to decide and pick one. 
	
	I am fortunate enough to have been on both sides of the fence. I was a Product Support Engineer for years working on Ion Implanters trying to use the manuals available and now I am the Writer of those manuals. 
	
	If this has been asked before, please accept my apologies and point me to where the answer is stored. I really appreciate your help Everyone, thank you.
	
	
	Richard Melanson
	Technical Writer
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