RE: This too is technical communication

["Lauren" <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>]

Why are you introducing "false pretenses"?  False pretenses was never stated
nor implied.  Nobody will think that a writer is an non-knowledgeable
person, but the technical writer must approach information gathering without
the bias of knowledge of the subject.  Here's an ultra-simplified
explanation.   Technical writers need to acquire knowledge about a subject
from the position of someone that does not know that subject.  That is not a
false pretense.

Lauren
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com 
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lt34=csus -dot- edu -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On 
> Behalf Of John Posada
> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 4:27 PM
> To: Mike Starr; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: This too is technical communication
> 
> > John, you're missing the point here... I want the SMEs to 
> > explain things to me like it was *ME* who's the high-school 
> > dropout forklift driver.
> > I do write for the appropriate audience, not for forklift 
> > drivers, if the appropriate audience is network administrators.
> 
> Missed points all around...
> 
> I don't WANT them to explain anything to me under any false
> pretenses. It should be a professional developer talking to a
> professional writer.
> 
> Let's chalk it up to different styles and leave it at that.
> 
> John Posada
> Senior Technical Writer
> 
> "They say everyone needs goals. Mine is to live forever.
> So far, so good."
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