RE: Idiotic Tech Writing Prize

["Leonard C. Porrello" <Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com>]

Definitely--thought unlike a physically attractive woman or baby, tech
docs are generally not evocative of a powerful emotional response. A
thing is said to be  beautiful when it has a "...quality that gives
pleasure to the mind or senses and is associated with such properties as
harmony of form or color, excellence of artistry, truthfulness, and
originality" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/beauty).

Leonard

-----Original Message-----
From: Downing, David [mailto:DavidDowning -at- users -dot- com] 
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 9:51 AM
To: Leonard C. Porrello; Bill Swallow
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Idiotic Tech Writing Prize

-----Original Message-----
From: Leonard C. Porrello [mailto:Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com] 
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 12:28 PM
To: Bill Swallow; Downing, David
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Idiotic Tech Writing Prize

I would argue that you just defined well-written and "beautiful" in the
context of tech writing ("...getting the right info to the right people
in the right manner at the right time for the right reasons.").

Leonard

-----------------------

But can technical writing ever be said to be "beautiful"? Or is that one
of those weird, philosophical questions we should just leave alone?
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