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Subject:Re: Are tech writers inherently snobby? From:Keith Hood <klhra -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:08:02 -0700 (PDT)
I think everyone who is a writer of any kind has at least a touch of arrogance. It's simply one of the natural byproducts of a writing bug infestation. After all, you have to be kind of full of yourself to think that your writing is so much better than anyone else's that it makes sense for someone to pay you to write.
Technical writers generally are nowhere near as arrogant as fiction writers. Those generally tend to be as territorial about their work and their abilities as grizzly bears.
But as for a tone of apparent arrogance in email - I think that is more likely to be the result of being in a hurry, than of disdain for your or anyone else. I think most technical writers have the habit of writing in distinct mental modes, and when they are doing something they're not being paid for, they default to a mode where they're less careful about creating the right tone. When they're "off duty" they don't put as much effor into their writing.
I think you're right to be careful to check with the sender about his/her actual mood. It's too easy to make an enemy unnecessarily by taking offense too soon.
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