Re: Grammar and Style Checkers

Subject: Re: Grammar and Style Checkers
From: Chuck Banks <chuck -at- ASL -dot- DL -dot- NEC -dot- COM>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1993 14:26:43 CDT

LaVonna,

I haven't had SMEs who went as far as running their own
grammar check on a soft copy of a document, but I have received
gramatical markups from SMEs, management, someone who happened
to see the document on someone's desk, etc.

Being a glutton for punishment, I'll look at any
comment and consider it for possible inclusion in the document.
When I get little else but grammatical markups from a SME, I
memo them and their boss and my boss reminding all concerned
that SMEs should mark TECHNICAL errors and leave the grammar
to their friendly neighborhood tech writer. If the memo fails
to do the job, I pass their markups to our Editor, who turns
on such userpers with gusto. One editorial assault is all most
errant SMEs can stand.

Slightly more seriously, a memo to the SME and the
SME's boss is usually enough to cure the situation. SME bosses
resent their people being tasked to review documentation and
usually step in to clearly define areas of responsibility. To
even the most forgiving supervisor/manager, grammar checking
is a waste of valuable SME time.

Best Regards,

Chuck Banks
--
__ ________ ______
|\\ | || // Chuck Banks
| \\ | ||_______ || Senior Technical Writer
| \\ | || || NEC America, Inc.
| \\| \\______ \\______ E-Mail: chuck -at- asl -dot- dl -dot- nec -dot- com
America, Incorporated CompuServe: 72520,411


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