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Message:
There has been a good deal of discussion about whether writing and
presentation (formatting) go hand-in-hand. I, like Bonni Graham,
agree that they can go hand-in-hand. I'll even take it a step
further--I think it's crucial that they go hand-in-hand.
When I write hardware upgrade installation instructions, the
graphics that appear in my documents are just as crucial as the text
that surrounds them and holds them together. Some things are easier
to show graphically than they are to describe with text. I work
with a graphics artist who draws the angles that I request. So,
even though he has the artistic abilities, I guide what he draws.
I am a technical communicator, not by title, but by my
job duties. My title is technical writer, but I do much more than
write. I assume that a good many of you also do more than write.
