Re: My use of profanity [now with a note about audience]

Subject: Re: My use of profanity [now with a note about audience]
From: LaVonna Funkhouser <lffunkhouser -at- HALNET -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 14:34:45 -0600

Chris Rea wrote (in response to Michael Uhl) his support for the
occasional use of strong language in discussion. I tend to agree
with that argument in principle, even it is not of my nature (or
perhaps environment) to use such discourse. Chris goes on to write:

>Of course, I wouldn't expect a technical writer to publish something like
>"Next, click on the fucking menu button." But I assume that anybody with
>brains enough to be a good writer knows his audience (and his employer :-)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (my emphasis added)
>In a forum for discussion, however, I don't see anything wrong with vulgar
>language (and would use it myself, if given good reason to do so.) People who
>cry foul because of a 4-letter expletive aren't acting out of nobility: they
>are acting out of stupidity and are wasting bandwidth in the process.
^^^^^^^^^
I question Chris's knowledge of the techwr-l audience. If you *know* that
strong words will make people discredit your argument, then you are hurting
your side of a debate by using it. You also will not make friends or
influence people by saying they act in stupidity.

I quote one of my communication professors, Phil Lujan, "People will never
thank you for shattering their illusions."

As we technical communicators say: Know thy audience.

LaVonna
LaVonna F. Funkhouser Immediate Past President, OK Chapter
lffunkhouser -at- halnet -dot- com Program Manager, 1995 Region 5 Conf.
COREStaff Communication Svcs. Society for Technical Communication

My opinions do not officially represent anyone other than little ol' me.


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