Re: What do you think?

[Linda Laurie <LinLaurie -at- MSN -dot- COM>]

Oh my God. See the rest of my response below.


Snipet One -- Question: Do you agree that the majority of technical
communication is paper-based?

"Still other instructors have consciously decided against using
computers in their classrooms, and they have had good reasons for
doing so.  First, they argue plausibly that the majority of technical
communication in the workplace is still paper-based and that many
students will be entering companies where they could certainly get by
with little more than basic word processing skills.  Second, these
instructors argue that their courses are intended to teach technical
communication, not computer literacy."

I have to wonder if this person teaches under a rock. They don't seem to have
any real world experience. There are technical writers out there with basic
writing skills. Ask them how easy it is to find work. I have programming
experience, html design skills, online help knowledge, and a lot of
experience, and I stay busy. I can pick and choose work. But I work hard all
the time to keep up with changing technology so that I can continue to stay
employable. This writer can talk about getting by with basic Word skills, but
who in this world wants to get by? When I took tech writing, no one wanted to
get by. They wanted to become employable. To do this, you must constantly
update your skills if you want to work as a tech writer.

I work in the software industry. Maybe if you're talking about working in
another industry, such as medical, or hardware, you could get by with much
less experience and a smaller skill base. But where is the majority of the
work?

Snipet Two -- Question:  What do you think of the word "forbidding"?

"Computers and networks are, as Dale Spender (1995) notes, an
environment of privilege-created by privileged white men and used
mostly by them-and those environments are quite often forbidding to
women and people from disadvantaged groups."

I can't disagree with the first part of this statement. However, I don't know
how forbidding computers are. Daunting, certainly, to people (men, women,
etc.) whom have never used them before. Seniors are learning to use the
Internet. Graphic interfaces have made them less daunting and easier to use. I
wouldn't make this statement, or I would at least change the  term
"forbidding".

Snipet Three -- Do you think that your employers will be willing to
train new hires in technical communication on how to use a computer
to do their jobs?

"It's true that many workplaces are still primarily paper-based, but
does that mean we should ignore the enormous growth of electronic
media-the journal Electronic Publishing estimates that by 2001, 30%
of all workplace documents will be at least partially electronic
(Romano, 1997)-in the hopes students will find an employer willing to
train them?"

No. There's a commercial that airs in Seattle showing a young man interviewing
for a job. The interviewer asks him if he's used anything "high tech" and
terminates the interview when he says no. Learn computers in school. Buy one
if you can and use it at home. Employers (of which I am one) want people who
can do as much as possible, and require as little as possible in the way of
training, unless they specifically look for trainees. Training takes time away
from working on productive things. The more we all produce, the better we
look. Some employers will train, but I wouldn't bet my livlihood on that hope.

I can see by the mail that's posted so far, that these snippets are real
popular. I hope you're able to influence the direction this book seems to be
pointed towards.

Good luck.

Lin
linlaurie -at- msn -dot- com
www.winpro-press.com

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