Re: What do you think?

[Virginia Day <Virginia_Day -at- DATACARD -dot- COM>]

     Hi,

     This in incredible!  This person is very out of touch with the real
     world.

     The majority of communication in the company that I work for is
     electronic, strongly supported by verbal communication. Printed
     communication is a backup inside the company. Print is more important
     for those in the field (sales and service), but online communication
     is critical to the field also.  (E-mail and online document sharing
     are the ways we all stay informed. Also, everyone but VPs must use the
     network, the online scheduler, e-mail, and so on. Technical people,
     including writers, are *assumed* to use the internet for research.)

     Tools use should be a basic part of education. Elementary kids are
     taught to use a pencil, eraser, crayons, pen, and computers. Many
     liberal-arts colleges issue each student an e-mail address upon
     acceptance. Others include computers as part of the scholarship grant.
     When I was an undergrad, use of a slide rule was included in physics,
     math, and other technical subjects as it applied. (No, I'm not under
     30!) Computers, the internet, and other electronic tools are no
     different.

     The ability to use the tools of the trade is a basic requirement.  In
     fact, a new tech writer who brings technical skills (HTML, help, etc.)
     will be considered over one who doesn't have those skills.  It's hard
     enough to teach someone how to write on the job without also having to
     teach tool basics.

     Ten years ago I had people asking if me (a woman) if I was  really
     comfortable with x technology (the specific technology varied with the
     questioner).  And at that time, I had to answer seriously.  Now, I
     don't really think anyone would be rude enough to base questions about
     technology use on gender or ethnic origin, and I wouldn't treat such
     questions very seriously.  We all know there are personal preferences
     and abilities, but that should influence your career choice.  Wouldn't
     teaching these inappropriate values violate Title IX?

     My $.02.  I'd be interested in knowing what kind of feedback you'll
     provide to the publisher!

     Regards, Virginia

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: What do you think?
Author:  Nancy Hoft <nhoft -at- WORLD-READY -dot- COM> at Internet
Date:    7/18/97 10:06 AM


Hi Everybody,

I've recently been asked to do an informal review of an introductory
chapter to a book for instructors of tech. writing in a college
setting.  I'm only about 1/16th through the copy, but I was left so
incredulous by some statements that I had to write to you to solicit
your opinions for fear that my 15 years in this biz has left me
jaded.

Here are some snipets from the copy.  I'm leaving the source
anonymous, as well as the title of the book.  I just want your
unabashed opinions.

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."

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."

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?"

What do you think?

Signed,

Incredulous in the Upper Pennisula


N A N C Y   H O F T
Ph.D. Student, Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Michigan Technological University
PHONE: +1 906/482.5658  FAX: +1 906/482.0019
SMAIL: 209 W. Douglass Ave, Houghton, MI 49931-2221 USA
EMAIL: nlhoft -at- mtu -dot- edu -or- nhoft -at- world-ready -dot- com
WEB:   http://www.world-ready.com

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