Greetings, Writers of Technical

[Scott Herron <sherr19 -at- IDT -dot- NET>]

Salve Populi!

Yes, it's your friend and mine, me, back online, feeling good.  It's
been quite a while since I participated on this list [I think the
archive sez 2/96], but I have been lurking again for some time and have
the following observations to offer:


===================================
RE:  TECHNICAL WRITING HALL OF FAME

Please don't overlook _How _to _Keep _Your _Volkswagen _Alive_: a
_Manual _of _Step-by-Step _Procedures _for _the _Compleat _Idiot_ a.k.a.
"The Idiot Book" by John Muir [not the 19th c. naturalist, but a
mechanic/writer out of New Mexico, d. 1977].

Written in 1969, these 400-or-so pages of instructions, explanations,
hand-drawn illustrations, encouragement, and inspiration _changed
_people's_ lives_ by showing, not just telling them that they could
understand and repair their own automobiles.

Though not without it's faults -- it's far too personal and
ideosyncratic by today's standards/ even after 18 years and many
editions, the engine overhaul chapter still omits instructions for
re-installing the fanhousing flap control bellows [rather important] --
this book is a _model_ of organisation, for economically covering many
variations of the same product [bug, bus, squareback, Karmann Ghia, all
have similar but not identical systems] and for presenting technical
information to an entry level audience.

This book should be taught in any intro TW class. ADMIRE it's format,
MARVEL at it's navigational aids, CORRECT it's punctuation, EDIT out
it's folksiness, RECAST it's windy sentences, PASSIVISE it's active
voice, COWER before it's denunciation of automatic chokes. Well, you get
the idea.

As we hipster's say, "check it out."


========================
RE: BAD TECHNICAL WRITING EXAMPLES

I believe the original request was for long passages that could be used
as exercises. For this purpose, I recommend virtually _any_ book on
training dogs. With the exception of those written by The Monks of New
Skete and possibly a few others, these books are written by _egomaniacs_
and people far more accustomed to communicating with dogs than other
humans.

One famous dog trainer seems incapable of simply telling you "x" -- She
tells you how _she_ felt about how _stupid_ people must be who aren't
aware that "x" [in other words, her audience!] The word "I" appears many
more times that the words "dog/ dogs/ bitch /puppy /litter /pack
/<any_breed_name> /etc" combined. Turning one of these turgid, turbid
tomes into snappy, need-to-know technical prose would be a semester-long
assignment, at least. Pick a chapter. Any chapter.


===========================================================
RE:   WRITING NASTY LETTERS TO/ABOUT RUDE/BONEHEADED INTERVIEWERS

By all means, write, but think long and hard first. I've never regretted
for long _not_ writing in anger/haste. On the other hand, I have long
regretted certain letters I _did_ write in anger/haste.

"Delay is the antidote to anger. DELAY until you can RESPOND rather than
REACT."

BTW, this wouldn't be a bad policy to adopt regarding posting to
LISTSERV and USENET groups, either, hmmm?.


============================================================
P.S.(tm)    Sorry, Bill S. "Salve Populi" looks right to me.
P.P.S.(tm)  Hi, Kelly H. I know you're out there, lurking.


SH
--
Scott Herron  |  sherr19 -at- idt -dot- net

That "deep thoughts" bit at the bottom.

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