Re: Myths and Facts From SSI

[Elna Tymes <etymes -at- LTS -dot- COM>]

Mike Collier - SSG wrote:
>
> This is a long post but if SSI is using the following "Myths and Facts"
> to sell documentation solutions to other businesses, I think they're
> worth discussing on the list.
...

Excuse me, but if people can't recognize "writing by provocation" in
web-page marketing language, maybe they'd better go back and look at
definitions of "propaganda" again.

"Writing by provocation" is another term for the situation in technical
writing where you can't get the information you need from your source
people in time to release a draft.  So you write something like <<I
don't know what goes here - please provide material>> or <<when will the
missing screen be available so I can do a screen shot here?>> or things
like that.  In other words, you're provoking the reader to supply you
with the missing information.  Not the best way to get information, but
sometimes the only option you have left.

Mr. Bonney has loaded SSI's web page with provocative comments designed
to stir up emotion.  Obviously, he's succeeded here.  You can agree with
him - in which case, if you're an engineering or product manager looking
for someone to turn out docs that don't fit the usual decriptors, you
might be willing to give Mr. Bonney's firm some time to explain how
they'll approach the task.  Or you can disagree with him, in which case
you'll either flame him, at your own expense of time and computer usage,
or dismiss him and go on to something else.  What does he lose by such
provocative language?  The good will of other technical writers, which
frankly doesn't buy much - technical writers don't often move very far
up the food chain in enginering organizations, and company-to-company
purchases of writing services aren't usually made by pubs managers
anyway (granted, they purchase INDIVIDUAL services; company services are
usually purchased by organizations that are too small to have a real
pubs department).

I wouldn't call Mr. Bonney's approach shrewd.  Different, perhaps.
Effective? Who knows? He's certainly stirred up some awareness on
TECHWR-L.

Elna Tymes
Los Trancos Systems

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