Re: Merging marketing pubs with tech pubs

[Scott Holstad <sholstad -at- CORP -dot- EARTHLINK -dot- NET>]

At 10:11 AM 9/1/98 -0500, Miles Kimball wrote:
>Beth --
>
>I know we'd like to think that what we're doing is objective, scientific,
>and, well, technical -- but isn't all technical writing a form of marketing
>information to audiences?
>

Yee, that sends chills up my spine.... No, I disagree.  When I'm producing
hardcore engineering schematics and supporting documentation for my
engineers, I do not need to market or convince anyone at all of the value
of this data.  I feel sorry for those who do.


<snip>

>
>And on the other side of the question, I've had experiences in which
>engineering departments strangled documentation efforts with the attitude
>that users really are stupid and just need to "figure out" how to use the
>product. Perhaps a little more marketing focus would temper technical goals
>by leading to a more user-centered attitude in such situations.
>



As someone coming from the Engineering side of things and with an admitted
engineering bias, are you actually implying that users AREN'T "really are
stupid and just need to "figure out" how to use the product"!!!  ;)


<snip>


>Miles Kimball
>


<snip>



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Scott C. Holstad                        email: sholstad -at- earthlink -dot- net
Senior Documentation Specialist phone: 626-296-5067
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