Actually, no, that's not the case, Gillian; Tekwryter's emails
directly to me have been well-formatted. I think this is more an
effect of the listserve software doing something unexpected.
John
At 04:04 PM 10/19/2007, Flato, Gillian wrote:
One of the aspects of good Tech Writing is usability and formatting
of text to make it easy to read for the end-user. Tekwryter can't
even make an email readable, as you can see by his response below. I
won't hold my breath that his documents are good quality. I guess
the email below is a product of an Agile/XP email system. He also
might consider getting someone to QA his email posts.
-Gillian
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Behalf Of Technical Writer
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 3:56 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected]
Subject: RE: radical revamping of techpubs
Good point.http://www.tekwrytrs.com/Specializing in the Design,
Development, and Production of:Technical Documentation - Online
Content - Enterprise Websites> Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:10:43
-0700> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
[email protected]> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE:
radical revamping of techpubs> > You're making an assumption that
the market is driven by quality. It > is not, though that's
certainly a factor. The market is driven even > more by good
marketing.> > At 10:58 AM 10/19/2007, Technical Writer
wrote:> > >And yet people still buy it. If they did not, issues of
quality > >would be irrelevant; only the "quality" items would be
purchased, > >the "crap" would languish on the dealer shelves, and
we would be > >working rather than having
this > >discussion.http://www.tekwrytrs.com/Specializing in the
Design, > >Development, and Production of:Technical Documentation -
Online > >Content - Enterprise Websites> >> >> >Subject: RE: radical
revamping of techpubsDate: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 > >10:55:33 -0700From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; > >[email protected]> >> >> >> >I
have seen enough bug reports in my time to know that quality
is > >not subjective. If the software generates a mile-long list of
bugs > >reported by customers and QA people, the software
application is crap.> >> >> >Thank you,> >> >> >Gillian
Flato> >Technical Writer (Software)> >nanometrics> >1550 Buckeye
Dr.> >Milpitas, CA. 95035> >(408.545.6316> >7 408.232.5911> >*
[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> >> >> >From: Technical Writer
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, > >October 19, 2007
10:52 AMTo: Flato, Gillian; > >[EMAIL PROTECTED]:
RE: radical revamping of techpubs> >The same could be said of
pacemakers, missile control systems, and a > >host of others. That
does not change the fact that in most software > >applications,
perceptions of quality are highly subjective.> >> >> >Subject: RE:
radical revamping of techpubsDate: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 > >10:09:42
-0700From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; > >[email protected]> >> >> > >>Qual
ity is primarily a subjective opinion;> > >>Similarly, whether a
product is crap or not is again an opinion, > > not an objective
evaluation that can applied in all cases.> >> >When you work in the
semi-conductor industry making high-tech > >instruments that are
used in fabs (chip fabrication plants), quality > >is not
subjective. If the tool stops running after a few thousand > >cycles
or a part on the tool fails after only a few months of > >running,
then it's objective. A part broke, the Tool shutdown, > >quality is
crap, that's not subjective.> >> >TechWriters in my field document
the software that runs on these > >types of tools. If you go to a
fab, you'll see the type of tools I > >am taking about.> >> >BTW,
why don't you identify who you are? You act so sanctimonious > >yet
you hide behind a moniker. Have some cohones and tell us who you
are.> >> >> >Thank you,> >> >> >Gillian Flato> >Technical Writer
(Software)> >nanometrics> >1550 Buckeye Dr.> >Milpitas, CA.
95035> >(408.545.6316> >7 408.232.5911> >*
[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> >> >> >From: Technical Writer
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, > >October 19, 2007 9:37
AMTo: Flato, Gillian; > >[EMAIL PROTECTED]: RE:
radical revamping of techpubs> > And I know of a CEO who used to
either get there first, or let the > > wannabes struggle over the
crumbs. Name of Bill Gates. Quality is > > primarily a subjective
opinion; witness the 90+% of the population > > of the planet using
Windows, despite the occasional Blue Screen of > > Death, or
necessary re-booting orre-installing required. Similarly, > >
whether a product is crap or not is again an opinion, not an > >
objective evaluation that can applied in all cases. The Debian > >
flavor of Linux is considered "the best" by some, and "the
worst" > > by some. The opinions are subjective. Everyone TW wants
to believe > > that he or she is producing quality documentation
that creates a > > warm fuzzy in the user, and makes
customers-for-life of the company > > that produces whatever is
being documented. I simply suggest a > > reality check may be more
useful. If the TW is documenting > > software, perhaps he or she
should change fields to one with a > > slower pace of life (and
writing). The option is to accept the > > realities of the
marketplace, and how those influence and constrain > > the
production of technical documentation. In a world in which > >
dynamic onlne help files are rapidly replacing hard copy
documents, > > it seems more useful to focus on developing a skill
set that > > enables high-volume production of acceptable quality
content, > > rather than obsessing over trivial (to most users)
details of > > grammar, construction, or voice. In that direction
may lie the > > future of TW--get it written, get it online, and
concentrate on the > > Pareto principle of satisfying the needs of
the majority of users > > rather than obsessing over the subjective
opinions of the > > minority. < From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected]> > ...or
similar > > biggies realize that time-to-market is
everything, > > > > Time-to-market is not everything if you
sacrifice quality. If > > you're first on the market but your
product is crap, the fact that > > you were first on the market is
irrelevant. > > I know a CEO who > > got fired because all he cared
about is being first on the market > > but his products were crap
and failed often. Other company's that > > were slower to market but
turned out quality products, stole > > marketshare from that
company. The company almost went under until > > the board of
Directors wisely fired him and put a new CEO at the > > helm.> > >
-Gillian> >> >> >Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more!
Try Windows Live > >OneCare! Try now!> >> >Boo! Scare away worms,
viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live > >OneCare! Try
now!> >______________________________________________________________
___> >Climb to the top of the charts! Play Star Shuffle: the
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power.> >http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlma
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