On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 12:41 PM, McKown, John <[email protected] > wrote:
> I agree that in general conversation, a person needs to communicate to the > listener at the listener's level. But this is supposed to be, and on > occasion is, a technical forum. Granted, that does not mean use obscure > words that are not generally in use. But there does need to be some level of > assumption about the intelligence of the members. Again, not that we should > be deliberately confusing (as we sometimes are), but technical vocabulary is > required. This is not really a newbie forum. But newbies are welcome, if > they are willing to learn. And for most, Google is generally available and > can be used to look up words. Within those bounds, I agree that the purpose > of communication is to communicate. > > We also need to be sensitive to list members that use English as a second or third language. I completely agree with using clear and precise technical vocabulary as it relates to the hardware and software discussed on this list. I do not agree with respect to using uncommon words to connect the technical information. Just as good coding takes a lot of effort to make it as simple as possible while meeting requirements, good writing also takes effort to communicate concisely and in a manner accessible to the entire audience. Sam > -- > John McKown > Systems Engineer IV > IT > > Administrative Services Group > > HealthMarkets(r) > > 9151 Boulevard 26 * N. Richland Hills * TX 76010 > (817) 255-3225 phone * (817)-691-6183 cell > [email protected] * www.HealthMarkets.com > > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message may contain confidential or > proprietary information. If you are not the intended recipient, please > contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original > message. HealthMarkets(r) is the brand name for products underwritten and > issued by the insurance subsidiaries of HealthMarkets, Inc. -The Chesapeake > Life Insurance Company(r), Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of > TennesseeSM and The MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company.SM > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ted MacNEIL > > Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010 2:32 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: ATTACH > > > > >There's a lot to be said for vocabulary enhancement. > > > > Yes, but there is a lot to be said for communicating. > > > > >I'm tired of hearing that everything must be written for a > > 5th grade level > > >audience. > > > > There's a reason for that. Most people are lucky if they can > > read at that high > > of a level. > > > > >What ever happened to 'look it up'? > > > > That's fine in the classroom;difficult in real life. > > > > The whole purpose of communicating is to communicate! > > If your reader doesn't understand you, through the uses/abuse > > of large/obscure > > words or complex phraseology, it is not the reader's fault. > > It is the fault of the writer. > > > > And, using those big words to answer the OP, did not solve > > the problem. > > The calling of him naive was also insulting. > > Just because somebody is a novice, is no reason to talk down to him. > > If I had answers, I would have responded. > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > > send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO > > Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO > Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
