helen@zen.co.uk (Helen Grayson) (04/13/89)
I hope that posting to this newsgroup is not inappropriate. I am a fledgling technical writer. I produce User Manuals for a variety of computers, using LaTeX on an HP-something-or-other. My training to date has consisted of picking the brains of co-workers, none of whom is specifically engaged in manual writing. My employers would be willing to send me on (a) training course(s) for any aspect of my work, but I have no idea what might be available. I doubt they will consider Honolulu a viable location (I would!), so suggestions re relevant reading matter please. All suggestions (by e-mail) very welcome. Helen.
dmocsny@uceng.UC.EDU (daniel mocsny) (04/14/89)
In article <1564@zen.co.uk>, helen@zen.co.uk (Helen Grayson) writes:
[ what is good reading for tech writers? ]
Once again I give my highest possible recommendation to John Brogan,
_Clear Technical Writing_, McGraw-Hill, 1973. After I read Brogan and
worked through his exercises, I completely changed my writing style.
I now say things with fewer words and simpler sentences. I also find
my thoughts organizing themselves better.
I grow tired of plowing through the circumlocutions endemic to the
technical literature. I wish I had a "Brogan filter" to simplify
everything I have to read down to its essential factual content. (I
solidly believe that such a device could add billions of dollars to
the economy annually in the form of higher professional productivity.)
For ten years I had read and mindlessly imitated the technical
literature. I could take the simplest concept and render it
inaccessible to all but the most erudite and persistent. Reading
Brogan took me about a week of evenings. I suspect I may one day look
back at that week and find it to have been pivotal in my career.
Dan Mocsny
dmocsny@uceng.uc.edudhosek@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Donald Hosek) (04/16/89)
In article <1564@zen.co.uk> helen@zen.co.uk (Helen Grayson) writes: >I hope that posting to this newsgroup is not inappropriate. > >I am a fledgling technical writer. I produce User Manuals for a >variety of computers, using LaTeX on an HP-something-or-other. > >My training to date has consisted of picking the brains of co-workers, >none of whom is specifically engaged in manual writing. > >My employers would be willing to send me on (a) training course(s) >for any aspect of my work, but I have no idea what might be >available. > >I doubt they will consider Honolulu a viable location (I would!), >so suggestions re relevant reading matter please. > >All suggestions (by e-mail) very welcome. > >Helen. AHA! A chance to advertise! The TeX Users Group offers courses in LaTeX and TeX and Metafont and numerous other topics. These are somewhat pricey ($720 US less occasional discounts) but are usually outstanding in their content (at least the ones I teach are :-)). Also for that $720 there is roughly 40 hours of classroom time offered in a hands-on environment so students do get a lot out of it. Courses are not offered outside the U.S. very often, although if there were sufficient interest in the UK arrangements could be made to offer courses there on occasion (I would love a chance to see England myself). The address to write to for more information is TeX Users Group P.O.Box 9506 Providence, RI 02940-9506 or via e-mail write to TUG@MATH.AMS.COM (internet) -dh
toms@ncifcrf.gov (Tom Schneider) (04/17/89)
In article <870@uceng.UC.EDU> dmocsny@uceng.UC.EDU (daniel mocsny) writes
about John Brogan's book, and how he changed his style because of it (bravo!).
I've been enjoying Zinsser's recent books for the same reason:
@book{Zinsser1988,
author = "W. K. Zinsser",
title = "Writing To Learn",
publisher = "Harper \& Row, Publishers",
address = "New York.",
year = "1988",
callnumber = "PE1404.Z56"}
@book{Zinsser1985,
author = "W. K. Zinsser",
title = "On Writing Well",
publisher = "Harper \& Row, Publishers",
address = "New York.",
year = "1985",
callnumber = "PE1429.Z5",
isbn = "0-06-015409-8 (hard)",
isbn = "0-06-047397-5 (paper)"}
Tom Schneider
National Cancer Institute
Laboratory of Mathematical Biology
Frederick, Maryland
toms@ncifcrf.govjwi@lzfme.att.com (Jim Winer @ AT&T, Middletown, NJ) (04/18/89)
> In article <1564@zen.co.uk>, helen@zen.co.uk (Helen Grayson) writes: > [ what is good reading for tech writers? ] Just learn the 4 Cs and apply them ruthlessly: (In order of importance) 1. Correct 2. Complete 3. Clear 4. Concise Jim Winer ..!lzfme!jwi I believe in absolute freedom of the press. I believe that freedom of the press is the only protection we have from the abuses of power of the church, from the abuses of power of the state, from the abuses of power of the corporate body, and from the abuses of power of the press itself. Those persons who advocate censorship offend my religion.
flash@cs.qmc.ac.uk (Flash Sheridan) (04/28/89)
If you want concision, try George Orwell, "Politics & the English Language"; not many pages, five commandments, great even if you don't care about politics. Slightly longer is Strunk & E.B. White, _The Elements of Style_. -- From: flash@cs.qmc.ac.uk (Flash Sheridan) Reply-To: sheridan@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk Portal,MacNet: FlashsMom