> that's about it. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff I've heard 
> in meetings. And they all like to make you think they know what
they're 
> talking  about.

jargon: it makes you sound so technical!

Yep - and you wouldn't believe the fight "we" have to keep it out of our
site in my new career. Every time we deal with anyone outside our little
group, they try to push jargon in, from our own PR man to the government
groups, real estate groups, lawyer, notaries, programmers - everyone. We
is a stubborn, ornery, cantankerous four, we is.

> > Which comes as absolutely no surprise to anyone who has ever read 
> a software manual or encountered an error message.  Or twelve.  
> 
> 
> Actually... while I'd agree the industry has a problem with 
> treknospeak, the
> manuals packaged with users in mind are generally quite good. I wish 

that's because they did copious studies in the 80s and realized that
just
might be IMPORTANT and contracted said out to real writers. Not
universally, but the big Corps did.

But unfortunately, haven't even yet (after all this time!) tried to make
"help" (on Microsoft computers, anyway - can't speak about any other)
that actually makes any sense, gives any help, or even addresses the
question asked, much less in an intelligible way. 

> they'd
> put the same people to writing the manuals intended for other people
in 
> the  field - those are rather nasty and complicated. 

written by Engineers who live by the credo:
        Real Engineers only code executables
        Real Engineers know documentation isn't executable

It took placing the managerial gun to their head to render anything, let
alone anything usable.
More Engineers were forced into a change of code when faced with the
argument: Sure! Makes sense to you. But are we bundling YOU in every
box?
                oh.

[They got their own back -- threatened to bundle me in every box as the
thesaurus. I think that came from the extant vs existence argument (e.g.
simply my point that extant is a perfectly good word, and I won't stop
using it). [Who, me, stubborn?] [[...and curbludgeonly, too!]]

> At least the stuff I've seen  is.

Oh, I shouldn't wonder. Especially in your line, where general users
never even SEE the picture....

That's one of them main things we're slaving over. The documentation has
to be understandable, recognizable, and the instructions have to make
sense to people who speak and read English. We have one field where we
send comments to each other that will never be seen by anyone but us,
then we have "help" buttons on each screen that open up instructions
about that screen that it's my responsibility to write.

Considering that I've been frustrated to tears over the incomprehensible
"help" messages from Microsoft I'm taking this *very* seriously. Someone
who has never seen this before must be able to figure out how to use it.
Someone who has English as a second or third language must be able to
understand the instructions. Someone who has only ever done conveyance
on paper, and has never tried to do anything online must be able to
follow the procedure. Challenge doesn't even come into it!!

Remember when I had this idea that I was going to be able to spend this
summer writing? Well, you know, I meant writing fiction. I am writing,
and supporting myself quite well doing so, but I haven't even been able
to look at my fiction since April. I'm working 10, 12, 14 hour days, and
through the weekends. No time. I've actually hired someone to keep my
lawn mowed!! (That's a first for me.) No time - but there is money.

Despite how hard I'm working, and the pressures of the deadlines, I feel
as if I'm on holiday. Every day that I'm slaving away, I look up from my
desk and I'm looking at roses blooming over my windows. Windows that can
open. Fresh, rose/lilac/rosemary/pine/new mown grass scented air. I
can't believe I'm earning a living like this!! For the first time in my
life, if I won the lottery, quitting work would not be the first thing
I'd do. (Maybe after *this* project is finished - but maybe I'd stay
associated with the group so that I could be part of other projects,
too.)

> > Veloci--just as befogged as before--raptor
> 
> sometimes a good thing to be 

But when there's something you must get done, the computer refuses to do
it, and when you click on "help" to find out why it won't do it, and no
matter how many ways you re-word and re-enter and re-think your query
you get no help, there's nothing good about it. 

Laurie would love to evict Microsoft insiders from their ivory towers
Phoenix 


--- Rachel's Little NET2FIDO Gate v 0.9.9.8 Alpha