The 7 Literacies of Transmedia Storytelling

dynodave

dynodave

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Found this interesting

does literacy on forums count?

While I have never been employed specifically as a "tech writer ", it was one of my early college courses, which I mentally review now and then.
This may be why I actually have so few posts, (2300/17 years) as I labor too much reviewing what I type. ie critical literacy
It causes me to often just delete what I have to say rather than post.
:confused:
 
dynodave said:
Found this interesting

does literacy on forums count?

While I have never been employed specifically as a "tech writer ", it was one of my early college courses, which I mentally review now and then.
This may be why I actually have so few posts, (2300/17 years) as I labor too much reviewing what I type. ie critical literacy
It causes me to often just delete what I have to say rather than post.
:confused:
Click to expand...
I do the same thing. I try to state my intended meaning clearly as I write a post, then I finish it and reread the whole post trying to reword any points that don't seem clearly stated. Much of the time I decide not to post because my point has already been made in another post (so I just click the like button) or I know the topic being discussed is a quagmire of opposing opinions and I'm better off not getting involved, or maybe I feel like my own post is too long winded and convoluted so the meaning is lost anyway.

Sometimes I go to the Zoo with a book and read it to the monkeys in the cages. I can't help by notice how the monkeys seem to like Dr. Seuss books more than Shakespeare,... It makes we wonder why I read to them at all...
 
o0norton0o said:
Sometimes I go to the Zoo with a book and read it to the monkeys in the cages. I can't help by notice how the monkeys seem to like Dr. Seuss books more than Shakespeare,... It makes we wonder why I read to them at all...
Click to expand...


Alas poor Lorax..I knew him well
 
Mike, G

Closer to the noble bard would be ...

Alas, poor Lorax! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.

If you're English it matters. A bit sad I know but so much of Shakespeare still runs through our language and lives.

No offence intended.

Andy
 
dynodave said:
Found this interesting

does literacy on forums count?

While I have never been employed specifically as a "tech writer ", it was one of my early college courses, which I mentally review now and then.
This may be why I actually have so few posts, (2300/17 years) as I labor too much reviewing what I type. ie critical literacy
It causes me to often just delete what I have to say rather than post.
:confused:
Click to expand...
The answer to the question 'does literacy on forms count?' is a resounding yes from me.
I know exactly what you mean by your post but please keep continuing to post dynodave.
Your knowledge and wisdom are appreciated.
Style, words and opinion are one thing but facts and data are another.
As CP Snow said in 1921 “Comment is free, but facts are sacred.”
Thanks
Andy
 
DevonNorton said:
Mike, G

Closer to the noble bard would be ...

Alas, poor Lorax! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.

If you're English it matters. A bit sad I know but so much of Shakespeare still runs through our language and lives.

No offence intended.

Andy
Click to expand...
None taken! Unfortunately most all of my knowledge of the him comes from cartoon shows and Mel Brooks movies. Not that they didn't try and expose us to it in school, but at age 14 or 15 lots of other stuff seemed so much more important. Perhaps I'll give it another shot now that my perspectives have matured.
 
I was actually employed as a tech. writer/ quality manager in later life. I can probably express myself fairly well. Most of the guys who post on this forum are quite literate. What probably inhibits a lot of people is fear of being ridiculed by their peer group. If those people had no ego, they would not have that fear. I once had a young engineer boss. His big fear was he might take part in a meeting and the guys under him might laugh at him, if he made a mistake. I said to him 'you are their boss, you have the power to sack them if they laugh'.'. Power is all in the mind. 'If you have a victim's mindset, you will be a victim' ? Leaders need to be consistent and confident. Confidence probably does not come from people telling you to be confident, it comes from experiencing difficulty and handling it.
Personally, when I work, I would rather lead women than men. Most women don't seem to have large egos and will tell you what they think. And most have the need to prove themselves competent, so they rarely hide when the spotlight shines on them. When I first started work, one of my bosses was a Thai bacteriol;ogist - she was really great. But she made me work too hard.
 
One of my bosses was in the Wehrmacht during WW2. He said to me ' what really makes me pee myself, is when I have to do public speaking'. These days I find I can stand in front of an audience at a moment's notice and deliver a half and hour lecture of bullshit on almost any subject. I learned to think on my feet - the hard way. There is probably no easy way, you learn by doing.
 
acotrel said:
I was actually employed as a tech. writer/ quality manager in later life. I can probably express myself fairly well. Most of the guys who post on this forum are quite literate. What probably inhibits a lot of people is fear of being ridiculed by their peer group. If those people had no ego, they would not have that fear. I once had a young engineer boss. His big fear was he might take part in a meeting and the guys under him might laugh at him, if he made a mistake. I said to him 'you are their boss, you have the power to sack them if they laugh'.'. Power is all in the mind. 'If you have a victim's mindset, you will be a victim' ? Leaders need to be consistent and confident. Confidence probably does not come from people telling you to be confident, it comes from experiencing difficulty and handling it.
Personally, when I work, I would rather lead women than men. Most women don't seem to have large egos and will tell you what they think. And most have the need to prove themselves competent, so they rarely hide when the spotlight shines on them. When I first started work, one of my bosses was a Thai bacteriol;ogist - she was really great. But she made me work too hard.
Click to expand...
acotrel

Your post reminded me of this quote from Norman Hyde (Triumph Development Engineer) about the great Doug Hele:

"Doug was incredibly focused and absolutely meticulous. He was also genuinely interested in the mechanics' opinions. He used to say: 'There are no bosses in a technical discussion.' All he ever wanted was to get things right."

I enjoyed being reminded. Thanks.

Andy
 
I strive to be eloquent and succinct when writing. You have to be aware of who your audience is, and I think most folks here are well educated. A big word or two once in a while is OK.

I did a lot of tech writing as a test engineer with an aerospace electronics company in the 80's. I once had to write a maintenance manual for an item that would be serviced by USAF technicians on the flight line (for the F-16). It got rejected three times because my grammar was too far above the average grade level.
 
maylar said:
I strive to be eloquent and succinct when writing. You have to be aware of who your audience is, and I think most folks here are well educated. A big word or two once in a while is OK.

I did a lot of tech writing as a test engineer with an aerospace electronics company in the 80's. I once had to write a maintenance manual for an item that would be serviced by USAF technicians on the flight line (for the F-16). It got rejected three times because my grammar was too far above the average grade level.
Click to expand...
Then you might appreciate the manuals that Consolidated put out for the B24 that feature a guy called Lester B. Boner. Hard to imagine the war department putting out something like this, but you gotta play to your audience.

 
Once worked on a project where my boss was getting increasing;y frustrated by the level of detail required in producing 'idiot-proof' process documents.
I quote, "We test them and the trouble is they keep finding a bigger idiot. I swear the next version will start, 'Breath in, breath out.'"
He was a good boss, under pressure but maintaining a sense of humour!
Andy
 
I had been enrolled in elementary school and was within 3 days of being held back since I was too young. I was always the youngest in all classes til I graduated from high school. Might have had an affect on me. I was alway shy or reserved. Public speaking forget it...But Once I got caught by the Nixon draft and did my overseas vietnam duty , I later volunteered to be an electronics instructor to try and overcome public speaking shyness. Instructor School taught me OK. Still in usaf as instructor, cars, bikes, college at night part time honda/british leyland dealer mechanic. "give me the toughest-hardest jobs the line mechanics don't want"....On occasion I made part time more money than the full time guys LOL, still in my 20's.
I really enjoy all kinds of technical pursuits. Maybe my teaching instinct is now what keeps me going here. Tech pursuits keep the info comming into the brain and teaching is the cranial pressure release valve.....where did I put that Molson Ice ? Did I mention I hate to type?!?! post reply or delete?
 
o0norton0o said:
I do the same thing. I try to state my intended meaning clearly as I write a post, then I finish it and reread the whole post trying to reword any points that don't seem clearly stated. Much of the time I decide not to post because my point has already been made in another post (so I just click the like button) or I know the topic being discussed is a quagmire of opposing opinions and I'm better off not getting involved, or maybe I feel like my own post is too long winded and convoluted so the meaning is lost anyway.

Sometimes I go to the Zoo with a book and read it to the monkeys in the cages. I can't help by notice how the monkeys seem to like Dr. Seuss books more than Shakespeare,... It makes we wonder why I read to them at all...
Click to expand...

I find myself doing the same thing, ie re reading my post and deciding against it for the same reasons, I don't like to admit it but I really don't like bad grammar and spelling (of course I know I make mistakes as well) I'd never even consider buying from an advert with glaring mistakes. I never had what you would call a good education but I often find myself asking how our country still manages to raise so many apparently useless individuals, is education to blame or are they just plain stupid ? On the visits I've had to lets say Holland, even the staff in Mc Donalds can speak three or four different languages, maybe striving is instilled in them at school, where it certainly wasn't in mine.
 
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A few years ago I was heavily involved in recruitment for a consulting firm. These were highly paid jobs for senior level engineering and management consultants. Some of the CV‘s were pathetic in terms of grammar and layout etc. Worse, some of the cover emails sent were just a few lines blurted out in text speak.

Made my job easier though as so many of them went straight into the ‘delete’ box !
 
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trident sam said:
I find myself doing the same thing, ie re reading my post and deciding against it for the same reasons, I don't like to admit it but I really don't like bad grammar and spelling (of course I know I make mistakes as well) I'd never even consider buying from an advert with glaring mistakes. I never had what you would call a good education but I often find myself asking how our country still manages to raise so many apparently useless individuals, is education to blame or are they just plain stupid ? On the visits I've had to lets say Holland, even the staff in Mc Donalds can speak three or four different languages, maybe striving is instilled in them at school, where it certainly wasn't in mine.
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I'd have put an apostrophe after: 'On the visits I've had to......' :-)
 
I think we're regressing. You only have to listen to national radio in the UK to hear consonants dropped, words abbreviated, etc.... (Oh, how I hate: 'Stats!!!')
Give it a few generations we'll be back to grunting...
 
EstuaryBoy said:
I'd have put an apostrophe after: 'On the visits I've had to......' :)
Click to expand...
You'll probably know of the mini section for pedantry in Private Eye magazine.
I think it started out as 'Pedants Corner'. This was followed by many contributions of correction including Pedants' Corner and at one time was even Ped'ants Corner.
They have now settled on Pedantry Corner.
Andy
(Not meaning you're a pedant EstuaryBoy. Btw which estuary? Chelmer?)
 
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