Individual Post #2- 2nd Interview

For this assignment, I interviewed Dr. Ramirez from Seneca, South Carolina. He said that out of all the communication he takes part in day to day, the most important is his communication with his patients. He said often times people come in for their visit, sit down, and tell him an entire story, and he has to pick out only the important parts. Sometimes, depending on the story, he said this could be the most difficult part, also. As far as technical writing, he said he doesn't really do many write-ups at his level, other than what he writes for other doctors' knowledge. Dr. Ramirez said the best preparation for the communication in his field is on-site experience. He claims that in order to understand how to most effectively communicate with patients and other doctors, experience is necessary.

2nd Post: Follow Up Interview

As a follow up interview, I asked Michael Wald, the Head Pharmacist of CVS/Pharmacy more questions furthering my knowledge of the uses of technical writing within the field of PrePharmacy.  I asked Dr. Wald about how many technical writing or communication related classes he had taken in his academic career and if he felt they were useful.  He said probably 4-5 and that he definately felt anything that could strengthen one's communication skills was a plus for the job.  I also asked Dr. Wald what kinds of writing/communication are most important within Pharmacy and he said basically a knowledge of accuracy, while supplying as little information about a patient as possible (due to HIPPA laws) was crutial.  Basically, an art of being accurate and to the point could determine how many prescriptions are able to be filled.  He said communicating with insurance agencies, everyday people, an occasional pharmaceutical representatives was part of his job.  He said keeping accurate records/writings were not as important as verbal communication because Pharmacy Tech Managers keep more of the writing/records part of the pharmacy.  

Individual Post #2 - Interview

For this post I interviewed my supervisor from TCNA. He said that the most important kind of writing in his profession is writing reports. He said that it is very important that he and his co-workers be able to clearly and concisely describe experiments and their results. Reporting data is almost the only type of writing that he has to do, other than writing e-mails.

He said that a person starting out in his line of work (ceramics testing) needed to have good laboratory technique, which could best be learned in college and/or high schools laboratories. In addition, they needed to be prepared for writing reports about experiments and their results. He said that the best preparations for working in his laboratory were college classes and hands-on experience (including internships).

3rd Indiv Post- Comments on Jack Johnston’s Individual post, Jack and Alan’s collaborative post, and Cathie and Emma’s collaborative post

Jacks Individual Post

1st Reading- I agree with Jack, but I would add that the article not only stressed how technical writing could be important in a job with a rapidly change in technology, but in fact all jobs.

2nd Reading- From the article, I did not get the impression that they deal “a lot” with instruction manuals, although I agree they definitely write them. I think that they deal with the manuals as much as they do anything else.

4th Reading- I like the point he brought up about “A confused audience is just as good as no audience.” I think that this is a very interesting and good point. If your audience cannot understand what you are saying, why are they sitting there wasting your time and theirs?

Overall, I enjoyed his views on the reading and found them helpful.

Jack and Alan’s Collaborative Post

When they say the “easiest form possible,” I believe this point could be expanded upon and some examples given. I think that this does not necessarily mean word form, but graphs, charts and pictures in general but I am not sure from this particular phrasing. I have done a few power point slides for my work in which I had one slide of bullet points and about 20-25 slides of pictures and I was told “you have too many words in the power point. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Jack and Alan make an excellent point in saying, “The difference in proper and improper technical writing could be the difference in the saving of a life and the unexpected loss of life.” I had said it before, but I have seen videos of bridges falling apart and satellites falling to earth due to improper technical writing and communication.

Great collaborative post.

Cathie and Emma’s Collaborative Post

In this post, Cathie and Emma say that the article may contain “subject specific jargon,” which could be true, but I would also add that the writer must be careful of his audience if he uses jargon specific to the subject. For instance, the author could be referring to a machine that non-technical people work on, but his / her audience is a group of engineers. The author could certainly use jargon specific to the machine and be completely correct in doing so; however, this could potentially be problematic should audience of engineers not know the operators’ terms and word usage.

Cathie and Emma also say that “its purpose is to convey, thoroughly but briefly, exact information and/or instructions.” I completely agree with this sentence because in many articles, authors talk about how important it is to be brief and concise in technical writing.

Another great post.

"Collaborative" Post #1- David Floyd

This was supposed to be a collaborative post, but being the only one left to post, I flew solo on this one...
Tech writing defined:

Technical writing is an attempt to capture technology or a process and being able to put it into a format that others can view and understand at a later time. Visual tools such as pictures and graphs are usually more efficient than a chart is, as a chart has to be read but a graph can be quickly understood by simply observing it. One must know the audience to whom one is writing, and one must be able to write in such a way that the particular audience will be able to understand the writers’ subject matter. The writer must clearly and quickly make his / her point so that valuable time is not wasted struggling through unnecessarily burdensome language. One should also be very specific and avoid speaking too vaguely, as using generalized language is not precise and, therefore, least likely to provide the audience with an opportunity to fully understand the authors’ topic.

Picture of me

My name is Emma Borders

• - I am from Rock Hill, SC
• - I have a pet cat named Smokey
• - I love reading
  

Post #2

I interviewed my supervisor, a Ceramic and Materials Engineer at the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) about the types of communication and writing that he has to do for his job. He said that most of the communication he has to do is through writing, and that all of the engineers who work at TCNA are expected to prepare written reports of experiments, as well as articles to be published in scholarly journals. The verbal communication within his job includes conversation between employees, and occasionally verbal reports that serve the same purpose as the written reports of experiments. Overall, the written communication is more important and more commonly used, although verbal communication is important in the day-to-day functioning of the laboratory.

A Comparison of the Three Articles

Article #1 – from STC – “A Career in Technical Writing: What’s in It for You”
This was mostly a description of the field of technical writing. It stated the indispensability of technical writing in today’s high-tech world, that technical writing involves many medium (writing, videos, films, Power Point presentations, web sites, surveys, and the results of studies). A technical writer acts as an advocate and source of information regarding the cause and purposes of his employer and to ensure that the product, instructions and recommendations are understandable to the general public. He must translate information from experts in other fields into language comprehendible to the layperson and know how to present information in various appropriate media. The essence of this article was that proficiency in technical writing will make one “a more valuable employee and a more marketable job candidate”.

Article # 2 – from US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics – “Writers and Editors”
This article described the characteristics of writing as an occupation. It distinguished between writers and authors (fiction and nonfiction), copy writers, technical writers, and editors. It stated job opportunities and prospects, and earnings potential in the various writing fields. I found this article to be interesting and informative, but contained few points applicable to me.

Article # 3 –from Smart Biz – “10 Ways to Improve Your Technical Writing”
This was, by far, the most useful article for me. It gave practicable advice, with examples, of how to write a technical article or report, rather than the qualifications of or prospects for a career in the field. I quote from the article the ten technical writing “tips”
1) Know your reader/audience
2) Write in clear, simple, conversational style
3) Be concise and avoid redundancies
4) Be consistent, e.g.: numbers, hyphens, units of measure, punctuation, grammar, capitalization, technical terms and abbreviations.
5) Use jargon sparingly
6) Avoid big words
7) Prefer the specific to the general
8) Break the writing up into short sections
9) Use visuals, e.g.: photos, maps, graphs, charts, etc.
10) Use the active voice
I intend to keep the above list handy throughout the remainder of this course and, probably for the rest of my life.abxsci

Post #2 - Interview Results

For my research, I interviewed Molly Kennedy, a current Ceramic and Materials Engineer and the current professor for CME 210. Dr. Kennedy informed me that she does a considerable amount of technical writing ranging from trade journals down to student e-mails. She writes in trade journals that update the general public on new innovations and movements that are occurring in the world of Materials Science and Engineering. She also writes for research journals that has a small audience of engineers. These journals also assist her writing literature reports. There is a broad audience for her technical writing. The trade journals can have audiences of about 10,000 scientists and students while the research journals have an audience of 25 engineers. She stresses the importance of professionalism in technical writing in her field. In order for an engineer to be successful in technical writing, he or she must write in a mature and professional manner.

Collaborative Post #1 - Emma Borders and Cathie Jackson

Collaborative Post #1 - Emma Borders and Cathie Jackson

Technical writing is a form of written communication that is concise and subject-specific, and which may contain subject-specific jargon. The information contained in technical writing is tailored to the audience, ranging from extremely technical language and data amongst professionals to more basic concepts aimed at the layperson. It often includes visual forms of communication such as photos, tables, charts, graphs, or maps. Its purpose is to convey, thoroughly but briefly, exact information and/or instructions.

Amy, Emma, and Jenna's Collaborative Post: "Technical Writing" Defined

Based upon our inquiries (including collaborating our interviews, the class's discussion, and the readings for this week, we have successfully defined "technical writing." However, in order to define the term “technical writing” both terms needed to be defined individually.

"Technical" is something precise and accurate. "Writing" is a means of expression and communication. Put these words together, and our definition of “technical writing” is an accurate and precise way of communication.

After collaborating interviews from Emma, Jenna's family doctor, and Amy's Pharmacist, this definition seemed to be fairly consistent. Technical writing is very much intertwined to all job descriptions, because no matter what you do, you have to effectively communicate with others.

In some cases the communication plays a more crucial role, but in all, technical writing serves as the purpose to communicate effectively to others. Whether it be in a “how-to” handbook, a journalist’s report, a scientist’s lab report on your research, or a doctor’s report of a patient’s visit, technical writing plays a crucial role in our society today.

Collaborative Post #1 - Jack Johnston & Alan DuPree

Technical writing is a form of writing that communicates an idea in
the easiest form possible. This means that it doesn’t confuse the
audience with big words or lots of jargon. The writing is simple and
to the point. Whether you are an engineer trying to communicate to the
general public, or a doctor trying to refer a patient to a specialist,
technical writing is a technique that will always be needed. Examples
of technical writing can be found in many forms such as instruction
manuals, reports, business letters, etc. It is important that technical writing be concise and extremely accurate. The difference in proper and improper technical writing could be the difference in the saving of a life and the unexpected loss of life. Technical writing is
everywhere, whether it is in a cell phone instruction manual or even
the directions you hear when you move through an over the phone
options menu. A Technical communicator uses technical writing in
their career. There is a growing demand for technical writers in
today’s age. As technology advances, so will this need for technical
writers.

Comments on Interviews

Amy's interview with Michael Wald.

Amy said that communication was a key to a good staff. Dr. Broker also stressed this in my interview. I think that creating a good working environment start with good communication. Also she said that illegible prescriptions cause the wrong pills to be purchased. This is where technical writing can be a very serious component at work.

Jenna's interview with Dr. April Ross.

Her doctor said that questions were a very important part of communication in her field. This is very important in correctly diagnosing the patient. Also, she said that communicating with the patient to tell them what is wrong with them and the steps to getting better. If there is any failure in this communication, the patient might stay sick or think something else is wrong with him or her.

Cathie's interview with Brice McKoy

Cathie is in a completely different field that I am. It was interesting to see how technical writing effects other people's fields. In her interview, Brice said that government agency communication with the public is the most common form in this field. Also, the communication in this field is very technical and includes a lot of jargon. This is why technical writing is so important in bring the technical terms of the government down to layman's terms that the general public can understand. 

Individual Post 1 - 5/27

1st Article – The first article to me explained the importance of effective technical writing and communication. It reiterated the teacher’s point about effective technical communication being important to those who plan in the field of science, engineering, or any other profession that requires a good bit of technological knowledge. In my field, lab reports are extremely important because they give a precise analysis on the properties of a specific material. This article expanded my knowledge on how proper technical communication could possibly result in a more productive work environment.

2nd Article – I found the second article to be extremely interesting because it thoroughly explains the different kinds of writers. Originally, I had no idea that editors, authors, and technical writers had different writing styles. The main difference between authors, editors, and technical writers is their audience. Editors and authors have a similar audience in which they are writing for the general public. This general public could consist of consumers, children, and other hobbyists. Technical writers write for an audience with the same general technological knowledge. Technical writers also write strictly non-fictional writing, whereas authors and editors could possibly write fiction or non-fiction.

3rd Article – Did not work

4th Article – This article seemed to be the most helpful because it gave tips on how someone could improve their technical writing. The most useful tip that I found was the one on length. The important thing to understand about technical writing is the audience may be as busy as or even busier than the writer and the writer must take that into account. An engineer that has been working all day is not going to want to read a ten page report. It is important that all of the major points be expressed but they must be expressed in a time efficient manner.

My apologies . . .

. . . for the broken link. Because of our tight schedule, I think we'll just continue on without it.

3rd Weblog Post

I will be responding to David, Cathie, and Amy's posts.

David's interview was very informative about the different types of technical writing used in the field of Mechanical Engineering. His interviewee also describes the importance of different types of technical writing in his field, which is useful. The most surprising part of this interview was the stress that was placed on tailoring the writing to the audience. That in itself is not really surprising, but it was surprising that the most difficult part of technical writing might be putting the message into terms that people unused to certain jargon can understand.

Cathie's interviewee, Brice McKoy, also stressed the importance of writing to the audience. This interview was informative on how technical writing is used in the military. By comparing David and Cathie's interviews, differences between the use of technical writing for civilian and military applications. While both must write with the audience in mind, military and government officials must also be sure that all documents are legal and follow strict format guidelines. The importance of technical writing as a means of communication between the government and its citizens surprised me, but only because I had never really thought of it that way before.

Amy's interview with Michael Wald provides some insight into the use of technical writing in a non-engineering occupation. It appears that a pharmacist does not use technical writing as much as an engineer usually does, but communication is still important within the work environment. Written communication is important to a pharmacist, and in it important that it be legible and correct. The most surprising thing about this interview was the fact the the interviewee said that communication and writing "make his job fun and effortless." This is a different view of technical writing than the other interviewees, who emphasized the difficulties of correct technical writing.

1st Weblog Post

To me, the word "technical" means "pertaining to science," and usually involves jargon used in science and engineering occupations. "Writing" basically means "written communication," so "technical writing" would be written documents that contain subject-specific jargon and pertain to a scientific subject. I have always thought of technical writing in the way described above, although after looking up different definitions I am aware that technical writing also includes written instructions on non-scientific subjects, and writing on art and other subjects. My personal definition is very similar to the meaning of "technical writing" within my field, which means Ceramic and Materials Engineering.

Comparing the 4 Readings.

The 1st reading was about technical communication. It described the importance of technical communication in the current workforce. It is everywhere. This article stresses how mastering technical communication can be beneficial to anyone who plans on going into a job that involves the rapid growth in technology. Technical Communicators are important in my career choice. They provide the materials that make patients fell safer. The commercials that doctors use to advertise new age equipment and also, the equipment itself.

The 2nd reading described technical writers and the education needed to be a technical writer. It said that there was a difference between technical writers, copy writers, and authors. Technical writers make there writings simple, easy, and understandable. They deal a lot with instruction manuals. In comparison to the 1st reading it was more difficult to read because of the structure of the content. It would have been better to keep in simple and sweet, more like the 1st one. This really didn't relate to my field. It just gave me a better understanding of the difference between writers and technical writers. 

The 3rd reading Could not open. But I'm sure it was a lovely article.

The 4th reading was about ways to improve technical writing. It stresses 10 points. This article was extremely beneficial. Consistency is one thing that is very important. THe research is half the work, while the other half is presenting it in a fashion that makes the research valuable. Also, another main point is to avoid big words and jargon. Big words and excessive jargon can confuse your audience. A confused audience is just as good as no audience. This article shows the proper techniques need to effectively communicate with people in my career. All these techniques can relate and be beneficial to my future career. This was very different and represented technical writing more than the rest. Every suggestion it gave i felt like it did in the writing. I feel that a technical communicator wrote this article.

Individual Post on 4 Articles

After comparing the four readings, I felt that many themes within the articles were interrelated.  Each stressed good points about technical writing - by giving tips, facts about jobs, or stressing how useful technical writing is in the real world.  In my field, PrePharmacy, I feel that technical writing is extremely common and apparent.  Daily examples are dosages on prescriptions; they must be written in a technical, precise way so anyone can easily understand what is written.  

Article 1: "A Career in Technical Communication: What's In It for You?" This article helped show that technical communication is a very broad skill that can be used in just about every field.  It also shinned a light on how there will always be a need for technical communicators, because technology is a vastly growing field.  

Article 2: "US Department of Labor" This reading stressed the facts about employment and earnings within job related fields.  One thing the article pointed out that doesn't usually come to mind when I think of technical writing is that technical writers also edit illustrations, photos, diagrams and charts.  This is important especially in engineering and design specifications, probably as well as in advertising.  Writers and Editors depend on each other for their work to be as well done as possible, for example. 

Article 3: Didn't work.

Article 4: "Ten Ways to Improve Your Technical Writing" This selection talked about how good communication and well written technical writing can be successful. My favorite tip was keep it simple. "Write to express - not to impress."  This seems like something I need to remember; often times I forget that a conversational style can add more clarity to my work than a cluttered "trying-too-hard" style in which I often end up turning to. 

ABOUT ME

I like Soccer

I just turned 20.

I have lived in Greenville whole life.

Individual Post#1 - Compare Readings

The first reading, STC's "A Career in Technical Communication" focuses on the traits that are needed to be a successful technical writer (such as logic and creativity), and the wide range of employment opportunities open to technical writers. It seems to be geared toward persuading readers to considering a career in technical writing.

The second reading, "Department of Labor," is about writers, technical writers, and editors and describes the purposes of different types of writers and editors. Unlike the first reading, it does not seem to be written persuasively; it just states various facts about writers and editors. It describes the type of education needed to become a technical writer and lists various industries that employ technical writers. It also gives an estimate of the expected earnings for technical writers.

The fourth article, "Improving your Technical Writing" does not describe employment possibilities or salaries for technical writers, unlike the first two articles. It focuses on ways to improve your technical writing, with bulleted tips and examples when necessary. All of the tips are very practical, and clearly communicated.

The fourth article would be the most useful for my intended field, because I intend to be employed as a Ceramic and Materials Engineer, and not as a technical writer. Technical writing would just be one aspect of my job, so most of the information in the first two readings would not apply to me at all. The fourth article focuses only on improving technical writing skills, so it WOULD be useful to me. The most useful information given in the first article would be it's description of technical writing as using both the left and right sides of the brain to express technical subject matter in an interesting and understandable way. The second article have few points that apply to me, but the one that applies most directly to me is the statement that engineers use technical writing to write up laboratory results.

*Links to the third article did not work

Real Post #2: Interview

My family doctor couldn't be reached yesterday or today, so i decided to interview a family friend that is a family practitioner at a local clinic. Dr. Broker. 

He told me that there are several types of writing and communication that he encounters on a daily basis. He first stress that the main communication that he had was with his patients. Developing a friendly but professional relationship was needed in all cases. He said that he likes joking around with the children. I made a joke that he was like patch adams, and he agreed to some extent. If the relationship between the patient and the doctor isn't right the patient could be left with doubt on some issues discussed with him or may not trust in discussing other important heath issues due to lack of security from the relationship. 

Also the communication with his nurses was another point he stressed. When people come to work they want to enjoy their job as much as possible. He said that the communication between the nurses and the doctors is a main factor in the environment in the doctor's offices. 

Next I asked him what kind of writing he did in his profession. He listed of several forms. Stating prescriptions weren't the only things doctors have to do, referrals, prescriptions, report on the patient, many different types of forms. He said the smallest mistake can be very detrimental and that he takes a time in making sure everything is done right. 

Interview

My interview was with my family doctor, Dr. April Ross, since I hope to go into the field of medicine. Dr. Ross is a Physician's Assistant at Upstate Medical Associates. She says that communication is very important daily because the majority of her job is to sit down with the patients and find out what is wrong. She has to be very specific to ask certain questions in order to receive the answers she needs to properly diagnose her patients, and she has to be very specific when explaining to the patient what is wrong with him/her and how to get better. Since her patients are of a wide variety, it is very important to know how to communicate effectively with each one. She also has to write up everybody's visit for records, which is another important (and time consuming) part of her job. Also communication is important when the pharmaceutical sale's reps come and pitch the new medicines or equipment to the doctors in order to purchase what is needed in the office. She mentioned the importance of clarifying what the patient's needs are when referring them to other physicians, too.

Responses to the 4 Reading Assignments

The STC Reading was about technical communicators and all of the different fields they work in. The article described technical communicators as having the “best of both worlds” because they interpret the information logically, then find a way to portray the information to others creatively. The technical communicators are found in every field, and they have a variety of skills. One of the important skills they require is the ability to know how to reach their audience. It is one of the fastest growing professions. Relating to technical writing in the field of medicine, I think one of the most important points is how to reach the audience. A doctor needs to be able to explain a lot of complicated information to his/her patient in very simple terms.

The Writers and Editors article was about the specific jobs of writers of all kinds (including technical) and their editors. Since this was mainly about authors and novelists and handbook writers (the technical writers) I didn’t see much relation, except for the fact that when doctors use new equipment, they have to be shown how to use the equipment properly. Therefore, the technical communicators would need to show the doctors effectively the proper use of the new technology.

The 3^rd article wouldn’t pull up on my computer due to a “problem loading the page.”

The 4^th article on ways to improve your technical writing is a very important article I think anybody should read if they have to accomplish any technical writing. A lot of times when I go to the doctor, and they explain their procedure or what the problem I have is, they will use a lot of words I don’t understand, and I am a biological science major! So I think a couple of pointers (to keep it simple, know your audience, use conversational tone, avoid big words, etc) were very important for the doctors to pick up on, so that they have better communication with their patients.

Post 2 (again without confusion!) Responses to Interviews:

Due to some complications with my textbook, and misunderstandings, I haven’t turned in my posts on time (actually, I turned in a post 2, but it wasn't about the right topic!) But in hopes to just get a deduction for being “late” since I believe all assignments were postponed to yesterday and Sunday, I will continue to complete them.

Comments on Cathie Jackson’s interview:

I thought this was a very interested blog. The fact that the communication importance is at such a high level being between the government and the people sends home the fact that communication is very important in today’s world. As far as translation goes of the information, I think this is very interesting. A lot of people believe information constantly gets left out in translation, and it is very important to try to include all the necessary information with respectful means to the public. Since the public is a wide variety of people, this is a very difficult and precise procedure. I also agree with the importance of knowing the format for a business letter considering everybody will have to interact with businesses throughout life, and emails have become very, very integrated into part of daily interaction (take this class for example!).

Comments on Amy’s interview with Michael Wald:

(PS- I know a Michael Wald that might have been prePharmacy- did he go to Seneca?)

I thought that it was funny how he brought up that writing is very important in his field, and that sometimes a misunderstanding in writing can be a big problem when dealing with prescriptions! – I can only imagine the problems that could cause! – I agree with good communication skills helping the job environment better, and this can been seen in all job environments!

Comments on Alan’s interview:

I agree that the precise detail of an engineering’s communication and technical writing is very important. One of my friends is a contractor, and with an engineers slight miscalculation, as small as 1/8^th of an inch even, a whole house will not fit together. I think this shows how communication is important in all aspects of every career.

These three interviews, covering a wide variety of jobs, show that communication, and specifics of technical writing, are very important in all work fields.

About ME continued

I play the guitar.

I can cook.

I can sing.

About Me

Name: Alan Joshua DuPree

Fact 1 - I like to have fun.

Fact 2 - I am a really uptight person.

Fact 3 - I skipped a grade in Elementary School.

Image hosting

Here are some places you can host your images.

http://imageshack.us/

http://photobucket.com/

http://tinypic.com/

http://www.imagecross.com/

http://www.blinkyou.com/

Of these, I've only used photobucket for my own pictures, but I've viewed pictures from the others. After you upload your image, right click on it (where it is hosted) and select "properties" and then image location. Use that url to put your picture in, using the picture button above.

Hope that helps :-)

T. F.

Comparing the four readings

The first reading, STC's "A Career in Technical Communication" , talks about every type of career involved in technical writing. It also discusses a point I made about having to take an engineering document and transform it into something that non-technical people can understand. It is more of a persuasive document to let people know how interesting technical writing can be.

The second reading, Department of Labor, talks about the differences between a writer, an editor and a technical writer. It talks about how technical writers have the advantage in a technology advancing world. This article, like the first one, talks about how the technical writer must translate a technical document into one that non-technical people can understand, such as an online help document, manuals or many other similar documents.

The third reading, What is Technical Communication?, does not work.

The fourth reading, Improving your Technical Writing , talks more about how to improve your technical writing while the other articles talked about the skills and opportunities that are within the field. I would say that this document is the most helpful if one was looking to improve their writing. If one wanted to know what technical writing was all about, they should read the other articles. This article makes the point of keeping things "short and sweet.” The article also makes the point that I mentioned about the importance of writing to your reader. For example, if engineers comprise most of your audience, then one could use engineering terms and probably make the paper shorter; however, if your audience is comprised of people with a non-technical background, things might have to be worded differently and explained further.

About Me

My name is Cathie Jackson

I rode and trained racehorses for 25 years

I am a Wildlife & Fisheries Biology major

I love to play golf

David Floyd

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm35/dtfloyd/DFloyd.jpg


1. I am from Columbia, SC.

2. This is my 3rd co-op term with KEMET

3. I was the super heavyweight champion of South Carolina in boxing.

GET TO KNOW AMY J.

I want to be a Pharmacist.

I am going to Greece in four weeks.

I have blue eyes.

Post #3

I will be commenting on cathie, alan, and david's posts:

Cathie, I agree with David in saying that it does seem bizarre that documents need to be "translated" for the general public to understand them (kind of an insult and waste of time?!).  For Alan's post, I agree that it also seems apparent that good communication is a must or melting of metal (as the example he has given) could easily give rise to disaster.  For David, I am also in agreement that comprehension of the audience is important. Also, jenna thanks for saying you got the book for about 30!

Post #3 Comments on other's interview's

I will comment on Cathie's interview first. I find it interesting that the most important correspondence be between a government agency and the public and not between two agencies. I also find it rather funny that the documents have to be “translated” for the general public to understand them, as I know this takes extra time and effort.

I will now comment on Amy’s interview. My parents are in the medical field, so I have seen how horrible the handwriting can be. I have heard many pharmacists have to get a nurse that knows the doctor to try to comprehend what he/she has written on the pad; however, that nurse sometimes has to go to someone else or even to the doctor himself/herself to know what the doctor has written. I can see where this adds to much wasted time and how important that kind of communication can be.

I will also comment on Alan’s post. I agree with what he posted as far as information having to be exact and correct. I have seen many videos and heard many stories of bridges collapsing, structures falling over and other horrible accidents because of bad communication.

Post # 3

In response to David's interview, I appreciate the suggestion to consider the level of comprehension of the audience. Jack's mention of lab reports and research papers struck a chord with me, also. Plenty of both to be done in anyone's college career! Like Amy, I, too, am somewhat confused in re: the blog guidelines, especially since I have never attempted to blog until now. I ordered my textbook from Amazon.com as I am 3 hrs. from campus. I am hoping it comes in Monday's mail.

Interview Blog

Identify and interview a professional in your chosen field about what kind of writing and communication he or she does. (This interview can take place in person, via telephone, or via the electronic medium of your choice.)

I interviewed Michael Wald, a pharmacist at CVS/Pharmacy whom is in my field of PrePharmacy.

I specifically inquired about what kind of communication or writing he does on a daily basis. He said that communication is key and having a good staff that exemplifies good communication skills helps make his job fun and effortless.

I interviewed Michael first hand in person on Saturday May 24, 2008 during the afternoon while at CVS/Pharmacy. It was also interesting that he said writing is important and sometimes the prescriber's handwriting interferes with correct prescription assumptions. Therefore, writing and communicating is more than important to his work and to the future career I have chosen as well.

cathiejac
Sunday, May 25, 2008

Post # 2
I interviewed Brice McKoy, Branch Chief, NW Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Division. He informed me that 90% of his communications were with other related agencys requiring specialized technical knowlege and written in formal format using specific technical terms and verbage. The most important correspondence, he noted, are those between government agencys and the public. This type requires technical information to be "translated" into layman's terms which are both understandable and informative and used in outreach, events and speaking engagements or public presentations. At all times, the correspondence must be written so as to stand up to legal scrutiny, especially in the case of official reports, documentation and advisory responses and recommendations.Regarding beneficial preparation, Mr. McKoy recommended learning to solidify in a concise manner the desired action or outcome of the communication. He advised learning the proper format for a business letter, proficiency in the use of Power Point and the use of e-mail (which he said was important for internal, i.e.: "in-house", communication and for efficient time management.
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cathiejac
Sunday, May 25, 2008

Post # 1
As per Webster's dictionary:technical - of, relating to,or derived from technique or technology; of, or using technical knowlege; specializedwriting - to create and put down on paper; to communicate by writing; to send a communicationAs pertains to my profession, which is Wildlife Biology, "technical writing" would refer to the combination of all of the above definitions. A biologist will need to be able to document specialized data collected, communicate with other professionals using technical knowlege and proper verbage thereof, and be able to translate technical and specific information in such a way as to be understandable to the layperson.
Posted by cathie jackson at 7:06 PM
Labels: ENGL - 314 Cojacks

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Post # 2
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About Me
cathie jackson View my complete profile

Alan DuPree - Intro./Tech. Writing/Interview Response

Hello everyone. I did not realize that there were two posts due already so I will just start by introducing myself. My name is Alan DuPree, but most people call me A.J. I am a junior Ceramic and Materials Engineering major from Sumter, South Carolina. I have one sister who was recently married and unfortunately no dogs or cats.

Technical writing to me simply means the communication of ideas using “technical” terms and ideas. I believe technical to mean difficult for the average person to understand and writing is simply non-verbal communication. I guess technical could also mean punctual or maybe methodical.

I thoroughly believe that technical writing is extremely important in my major with me being an engineering major. Engineering requires that communication be exact and correct because serious error can result from improper communication. In Ceramic and Materials Engineering, improper communication could result in the premature melting or corroding of a metal that could possibly lead to the destruction of a building.

In reading David’s post, I found it very interesting how “technical writing” could mean more than actually writing something down. He pointed out that it could possibly be the showing of a chart or graph, but as long as the message or point got across, it would be effective.

Question on Post #2/#3

Dr. Fishman,

On your website, under week #1, you have assigned post #2 as due on Sunday, but there is not a description of this post under week #1, other than the quick blurb about "interview[ing] someone in [our] profession." Is week # 2's "Post 2" this second post that is due this Sunday? If the interview is not due until next week, then do we just comment on the others' posts about technical writing (even though post #3 asks "What surprised you the most about your fellow students interviews")?

Thanks

Second Post: about me

I guess I will follow in suite with Jenna on my second blog post. I'm not really sure what the  guidelines are that we are supposed to use for this second post, so ill just kind of introduce myself.

I am from Greenville, SC.

Biological Science Major

Junior 

Some interesting things about me would be:

Just started a company. Sleep College Comfort, LLC.

I have a twin brother. And two other brothers. 

I'm a KA.

I like going to the lake all the time, which is really easily since I live in Greenville.

I like wake boarding, soccer, listen to music, and a lot of other stuff.

I play a lot of golf as well. Kinda suck but score doesn't really matter anyways.

And I have 4 dogs, 2 Chihuahuas , 1 boston terrier pup, and a yellow lab. The chihuahuas aren't really cool. I wouldn't recommend getting one.

And Amy I got the book for like 30. I don't know if that was too much but i really didn't feel like messing with shopping around, and I don't think I'm going to get it till middle of next week either.

And a question of my own.

I just started reading Last Man Standing by David Baldacci. I was wondering if any one has read it and had any thoughts.

A little bit about ME

Hey everybody! My name is Jenna Moskow. I thought for one of my blogs I would go ahead and tell everybody the usual bit.
My name is Jenna (obviously).
I am a 3rd year at Clemson University.
I am from Seneca, SC which is about 10 minutes from campus.
My major is Biological Sciences with a minor in Spanish, and hopefully I will be attending Medical School in the Spring of 2010.
As far as hobbies go, I like reading interesting (rather than assigned and boring) books, playing the guitar, writing, playing with my pit bull, and searching around on WebMD.

Also.........................I am SuPeR eXcItEd about ENG 314! Blogging is so much...

F
U
N
!
---Amy J.---

Hi,

For my second Blog (which is due by Sunday 5/25) I am auditioning questions to anyone whom may be able to answer.

1 --- I am unsure if there were specific guidelines for the Blog #2.

2 --- When is the interview project due?

3 --- Did anyone have success ordering their book? anyone get a good sale price? where is the best place to purchase my text?

Thanks!
Amy J.
email: aajusti@clemson.edu

BLOG #1

Who am I? Hi, my name is Amy Angela Justice.

What does "technical" mean? To me, "technical" means being exact, precise, and factual.

What does "writing" mean? "Writing" indicates a form of communicating and deals with expressing one's ideas.

Do these terms mean something different within your profession than they mean to you personally? Actually, my profession is PrePharmacy; technical writing keeps its meaning within my profession - even at a personal level. Technical writing is VERY useful to me. I feel like lab reports and science books are FULL of technical writing and are very important and very apparent within my field.

Post #2 Interview with someone in my profession

I am a mechanical engineering major and I interviewed my supervisor at KEMET who is also a mechanical engineer.

He defines technical writing as “an attempt to capture a process, a technology, or a detail and pass it on to other technical people. For this to work, one must assume basis knowledge.”

He thinks communication is very important in this field, but most important is knowing how to communicate with certain people in the most efficient way. This could mean instead of showing a chart that people have to read, show just the graph; however, one must be careful when choosing what to show because the writer must take into account an audience. This was the main point that he stressed to me. An engineer or upper level management can read and understand complicated things like probability charts and differential equations, but the floor workers may not. So, if one was to show a floor worker some statistics, the technical writer must take into account what the floor worker will understand and take care when proposing his plan. For this reason, he said that about 25% of his day is technical writing, the hardest part being to put it in a format for the audience you are presenting or showing it to.

He also said that statistics are very important for this field to understand much of how the plant works, especially with the Six Sigma Program. This is a program that is comprised mostly of statistics and helps to reduce waste and defects. Having a creative hobby is a very helpful tool to help utilize your brain. This helps you be creative and think of things in your workplace that you never would have thought of before. This also helps relieve stress.

He graduated from Georgia Tech, so I asked him how much they prepared him for technical writing. He thinks that GT prepared him much more for talking to a technical audience than the average Joe. This is because in the classroom, everyone has the same basis knowledge, which is a technical level. Thus, he was used to talking and writing to his professors and fellow engineers than anyone else.

Post #1: Meaning of Technical Writing to Me

The word technical can mean many things. When saying something is very technical, This means to me that there are numerous parts and pieces that can be meticulous and often take time and skill to understand.

I think that writing is the use of text to present a through from the writer. There can be different kinds of writing, but all have the center purpose of representing the writer's ideas. These two definitions put together can give you a definition along the lines of text that represents the ideas of the writer that are very precise to the skill of the writer. Which really doesn't make sense, so I use a different idea of technical writing. I believe that it is the collection of a variety of components that are pieced together or the lack there of by the writer to represent the writer's ideas.

I am a Biological Science major, and technical writing for me is more along the lines of lab reports and research papers. These are used to display the researchers findings and record them in a form that can be easily understood. As I enter the real world, technical writing will take on new meanings. The definition will always change. i hope to graduate Clemson and then go to medical school. Technical writing will once again take on a new meaning. During this summer I will be evolved with many different forms of technical writing. My mom told me to get a job this summer. So instead of looking for a boring job, I decided to start a company. Part of our selling techniques were to develop a website so that we could be easily reached and also, the purchasing method would be easier. I felt that the design of ShopCollegeComfort.com was a form of technical writing. My partner and I decided to keep the site as simple as possible. Along with many other decisions on what content to include on the page, the simplicity of the site was one aspect of technical writing that was important.

Technical writing will definitely be incorporated into my career after I hopefully get through med school.

Post #1 English 314- David Floyd

I think that the word technical is an adjective that describes the noun following it as: having to do with the latest technology. This can mean using the latest machine, the most recent designs in your field or anything like that.
I think writing means to put something down somewhere that others will be able to read at a later time.
Putting them together one defines the term technical writing as using and writing about technology that others will be able to read and comprehend at a later time. This means that the work must be comprehensible.
I think that these terms mean the same thing in my profession (Mechanical Engineering) as they do to me personally. As an ME, one has to continually keep up with technology and understand the equipment. As far as writing, an engineer must be able to clearly communicate with fellow co-workers by writing down information that can be followed by another engineer at a later time. The best way to do this is to use technical writing and use a computer, since it is a major technological advancement, to save and document the engineer’s findings. On example is using power point and making a project presentation that will also use a projector when presenting a project, or a machine design finish. Another example is using Minitab that utilizes probability plots that can also be graphed on a logarithmic scale, depending on what one needs to find. Basically, it means using many programs on the computer to accomplish the specific task you are looking for.

Post #1- Technical Writing Defined

In order for me to define "technical writing," my definitions of each term should be defined.

I interpret anything that can be described as "technical" to be more in-tune with the small parts of the idea. It is more methodical, with either the "right" way or the "wrong" way. It isn't involved in much interpretation. In my head, the concept of a "yes or no question" is the same general concept of anything involved in "technical" terms; very basic and to-the-point.

I am very fond of writing, and find myself doing it VERY often, but to define the word is a little difficult for me. Literally, "writing" as a verb would be defined as “to write” (obviously), but I was told never to use the word you're defining in the definition. More generally, "writing" (and again, this is my own personal definition) is an expression, or way of expression. It’s a way of portraying ideas, facts, beliefs, anything up to food recipes, so that your thoughts are apparent to other people. Writing is talking without voice. Unlike my concept of the term "technical", the term "writing" is very much dependent on interpretation. Some writing, such as facts or instructions, can't have much interpretation, but literature is completely dependent on how you comprehend what you've read. If I wrote "one must be empty in order to feel full", one could comprehend what I said as 'I have to go without everything in order to understand what truly fulfills me' or more literally 'If I go without eating until I'm starved, then I will understand the true feeling of "fullness" when I eat again.' Obviously these are two completely different ideas, which is why writing is very involved with interpretation.

Hopefully, I will make it into Medical School upon graduating from Clemson University, so my "profession" of choice is a doctor/surgeon and my field in Biological Sciences. In this field, I think that technical writing is an extremely necessary and important part. It is the reports you have to write up on research projects, patients with all tests included, results, diagnoses, description of surgery (if surgery performed), insurance paperwork, etc. Every time I’ve been to the doctor, there has been a write up of a summary of my visit. Therefore, technical writing in my field of study (pre-medicine/biological sciences) is mostly defined as lab reports; whether it’s the report on a research project, or a report on a patient. There are facts (data of research findings, results of various medical tests, etc.) and there are interpretations (final diagnosis of patient, causes of sickness, interpretations of research data, ideas for future experiments to better resolve the research question, etc.). In other words, there is the “technical” parts, and the “writing” parts.