atw: Re: Vale technical writing?
- From: "Anthony Self" <ASelf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 23:25:33 +1100
Hi again Bill
You do realise that Microsoft Word is now an XML-based tool, don't you? I get
the impression that you think that working in XML requires you to code tags.
You are already knee-deep in XML, because it is the "enabling technology" that
has driven innovation in almost every field of human endeavour over the past
decade.
It frustrates me sometimes when people claim they don't need no stinkin' XML
while using tools, documents, flight systems, legal contracts, mining control
systems, payrolls systems, engine control systems, Web sites, e-mail systems,
instruments, online stores, tax returns, computers and personal video recorders
all built around XML technologies.
I suppose good technology is transparent, but maybe XML is just too transparent
that no-one can see that it's there?
Tony
>>> Bill Parker 26/02/12 10:43 PM >>>
Christine,
I wonder indeed why "old school" sounds derogatory ( I know you did not mean it
that way) but it just sounds as if the march of high tech tech is leaving some
of us behind. Well, I protest. In my previous post about offshore engineers and
scientists in the FPSO area, XML is about as far from their daily lives as a
snowball in Karratha.
I work in another area as a volunteer ( bush fire brigade) and recently chaos
has reigned because some clever salesman has "sold" the idea of changing radio
comms from VHF mid band to VHF high band. Why? Because we can and "it's the
future". Now we have a far more complex system that both serves well and fails
spectacularly. And this on the fire ground!
My take on this is that culturally archaic stuff works. We are reaching the
stage when technology rules and the blokes who need it to work on the ground
are stuffed.
If somebody says, why not XML? I might say, let's get the sentence structure
right first and not get tied up in the arcane.
Bill
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