[ARC5] R-10 in the receivers.

[Bruce Long via ARC5]

There is a quotation I like that goes like this:

Education is the process of telling successively smaller lies.

it is not crazy to explain technology to new adopters with story that is over-simplified to the point of being completely wrong yet which is adequate for the purpose.

For example the hydraulic  analogy for electric current flow fails under the slightest scrutiny but is entirely adequate for a lot of basic wiring and even in some cases basic electronics.

You really don't need to master electronic processes in materials in order to put in a run of romex with an outlet box on the end.







________________________________
 From: "mstangelo at comcast.net" <mstangelo at comcast.net>
To: Bruce Long <coolbrucelong at yahoo.com> 
Cc: Brian Clarke <brianclarke01 at optusnet.com.au>; ARC5 at mailman.qth.net; 'Mike Morrow' <kk5f at arrl.net>; don davis <dxguy at earthlink.net> 
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2014 10:10 AM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] R-10 in the receivers.
 

During my college days I worked at a test lab that had a Technical Publications department. The "TechPub" department also made the illustrations for the manuals. One of the challenges was to write a technical manual that can be understood by a user with a high school education.

Their major customer was the military but they also wrote manuals for a plastic model manufacturer. I forget which one.

Mike N2MS

----- Original Message -----
From: Bruce Long via ARC5 <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
To: Brian Clarke <brianclarke01 at optusnet.com.au>, ARC5 at mailman.qth.net, 'Mike Morrow' <kk5f at arrl.net>, don davis <dxguy at earthlink.net>
Sent: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 13:30:19 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: [ARC5] R-10 in the receivers.
<snip>

In general in my opinion good tech writing is both difficult and unrewarding.  For that reason tech documentation seems to be generally poor and sometimes just plan wrong.  I've worked hard over my engineering career to develop acceptable technical writing skills with some success but I still find it difficult and something I only do when I have to.

<snip>





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