Comments on: Thursday (tasteful smattering) edition: Wha’ Happened?

By: ramon

ramon — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:52:43 +0000

I’m sorry Randball, I may have asked you this once before:

I like Jerry Zgoda. He’s a heckuva nice guy and has written some of the best Strib sports/human interest stories I’ve read (other than yours and Dennis Anderson’s of course). So what did he do wrong to get stuck with the Wolves’ beat?

By: Paul Peter Paulos

Paul Peter Paulos — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:23:47 +0000

I like to make people think, get them mad, go outside their envelopes ….much more fun than going all techy on them. After college, I actually wrote some manuals once…for Kawasaki sales…soooo boring. Good $$ but there comes a time when you realize it’s more fun to light up a nuthouse full of rabid fans like this blog. Infantile yes, but fun !!!

Max McGee lives !!

By: Paul Peter Paulos

Paul Peter Paulos — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:19:23 +0000

I told you before Dave. I’m not giving my A game here. As you said, I’m writing to this audience, and from what I read, most can only offer up syllable burps in return…like “Go Vikes !” lotta mindpower there..

By: Dave MN

Dave MN — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:17:20 +0000

In other words, if you can’t appeal to your audience logically, emotionally, and/or credibly, you aren’t going to accomplish anything as a technical, creative, or opinion writer.

By: Dave MN

Dave MN — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:15:58 +0000

P3, you need to understand that technical writing is largely focused on understanding your audience and writing to them. If you write things that your audience doesn’t understand easily or doesn’t want to read, they aren’t going to. Hmmmm…I wonder how that applies here?

By: Paul Peter Paulos

Paul Peter Paulos — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:10:37 +0000

Dave, you must know then that tech writing is in a completely different ballpark from creative or opinion writing. Tech writers I’ve encountered often have worked for AOL or MSN and answer flow charts on tech lines in sub-continent India and are impossible to understand. But, the analogy remains. Tech writers are technical (thus your fascination with symbols like , ! ( ” while creative and/or opinion writers are …
..,(”.., I guess creative. But you guys write good manuals.

By: Paul Peter Paulos

Paul Peter Paulos — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:03:33 +0000

No, Toonces, I was saying that (often not always) you guys just cackle on and on about some drunkalog or some thing that might be interesting on a one to one IM, but not on sports. At least, I (generally also not always) rip your Vikes or talk up other sports crappola. Yet, sometimes all those intertwining blogs sound like a church bookclub or a segment of Days of our Thighs (Lives)…It’s a little much that’s all.

Max McGee lives !!!

By: Dave MN

Dave MN — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:03:04 +0000

I fear for the school with P3 as a former valedictorian, and the employer that paid him to write.

In fact, P3, I have a degree in technical and professional writing, so I have every right, and the expertise, to criticize your style. I am also in a position that pays me to write. Thank you for making assumptions that proceeded to make an ass out of you and umption.

By: Toonces51

Toonces51 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:01:13 +0000

PPP - By ‘check out the Clemens thread from last night’ are you referring to your posts at the end of the first thread from yesterday where you made some ridiculous claims about none of us responding despite it being on a thread that was 5 posts old, and after 7pm when many of the people who are regulars have stopped posting to avoid doing real work? I vaguely remember reading something from you there when I realized that when I had left my computer 6 hours earlier it happened to be on that thread… Frankly, I found it too dull to respond to.

By: Paul Peter Paulos

Paul Peter Paulos — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:42:29 +0000

Danomouse,

I just realized what is so fun coming into your clubhouse and PPPing on the floor. It’s sorta like (read sorta as slang for sort of, since I know how formulaic you and the scholastic boyz are). Anyway, what’s most fun is that it feels like a fight between black and red ants and a solo ant is winning !!