Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-22 Thread C.M. Connelly
"MM" == Mark McCullough MM> Depends on the writing standards. In the format I'm MM> required to use for much of my writing, even in a variable MM> width font, a double space is required following either a MM> sentence end (full stop, period) or a colon. The MM> mandatory fon

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-22 Thread Mark McCullough
On 2011 Feb 22, at 15:22, C.M. Connelly wrote: > From a typographical perspective, you should never have two spaces > after a period -- using them is a carry over from the days of > monospaced typewriter fonts. [snip] Depends on the writing standards. In the format I'm required to use for much

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-22 Thread Steven Kurylo
> From a typographical perspective, you should never have two spaces > after a period -- using them is a carry over from the days of > monospaced typewriter fonts. I've read the reasons for this (we're not monospaced anymore!) and disagree with it. I find my brain still wants them there for the s

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-22 Thread C.M. Connelly
"PG" == Paul Graydon PG> On a slight tangent to this, I was surprised to read the PG> other week about the extremes of passion between various PG> parties over the use of double spaces after periods. I PG> use it instinctively as that was how I was always taught PG> to type.

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Aleksey Tsalolikhin
Sure! http://audio.socallinuxexpo.org/Sunday/Track%20B/talk%20%234%20(Bob%20Reselman).mp3 Best, -at On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 6:11 PM, Christopher R Webber wrote: > Can you pass along the link to the mp3? > > -cwebber > > -- > Christopher Webber | http://cwebber.ucr.edu > Infrastructure System

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Christopher R Webber
Can you pass along the link to the mp3? -cwebber -- Christopher Webber | http://cwebber.ucr.edu Infrastructure Systems Administrator University of California, Riverside On 2/18/11 2:48 PM, "Aleksey Tsalolikhin" wrote: >I would like to recommend the article "The 7 Rules for Writing World >Cl

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Trey Darley
...and well-deserved would that zot be. --Trey ++++ Sent from my CRM-114 Discriminator Tracy Reed wrote: On Sat, Feb 19, 2011 at 12:35:13AM +0100, Trey Darley spake thusly: > How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Tracy Reed
On Sat, Feb 19, 2011 at 12:35:13AM +0100, Trey Darley spake thusly: > How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Back in ye olden tymes, such a question would result in a *ZOT*. -- Tracy Reed Digital signature attached for your safety. CopilotcoP

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Trey Darley
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Quoth Joseph S D Yao [02/19/2011 12:22 AM] : > On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 05:34:44PM -0500, Doug Hughes wrote: >>> American English and British English have a number of disagreements >>> about how a collective noun is used, in terms of number. The word >

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Joseph S D Yao
On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 05:34:44PM -0500, Doug Hughes wrote: > > American English and British English have a number of disagreements > > about how a collective noun is used, in terms of number. The word > > "data" actually originated as a plural, as above; but is often used as a > > collective nou

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Joseph S D Yao
On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 03:11:02PM -0800, C.M. Connelly wrote: > "JSDY" == Joseph S D Yao > > JSDY> But, Claire ... the word "data" _IS_ plural. It's the > JSDY> plural of datum. Which is the singular of data. ;-) > > JSDY> American English and British English have a number of >

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Paul Graydon
On 02/18/2011 01:11 PM, C.M. Connelly wrote: "JSDY" == Joseph S D Yao JSDY> But, Claire ... the word "data" _IS_ plural. It's the JSDY> plural of datum. Which is the singular of data. ;-) JSDY> American English and British English have a number of JSDY> disagreements

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread C.M. Connelly
"JSDY" == Joseph S D Yao JSDY> But, Claire ... the word "data" _IS_ plural. It's the JSDY> plural of datum. Which is the singular of data. ;-) JSDY> American English and British English have a number of JSDY> disagreements about how a collective noun is used, in JSDY> term

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Aleksey Tsalolikhin
I would like to recommend the article "The 7 Rules for Writing World Class Technical Documentation" by Bob Reselman. Bob's a real pro and gives workable tips for improving technical writing. http://www.developer.com/tech/article.php/3848981/The-7-Rules-for-Writing-World-Class-Technical-Documentat

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Doug Hughes
> American English and British English have a number of disagreements > about how a collective noun is used, in terms of number. The word > "data" actually originated as a plural, as above; but is often used as a > collective noun these days with dashing disregard for its history. > > what is the

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-18 Thread Joseph S D Yao
On Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 04:58:33PM -0800, C.M. Connelly wrote: ... > I don't agree with everything she recommends (e.g., data as a > plural only), but overall it's a great resource and can give you a > nice base to build on. ... But, Claire ... the word "data" _IS_ plural. It's the plural of dat

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-16 Thread Tom Perrine
I've been a fan of "Write to the Top" for over a decade. http://www.amazon.com/Write-Top-Writing-Corporate-Success/dp/0812968980 Plan your writing and if you can't answer this question, you aren't ready to begin: "What is the one, single most important idea that I want the reader to understand a

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-16 Thread C.M. Connelly
"TL" == Tom Limoncelli TL> and BUGS in Writing, Revised Edition: A Guide to Debugging TL> Your Prose (2nd Edition) TL> http://www.amazon.com/dp/020137921X/tomontime-20 +1 on _BUGS in Writing_, which is aimed at writers in scientific disciplines (especially those working on a master's

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Greg R
On Tue, 15 Feb 2011, Tom Limoncelli wrote: > I didn't write well (assuming I do now) until I had a professional editor > give me serious feedback over and over until I started seeing the patterns > and understanding how to do better. This is a good point. What I've done to date is get myself enou

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Joseph S D Yao
On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 11:49:52PM -0500, Tom Limoncelli wrote: > I didn't write well (assuming I do now) until I had a professional editor ... Oh, come on. There is some indication that you might write well [or, in one case, edit well]: http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_b/?field-autho

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Tom Limoncelli
I didn't write well (assuming I do now) until I had a professional editor give me serious feedback over and over until I started seeing the patterns and understanding how to do better. I also recommend the first few chapters of Strunk and White: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0205632645/tomontime-20 an

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Greg R
On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:13:04 -0800, Chris Francy wrote: > One thing that has helped me is to simply practice. A site like > http://serverfault.com helps me do this. I am far from perfect, but > my boss tells me that my writing has improved over the last couple > years. Chris is spot on here.

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Mark McCullough
On 2011 Feb 15, at 10:28, Christopher R Webber wrote: > I am finding more and more that conveying my ideas whether technical or > for a less technical audience is fairly difficult. Can anyone recommend a > technical or business writing class that is well suited to the needs of a > SysAdmin? Obvio

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Aaron McCaleb
On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 15:13, Chris Francy wrote: > On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 8:28 AM, Christopher R Webber > wrote: >> I am finding more and more that conveying my ideas whether technical or for >> a less technical audience is fairly difficult. > > One thing that has helped me is to simply pract

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Chris Francy
On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 8:28 AM, Christopher R Webber wrote: > I am finding more and more that conveying my ideas whether technical or for a > less technical audience is fairly difficult. One thing that has helped me is to simply practice. A site like http://serverfault.com helps me do this. I

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Trey Darley
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Quoth Christopher R Webber [02/15/2011 05:28 PM] : > I am finding more and more that conveying my ideas whether technical or > for a less technical audience is fairly difficult. Can anyone recommend a > technical or business writing class that is well

Re: [lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Esther Schindler
I have in hand an article titled " Soft Skills in Writing Can Boost Any Software Developer’s Career Profile " -- which applies just as much to network admins -- written by Ed Tittel. It probably won't be published for another week or two, but I'll try to remember to post the URL here when it is.

[lopsa-discuss] Writing Skills

2011-02-15 Thread Christopher R Webber
I am finding more and more that conveying my ideas whether technical or for a less technical audience is fairly difficult. Can anyone recommend a technical or business writing class that is well suited to the needs of a SysAdmin? Obviously, free online tutorials would be a great starting point, but