Comments for STC Eastern Ontario Blog http://blog.stceo.net And out of chaos came order... Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:05:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Comment on What If Dr. Seuss Did Technical Writing? by Kitty http://blog.stceo.net/2006/10/28/what-if-dr-seuss-did-technical-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-699 Kitty Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:05:40 +0000 http://blog.stceo.net/2006/10/28/what-if-dr-seuss-did-technical-writing/#comment-699 Good to see that the search turns up "only" 43,200 hits now. Eric's site is at two and Gene's is still holding at 10. Another debunking page that I didn't find when I originally wrote this post is the Hoax-Slayer's "<a href="http://www.hoax-slayer.com/packet-pocket-poem.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Plagiarized Poem - Why Computers Sometimes Crash! by Dr. Seuss</a>", which was published in June 2006. Good to see that the search turns up “only” 43,200 hits now. Eric’s site is at two and Gene’s is still holding at 10.

Another debunking page that I didn’t find when I originally wrote this post is the Hoax-Slayer’s “Plagiarized Poem – Why Computers Sometimes Crash! by Dr. Seuss“, which was published in June 2006.

]]> Comment on The Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational by Kitty http://blog.stceo.net/2007/06/27/the-washington-posts-mensa-invitational/comment-page-1/#comment-301 Kitty Fri, 29 Jun 2007 01:08:32 +0000 http://blog.stceo.net/2007/06/27/the-washington-posts-mensa-invitational/#comment-301 Hah. Thought I'd do a quick search to see what comes up in a search on "Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational" or "Washington Post Mensa Invitational". I was very pleased to see that I wasn't alone. In April 2006, a poster at <a href="http://www.vegsource.com/talk/humor/messages/8173.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">VegSource.com</a> quoted a <a href="http://kenwheaton.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">kenwheaton.blogspot.com</a> article that no longer exists anywhere (not even the Wayback Machine), from Monday, November 21, 2005, and called "As I Please": <blockquote>This list is kind of funny, but it bugged me. I could have sworn I'd seen it before. Besides, I doubt that Mensa would lend its name to an "invitational," especially one open to newspaper readers. Also, even if it were a Mensa contest, obviously a non-member wrote it. "This year's 2005 winner." As opposed to next year's 2005 winner? Or last year's? "Arachnoleptic fit"? How many letters are we changing again? Caterpallor? Two letters changed in that one. And I'm pretty sure colors are usually classified as adjectives. There are others, but why bother. The fact is, there is no such thing as a Washington Post Mensa Invitational. A search of the Washington Post site indicates as much. Sadly, Snopes.com was of no help. But a Factiva search shows that a few of these words appeared in a Washington Post Style Invitational back in August 2, 1998. One of my favorites, "intaxication," appears again in the Post in the April 16, 2003 Bridge column.</blockquote> (The Style Invitational (or rather "The Stool Invitational") for August 2, 1998, which was Week 281, was called "Calculate the Odds".) There was also an interesting post in October 2006 on <a href="http://rosswriting.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html#115976595408769298" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">rosswriting.blogspot.com</a> called '"Giving Credit Where It’s Due" Dept.' And there was a post on <a href="http://azucaryespecies.blogspot.com/2007/05/washington-post-mensa-invitational.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sugar & Spice</a> in May 2007 debunking it as well. But, unfortunately, most of the results were from people perpetuating the myth by posting it without any research on their blogs. Bit disappointing, that. Hah. Thought I’d do a quick search to see what comes up in a search on “Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational” or “Washington Post Mensa Invitational”. I was very pleased to see that I wasn’t alone.

In April 2006, a poster at VegSource.com quoted a kenwheaton.blogspot.com article that no longer exists anywhere (not even the Wayback Machine), from Monday, November 21, 2005, and called “As I Please”:

This list is kind of funny, but it bugged me. I could have sworn I’d seen it before. Besides, I doubt that Mensa would lend its name to an “invitational,” especially one open to newspaper readers. Also, even if it were a Mensa contest, obviously a non-member wrote it.

“This year’s 2005 winner.” As opposed to next year’s 2005 winner? Or last year’s?

“Arachnoleptic fit”? How many letters are we changing again? Caterpallor? Two letters changed in that one. And I’m pretty sure colors are usually classified as adjectives. There are others, but why bother.

The fact is, there is no such thing as a Washington Post Mensa Invitational. A search of the Washington Post site indicates as much. Sadly, Snopes.com was of no help. But a Factiva search shows that a few of these words appeared in a Washington Post Style Invitational back in August 2, 1998. One of my favorites, “intaxication,” appears again in the Post in the April 16, 2003 Bridge column.

(The Style Invitational (or rather “The Stool Invitational”) for August 2, 1998, which was Week 281, was called “Calculate the Odds”.)

There was also an interesting post in October 2006 on rosswriting.blogspot.com called ‘”Giving Credit Where It’s Due” Dept.’

And there was a post on Sugar & Spice in May 2007 debunking it as well.

But, unfortunately, most of the results were from people perpetuating the myth by posting it without any research on their blogs. Bit disappointing, that.

]]> Comment on What If Dr. Seuss Did Technical Writing? by Kitty http://blog.stceo.net/2006/10/28/what-if-dr-seuss-did-technical-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-299 Kitty Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:09:54 +0000 http://blog.stceo.net/2006/10/28/what-if-dr-seuss-did-technical-writing/#comment-299 And it continues to degrade. The <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=socket+packet+pocket&btnG=Google+Search&meta=" rel="nofollow">search</a> now turns up 382,000 results, Eric Shackle's site has slipped to fourth and Zeigler's is tenth (bottom of the first page). Again, thankfully both are still on the first page but still... Oh, and this blog's Copyright category page is in 20th. And it continues to degrade. The search now turns up 382,000 results, Eric Shackle’s site has slipped to fourth and Zeigler’s is tenth (bottom of the first page). Again, thankfully both are still on the first page but still… Oh, and this blog’s Copyright category page is in 20th.

]]> Comment on New and improved? by gordon http://blog.stceo.net/2007/05/26/new-and-improved/comment-page-1/#comment-295 gordon Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:39:47 +0000 http://blog.stceo.net/2007/05/26/new-and-improved/#comment-295 I got a glimpse at the site during the BETA phase and think I made suggestions towards improving the navigation (I certainly intended to!). I'm not a great fan of the 'log in' requirement either. I understand why it's there but it seems to stifle interaction and, you know, communication. Have you passed your thoughts on to the TechWr web team? I'm sure they'd appreciate your feedback. I got a glimpse at the site during the BETA phase and think I made suggestions towards improving the navigation (I certainly intended to!). I’m not a great fan of the ‘log in’ requirement either. I understand why it’s there but it seems to stifle interaction and, you know, communication.

Have you passed your thoughts on to the TechWr web team? I’m sure they’d appreciate your feedback.

]]> Comment on Demise of technical writing? by gordon http://blog.stceo.net/2007/05/25/demise-of-technical-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-294 gordon Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:36:00 +0000 http://blog.stceo.net/2007/05/25/demise-of-technical-writing/#comment-294 Or perhaps "Where SOME Technical Writers have gone wrong". There are many of us who are embracing the myriad skills we need to learn to be part of this brave new world. Or perhaps “Where SOME Technical Writers have gone wrong”. There are many of us who are embracing the myriad skills we need to learn to be part of this brave new world.

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