In-Reply-To: <2.2.32.19960829032155.0081b024@pop.seanet.com>
Message-ID: 
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: owner-online-news@marketplace.com
Precedence: bulk
Status: RO
X-Status: 

Really fine writers are pretty rare, and I do respect them.  But asking
writers to take more responsibility in formatting will not destroy the
profession.  Far from it.  This tack, proclaiming the writer's job too
taxing for cross-training, I suggest, disguises other motives, newsroom
rice-bowl motives.  In some newsrooms, I am sure my suspicions are
unfounded, but in others.......

On Wed, 28 Aug 1996, Mitch Ratcliffe wrote:

> At 03:36 PM 8/28/96 -0400, S. Finer wrote:
> >No, I understand the need for copy editors and content editors, too. I do
> >not see why there need to be an army of HTML hounds between the writers
> >and the editors of an online pub.  The writers should be able to handle
> >the HTML chores, if those duties are properly automated, especially with
> >well selected, tweakable, templates.  Teach the writers to use the
> >armatorium of templates......don't recreate the "copy-boy" rewrite army of
> >yesteryear.  
> 
> Well, that's what most newswriters already do for their composition systems, 
> whatever it might be... Atex or otherwise. Having them provide indicators that
> a line of text is a headline or subhead is no big deal, much less a leap
> than you
> seem to imagine.

What I imagine is the scene discussed by our iguide friend at the
beginning of this thread...if that is not accurate, complain to him...

> >
> >Sounds to me as if there may be a political pressure operating that keeps
> >the writers insulated, if not to say, coddled.  
> 
> Walk a mile in their shoes before you accuse news writers of being coddled, S.

I'd rather have a Camel....if writers for an online pub are not asked to
deal with the html utilities to deliver their craft.....well, that seems
far too insulated from the medium......the division of labor here really
seems to be a vestigial artifact from a mid-century trade unionist
dispute.  

> >and Mitch, do you actually know any journalists who write longhand these
> >days?  I know several who two-finger type....but they are pretty damn fast
> >for just two fingers.  They can learn a simple 10 minute template
> >selection and fitting exercise, most of them anyway.  AND, I'll bet some
> >of the production people can write, too.  
> 
> Whether I know writers who write longhand or not  is not the point. Writing
> is hard work. Producing a newspaper or magazine takes people with skills you
> don't seem to think much of, S. You're entitled to your opinion, even if it's wrong.

The last crack is typical of an ad hominem accusation, a point I did not
make and do not hold, deliberately attributed as if I did.  The technique
is poor quality argumentation.

It is not the skills of the people involved in magazine or newspaper
production I criticize.  It is 19th century organizational
proceedures/environment applied to the production thereof with which I
find fault.  Not many editors are strong business managers; nor do they
seem willing to tamper with traditional labor structures in most
examples....unless the place is ready to fold.  Or alternatively, is
starting up from scratch with leadership from outside the orthodox camp.

cheers.......

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This message was posted to ONLINE-NEWS. http://www.planetarynews.com/o-n.html

From owner-online-news@marketplace.com Thu Aug 29 11:59:29 1996
Received: from marketplace.com (majordom@marketplace.com [206.168.5.232]) by cnj.digex.net (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id LAA22399 ; for ; Thu, 29 Aug 1996 11:59:28 -0400
Received: (from majordom@localhost) by marketplace.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) id GAA29238 for online-news-outgoing; Thu, 29 Aug 1996 06:23:31 -0600
Received: from server.indra.com (server.indra.com [204.144.142.2]) by marketplace.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id GAA29225; Thu, 29 Aug 1996 06:23:22 -0600
Received: from indra.com by server.indra.com (8.7.4/Spike-8-1.0)
	id GAA12517; Thu, 29 Aug 1996 06:13:12 -0600 (MDT)
Received: from homer.taynet.co.uk by indra.com (8.7.4/Spike-8-1.0)
	id GAA23542; Thu, 29 Aug 1996 06:13:11 -0600 (MDT)
Received: from [194.247.65.46] (dial2-Port40.sol.co.uk [194.247.65.46]) by homer.taynet.co.uk (8.6.12/8.6.12) with SMTP id NAA29672; Thu, 29 Aug 1996 13:10:37 +0100
X-Sender: dmill@mailhost.taynet.co.uk (Unverified)
Message-Id: 
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
To: online-news@planetarynews.com