3.1058 Halio's article on machined writing, cont. (51)

Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca)
Thu, 15 Feb 90 20:06:00 EST

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 1058. Thursday, 15 Feb 1990.


(1) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 90 00:35:55 EST (23 lines)
From: "Patrick W. Conner" <U47C2@WVNVM>
Subject: 3.1049 quality of writing, cont. (95)

(2) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 90 07:29:00 EST (8 lines)
From: DENNIS CINTRA LEITE <FGVSP@BRFAPESP>
Subject: RE: 3.1049 quality of writing, cont. (95)

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 90 00:35:55 EST
From: "Patrick W. Conner" <U47C2@WVNVM>
Subject: 3.1049 quality of writing, cont. (95)

Having read Halio's article (our dean xeroxed it and sent it around the
campus, although it is not clear to me why), I stand by my statement
(made after reading it) that it is flawed. And the flaws are evident
and have been well-rehearsed here. I maintain, however, that Guy
Pace's notion that print-learners are more likely to be better writers
than patter-learners (which is what you wrote, Guy) simply not
borne out by several areas of language analysis, and I think it rather
unlikely that you will find studies of unimpeachable methodologies
which will support that, McLuhan's grand syntheses notwithstanding.
the so-called print-learner may be a better editor, but that doesn't
mean she's a better writer, and the the so-called pattern-learner
may be more sensitive to tone or paragraph structure, and yet still
write the opaque line. (Having reread this, I realize I need a better
editor right now; unfortunately, I'm working in line mode, and it's
too awkward to go back....) Was there ever a poet who was not a
pattern learner and was there ever a technical writer who was not
a print learne? Which are you going to call the better writer and
why?
--Pat Conner
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------19----
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 90 07:29:00 EST
From: DENNIS CINTRA LEITE <FGVSP@BRFAPESP>
Subject: RE: 3.1049 quality of writing, cont. (95)

Could someone transcribe Halio's article article to Humanist? AT least
we would know what we are arguing about! (Do people who can't write choose
a Mac or is it the other way around:If you choose a Mac you won't be able
to write?)