What did I just write down?

[rmorey]

I never write things down, my mind is as sharp as a...as a... what was I talking about?

 

[polo1665]

Reminds me of a joke. Apologies if you've heard it before.

An older gentleman and his wife are sitting on the couch one evening, watching TV. The man says to his wife "How about a nice bowl of ice cream?" She says "That sounds great."

He: What flavor would you like?

She: I'd like one scoop of vanilla and one scoop of chocolate, but honey, remember what the doctor said about your memory lately. Maybe you should be writing this down.

He: Nonsense my dear, it's a simple bowl of ice cream, nothing complicated. Now, how about some nuts on top of that.

She: That sounds wonderful, and I would also like some whip cream and a nice fat cherry on top. I must say though, that I really think you should be writing all of this down.

He: Absolutely no need my dear. I'll be right back with your bowl of vanilla/chocolate ice cream, with nuts and whip cream, topped with a big fat cherry.

.....and so the old gentleman ambles off into the kitchen to make the treat for his sweetheart. About 20 minutes later he comes back into the living room and hands his wife a plate of scrambled eggs with hashbrowns and toast.

She: See, I told you you that you should've written everthing down, you forgot the bacon.

 

[jinman]

Has anyone noticed that outlining seems to be a lost art? I used to take notes in school in outline form to keep the info organized without a lot of extra description and details. Now, with PowerPoint and computer presentations, it seems everything is bullet lists. Outlining seems to be going the way of slide rules.

Coming from a publication and training background, I've been shocked to find the number of people who cannot analyze and organize information. I found many tech writers rely on the "copy and edit" format. They would copy something from an unrelated publication and try to change words and numbers to make it apply to the description of a different item. They found it very difficult to generate original thoughts and organize descriptions in active voice. Often, there were laughable mistakes because the copied texts just could not be changed to make sense. I recall one new writer who saw the words "pitot tube" in relation to aircraft instrumentation. She did a search and replace of all instances, changing it to "pilot tube." Then there was the illustrator who labeled the cockpit "Feet Heat" knob "Free Meat," and nobody caught it until the artwork went to press.

 

[Lou66]

I carry a note book with me at all times,, I write things down when ever I remember that I have a note book with me.. Lou

 

[charlz]

Has anyone noticed that outlining seems to be a lost art? I used to take notes in school in outline form to keep the info organized without a lot of extra description and details. Now, with PowerPoint and computer presentations, it seems everything is bullet lists. Outlining seems to be going the way of slide rules.

Coming from a publication and training background, I've been shocked to find the number of people who cannot analyze and organize information. I found many tech writers rely on the "copy and edit" format. They would copy something from an unrelated publication and try to change words and numbers to make it apply to the description of a different item. They found it very difficult to generate original thoughts and organize descriptions in active voice. Often, there were laughable mistakes because the copied texts just could not be changed to make sense. I recall one new writer who saw the words "pitot tube" in relation to aircraft instrumentation. She did a search and replace of all instances, changing it to "pilot tube." Then there was the illustrator who labeled the cockpit "Feet Heat" knob "Free Meat," and nobody caught it until the artwork went to press.

I outline all the time both as notes and in laying down the framework of something I want to write. So much easier and faster to get your high-level concept down and then go back and fill in the detail.

I still write to-do lists, shopping lists etc. but I don't write notes, letters etc. Fortunately I can type pretty fast so doing things online is easy and much preferred. My penmanship has never been good but it is much worse today. My spelling is what has really taken a hit, when are they going to make paper with spell-check?

 

[JDgreen227]

I outline all the time both as notes and in laying down the framework of something I want to write. So much easier and faster to get your high-level concept down and then go back and fill in the detail.

I still write to-do lists, shopping lists etc. but I don't write notes, letters etc. Fortunately I can type pretty fast so doing things online is easy and much preferred. My penmanship has never been good but it is much worse today. My spelling is what has really taken a hit, when are they going to make paper with spell-check?

When I got my third Blackberry, an 8330 Curve, I began using the supplied memo pad function for all kinds of notes and useful information instead of writing it down on paper. Example: In the "GMC" memo function I list oil filter numbers, the date I last serviced it and the mileage, the wiper blade length and the date last changed, etc. I had something like 140 different items on the memo pad. Currently using a Droid, but had to download an app to get the same function as the Memo Pad the Blackberry came with. It was supplied with some kind of "sticky note" widget but I never used that.

 

[TripleR]

Over 40 years of writing my writing has deteriorated to the point to where I make a doctor look like a White House calligrapher.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Same here, even my printing is bad. Stiff joints and loss of coordination has reduced my writing to about 6th grade level at best. What is really fun is to go back to old documents and look at how your signature changed over the years.

 

[Lou66]

I hate to say this but I have excellent penmanship,, I just can’t spell.. or punctuate or sentence structure, paragraph phrasing or word terminology other than that I’m good to go.. What were we talking about again.. Lou

 

[jinman]

I hate to say this but I have excellent penmanship,, I just can’t spell.. or punctuate or sentence structure, paragraph phrasing or word terminology other than that I’m good to go.. What were we talking about again.. Lou

Just keep a cold 6-pack in the fridge and nobody will care, Lou.