Harty 347-381

And Now a Word (or Two or Three About Ethics)
- All business and technical writing must not only meet the needs of its intended audiences and follow a process approach, but it must also adhere to the strictest ethical and legal standards.
Communication Failures Contributing to the Challenger Accident: An Example for Technical Communicators
Challenger- Why did those who knew the problem not convince those in power to stop the launch?
1) managers and engineers viewing the same facts from different perspectives
2) the general difficulty of either sending or receiving bad news when it must be passed to superiors or outsiders
- communication is shared interpretation not facts
Physical cause of the accident
- failure of a rubber seal in the solid rocket booster
- failure should not have been unexpected
Early Responses to Bad News: Disbelief and Failure to Send Upward
- could admit that there was a problem, as long as it could be blame on someone else
- early signs of O-ring problems were pass relayed to NASA
Continued Bad News Rejection Despite Contradictory Evidence
- optimistic view persisted
- July 1985- no other flights would take place until O-ring erosion at the nozzle joint had been fixed or shown not to be a problem
The Split between Managers and Engineers
- information was not communicated and launch was scheduled anyway
- it was rescheduled a day later and temp was 17 degrees below any other launch
Conclusion
- no one at MTI or Marshall wanted to believe the growing evidence of O-ring problems
- even when MTI engineers came to believe that a problem existed, they had a difficult time convincing their management, with its different perspective on operations, to interpret the facts in the same light
- both engineers and managers at MTU were especially reluctant to communicate bad news to those outside the company
How to Lie with Statistics
- used to sensationalize
- You can prove about anything you want to by letting your sample bias itself
Truncated graphs- you can chop off the bottom or other data to deceive people
well-chosen average- mean vs. median
The insignificant Difference or the elusive error- ignoring the error in a sample study can lead to all kinds of silly conclusions
- when you use decimals, it sounds like you know the exact number for sure
- unwarranted assumptions: smoking produces dull minds; not actually related
Determining the Ethics of Style-
- Ethics is the study of right and wrong conduct
- guiding philosophy
Ethics and The Professions
Computer Ethics
1) Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
2) Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
3) Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.
4) Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
5) Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
6) Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid
7) Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.
8) Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
9) Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing.
10) Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that insure consideration and respect for fellow humans.
Legal and Ethical Issues in Editing
- verify permission to reprint
- use symbols
- one can own intellectual property
Copyright- original work of authorship
- copyright is automatic as soon as a work exists in fixed form and protectino does not require a notice or registration
libel- defamatory statement without basis in fact that shames or lowers the public reputation of an identifiable person

Harty pg 306-344

The Basics of a Cover Letter
- marketing tool
- highlight most attractive features
Format
- employer assessed your organizational skills and attention to detail
The Part of the Letter
- proper format is necessary to be a credible candidate
Business Style vs. Personal Style
- in business style, elements begin at left margin
- in personal style, return address and complimentary close begin at centerline of page and paragraphs are indented
Return Address- top margin, without name
- no abbrevs.
Date- two lines below return address, left or centered
Inside Address- four lines beneath date
- addressee's full name
Salutation- two lines beneath company's address
- never first name, "Dear Mr./Ms."
Length- 3/4 short paragraphs on one page
Enclosure- formal/official correspondence
Paper Size- smaller=more personal
Paper Quality and Color- white/ivory
Typing and Printing- word processing program on computer
- not handwritten
Envelope- business-sized envelope, type envelopes
Content
- Personalize Each Letter
- Mapping It Out- highlight one/two accomplishments/abilities
- why do you have an interest in the company?
1st para- state position, mention source
2nd para- contributions to company
3rd- show how you exceed requirements,
4th- say you look forward to hearing from them
Complimentary Close- 2 lines beneath body of letter, "Sincerely,"
Tips for Successful Cover Letters
What Writing Style is Appropriate?- polite, formal, clear, objective, persuasive
Tone:Reserved Confidence is Always in Style- how to sell, enthusiastic but not melodramatic
Emphasize Concrete Examples
Use Powerful Language- hard-hitting, yet easy to understand
Avoid Catchphrases- list details
Mention Personal Preferences?- refrain from offering salary info
Proof With Care- mistakes are embarrassing and can remove you from consideration
Cover Letter Blunders to Avoid
- Unrelated Career Goals
- Comparisons and Cliches, ex: "people person"
- Wasted Space- every word of every sentence should be directly related to purpose
- Form Letters- mass mailings=bad
- Inappropriate Stationery- no graphics, neutral colors
- "Amusing" Anecdotes- determine appropriate demeanor
- Erroneous Company Information- don't confuse company with others
- Desperation- sound determined, not desperate
- Personal Photos- NONE
- Confessed Shortcomings
- Misrepresentation- could be grounds for dismissal
- Demanding Statements- demonstrate what you can do for employer, not what employer can do for you
- Missing Resume- don't leave out any materials, you will never know they weren't there
- Personal Info- no age/health/marital status/political views/religion
- Choice of Pronouns- limit 3rd person
- Tone Trouble- subtle, "Does this statements enhance my candidacy?"
- Gimmicks- stick to qualifications
- Typographical Errors
- Messy Corrections- retype if you forget something
- Omitted Signature
Cover Letters for Special Institutuions
- highlight strengths, not weaknesses
Response to a "Blind" Advertisement- tailor your letter to any information given even though you don't know employer
Cold Letters- writing an employer without previous correspondence or referral
Broadcast Letters- reflect experience knowledge, and confidence in his/her abilities
- used by exectives
Letter to an Employment Agency- who you are, type of position, type of industry
Letter to an Executive Search Firm- briefly highlight most impressive accomplishments, even though they actively recruit candidates for client companies
Networking Letters- third-party industry contact to garner the reader's attention and induce him/her to help you in your job search
Thank You Letters- can be handwritten, not on postcard, check spelling of names, send promptly
Your Resume on the Internet
- distributing a resume is the least effective activity
The Myth about the Internet Resume
- need only one resume
Need:
1) a designed or hard-copy version
2) a scannable version
3) a plain-text version
4) an e-mail version
- also maybe HTML
Rules for Responding Online
- Format your resume correctly for email.
- Send your resume int he body of the e-mail message
- Attachments include cover letter
- Use the advertised job title or job code in the subject line of your e-mail message
- read the application instructions included in the job announcement and follow them exactly
E-Resumes are not just for E-Mail
- Don't recommend creating your resume on a website because it is easy to have typos and the form may not be completely correct, you cannot easily save it
Preparing a Perfect Plain-Text Resume
- Use Word
1) Check Keywords.
2) Save your resume as a Text Only document.
3) Delete any page numbers.
4) Use all CAPS for words that need special emphasis
5) Replace each bullet point with a standard keyboard symbol
6) Use straight quotes in place of curly quotes
7) Rearrange text if necessary
8) Limit line lengths.
9) Save as Text Only with line breaks
10) Copy the entire text in your ResTextBreak.txt document that you've opened in Notepad, and paste it in the body of the e-mail message.
Where, oh, Where Should That Resume Go?
- Post on 1-2 large online databases.
- Post on 1-2 targeted resume databases specific to your industry
Protect Yourself Online
1) Does the site have a comprehensive privacy policy?
2) Do you hav eto register a profile or resume before you can search through the jobs?
3) Are most of the jobs posted by employers or by agencies on behalf of employers?
4) Can you set up one or more "e-mail agents" that will send matching jobs to you when you are not at the site?
5) Who has access to the database resumes?
6) Can you limit access to your personal contact information?
7) Can you store more than one version of your resume so that you can customize it for different type of opportunities?
8) Will you be able to edit your resume once you have posted it?
9) Will you be able to delete your resume after you have found a job?
Before you Post, Something to Think About
1) Do you want your resume public?
2) Are you prepared for the consequences should an electronic resume come back to haunt you?
Resume Blasters: The Wave of the Future or a new form of Spam?
- sometimes resumes are accurately distributed once money has been collected
- or sent when employer didn't request them- with low success rate
Help with Resume and Cover Letters
- list books/internet sources on page 332-333
Follow-Up Letters
Networking Interview Follow-Up Letters
- thank someone for taking time out of their schedule to talk to you
- reminds the reader who you are and the fact that you're looking for a job
- opening, your comments on the meeting, closing
Opening- brief, thank reader for their time
Comment- say something positive about the meeting
Closing- promise of getting in touch and request to keep you in mind
Job Interview Follow-Up Letters- more important
- more clearly remember those applicants that send thank-you notes
- remind of your skills/experiences
- tailor to job, include a pitch (why me and why you)
Job Acceptance Follow-Up Letter
- don't include any type of sales pitch
- be enthusiastic
Job Turndown Follow-Up Letters
- turn down over phone
- industries are small world- may see/work with them again
- be courteous and gracious
Job Rejection Follow-Up Letters
- will bear fruit at a later date
- may have been second choice
- thanks for consideration
Follow-Up Letters to Networking Contacts
- remind contacts you're looking for a job