Gordon R. Bland Jr.

2/20/2008

Computer Science and Writing

Writing is a very key form of communication for every person, and as a computer science

major, technical writing is an integral part of communication of ideas. In a business atmosphere

such as this, technical writing is required in order to explain research and development. The job

can require help files, manuals, memos, and any other required technical or business style

writing. Because of the scientific nature, essays on topics relevant to the field are very important

in order to help progress of the development of new ways of computation.

A computer scientist is a person who knows both the theory and application of

computational sciences. This flowery term simply means that they will be proficient in

understanding the theory of computation while also being able to apply the knowledge. These

scientists are coming out with new architectures for CPUs, programming languages, and

operating systems. A computer scientist has many career paths: data management, computer

engineering, programming, research and development, artificial intelligence, modeling and

simulation, network management, etcetera. Generally computer scientists do research on new

ways to do computation; however, they can also do work on already existing methods such as an

information technology major would do. A computer scientist can work in any field where a

computer can be implemented to better solve a complex equation.

In my case, I want to be a programmer designing web applications. These applications

will temporarily or permanently replace desktop applications such as word processing, data base

control, photo editing, listening to music, movies, communication, and social networking. The

theory behind web applications is for a person to have access to everything needed at any

internet connected computer. This would mean that you would not ever not always have the

software you need to open that file in a business presentation. Web applications are almost like

an Utopian idea that would help solve forgetfulness or last minute needs for software.

To further learn about what the job entails, I interviewed Andrew Miller and Andrew

Cartwright. Currently both areflic students, and hold jobs in the field. Andrew Cartwright works

for Old Dominion University doing various projects, whilst Andrew Miller works for a high end

job that was not fully disclosed. I was able to find out that it is a government job, but beyond

that, I was not at one to learn anymore. I was told that in this job, writing is used to communicate

ideas to the user, fellow co-workers, and clients. The projects cannot be started without an

outline of the requirements from the client. Once that technical document is received, the project

must then be distributed to the employees that then communicate ideas amongst each other. Then

communication to the user is needed so that they may be able to understand how to use the

software. Typically most writing to the user is found in the graphical user interface (GUI), but

sometimes it is also found in a how-to. The graphical user interface is the front end of a program

that is made of text and graphics. The program actually exists as unseen code that is based on

mathematical equations, but the text and graphics on the screen show the user what to do and

explains functions of the software. The Andrews explained to me that because of the way the

human mind works, the combination of text and graphics most quickly translate and idea to the

user.

The how-to may be a printed publication or a readable file found with the software.

Whatever that job may be, there is one certain thing when it comes to humans creating software

and using the said software—users will encounter bugs and not always understand how to use

the software. Because of this, writing has allowed immediate help for the users to be found in

frequently asked questions (FAQs) and in help files. The how-tos and help files explain the GUI

better for the user. Writing in this sense helps translate the code's purpose into easy-to-read text.

In my experience in using these files, I learned a great deal of information that is not

always as easy to grasp as other things. For example, logging into “x” application is usually

consists of a login name and a password and is fairly straightforward for a standard computer

user; however, if a .conf (Configuration File) needs editing, help files along with “comments” in

the files will allow a person to more easily navigate their way in order to properly edit the

settings so the software is properly configured for their needs. Typically help files are found in

the file structure where the software has been installed and usually can be accessed easily by

clicking on the appropriate link in the “help” tab of the program. A file may look like this:

//Configuration File

IP:xxx.xxx.x.x //Substitute the 'xxx...' for the IP address of the server

Sometimes a computer scientist may need to create a manual that outlines how to

perform a very complicated task or explain an experiment. These manuals may be very large or

just a few pages. In my personal experience, manuals on computer science topics have been very

helpful. These manuals can teach a person how to program, use a Unix operating system, or how

to simply use Microsoft Office. The manuals come in a very wide range of topics that cover

experience levels from novice to advanced. Manuals are so popular in this field, the For

Dummies series got into the business to help inexperienced users as most manuals were for more

complicated tasks that the normal computer user would never need to know. Without manuals,

the amount of time it takes for a fellow computer scientist or an advanced computer user would

be much greater to learn complex tasks.

In the workplace, memoranda are largely required in many practices and this of course

holds true for computer science. A memorandum is a way of communication within a business.

This type of writing is typically less than 500 words and contains who it is addressed to, who it is

from, the date, and the subject along with a body. Memos are not meant to contain lengthy

amounts of information, but instead, they are meant to quickly communicate a more simple idea

to a person or a group of people. Due to its nature, a memorandum can be used to alert a

programming team of a need to fix the code of a program, tell of a new project, arrange members

into teams, etcetera.

Computers were at first designed to make math easier for a human to complete. Due to

this, computer science is essentially the study of how to make a complex task easier through

boolean algebra, thus its writings naturally follow by being simple in order to explain a complex

idea. Even though the idea may be complicated, the words should be technical in nature and

concise. No extra wording should be used that will over complicate an idea is enjoyed in this

technical field. Whilst a poet may enjoy a metaphor comparing a love between two people and

uses difficult language, a computer scientist enjoys simplicity so users and fellow scientists can

more easily understand the main idea and each detail in the writing.

Because of the specific types of writing needed for this field, Andrew Miller told me that

there are many aspects of writing to avoid, but three stand out: grandmothering, listing a table of

contents in a paragraph, and not concluding a conclusion. Grandmothering gained its name from

the idea that grandmothers tend to tell the same story repeatedly. For an example, a person

reading a calculus book should already know how to add 2 + 2, so they should not need a lesson

in simple addition, thus providing the information would be considered grandmothering. As

mentioned before, computer scientists enjoy quick and detailed filled information, so restating

facts that they already know slows down their learning process taught from the document.

Another aspect to avoid is listing a table of contents in a paragraph. Because many computer

science writings are textbook like in nature, it is easy to accidentally put too many references to

previous or future chapters in a paragraph. Of course that also slows down the reader since the

table of contents should already contain that information. Finally, avoid restating the introduction

in the conclusion of a paper. Try to conclude the paper without leaving the reader with an

abstract thought—use this as a time to separate important information from less meaningful

information.

In the workplace, the writings should not be artistic in form, but instead they should have

a direct purpose—to inform the reader of a problem or a solution. The writing should be

technical with simple writing that explains a complex idea. The writer should not try to add to

the length of the paper, but instead be direct with concise information.