Sample # 2

[kurt]

Originally posted by AHI

1. I am aware that the sponsors of this forum are competitors in that they have their own software on the market. I don't want to step on their toes by mentioning the competition. In addition the responses relative to the quality of a competitors software may be biased in this forum.

I find that a fine approach to working w/others. My hat's off to ye. Politeness & manners on a HI internet forum......Who'da thunk it?

It's not necessarily always the user in the HI report software game; there are surprisingly odd little things that creep into the process that one never thinks about when they are considering software.

My completely unbiased (I'm serious, I'm no ass kisser) opine.......

If you're Word based, go IE or Cramerware. IE has nicer features in use, Cramer has a slight edge in boilerplate (Cramer's a near genius house-stuff communicator).

The other products, (I own over a half dozen programs), are all decidedly below these two offerings.

[SonOfSwamp]

Originally posted by AHI

Walter, Are you saying that in the HI business what an inspector might think is not as important as what the customer might think? Careful now because my next response is hanging on your very answer to this.

Well, IMHO... Where the customer's concerned, perception is reality. If the customer walks away from the job thinking the HI is smart, honest and generally a swell guy, the outcome for the HI will likely by good.

If the customer -- by way of interacting with the HI, reading the HI report, etc. -- decides that the HI is a dumb crook and a poor excuse of an organism, it wouldn't matter if the HI were the Smartest And Most Honest Man In The World. The customer's perception is formed, the respect and trust for the HI is gone, and it won't return.

Now if you're asking if the HI's opinion on housey things takes precedence over the customer's opinion, it all depends on each one's brainpower, savvy and capacity for logic/rational thought.

I've had plenty of highly-educated, bright customers -- engineers, doctors, lawyers -- who could've done their own HIs, and I've been unfortunate enough to encounter plenty of dumb-as-a-rock HIs whose only skills are dumbassitude, suckupitude and assaholism.

WJ

[hausdok]

Originally posted by SonOfSwamp

(snip)I've been unfortunate enough to encounter plenty of dumb-as-a-rock HIs whose only skills are dumbassitude, suckupitude and assaholism.

WJ

ROTFLMAO! I just had a mental picture of Bonnie reading that while having a cuppa and choking and blowing halfa cuppa through her nose.

Hope you're entering those into Wikapedia, Walter.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Brian G]

Originally posted by SonOfSwamp

.....I've been unfortunate enough to encounter plenty of dumb-as-a-rock HIs whose only skills are dumbassitude, suckupitude and assaholism.

[:-dev3][}][:-hspin][:-mischie[:-slaphap[:-smile_g[:-spin]

Brian G.

Ah, the Art of Wordsmithing [:-thumbu]

[SonOfSwamp]

ROTFLMAO! I just had a mental picture of Bonnie reading that while having a cuppa and choking and blowing halfa cuppa through her nose.

Hope you're entering those into Wikipedia, Walter.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

Poor Bonnie. Wouldn't be the first teacher I've upset.

Spent a lot of time sittin' in the hall,

WJ

[John Dirks Jr]

That is a fine answer Walter. It was well thought out. Based on you assessment of things in the real world of home inspections, I expect to do well.

Now consider this hypothetical situation. There is a scheduled event that is just beginning. The event is a home inspection. Present are a number of equally polite and intelligent people. There is a seller and their agent, a buyer and their agent, and a builder who had recently done some significant additions to the property. Last but not least there is the home inspector. So there are 6 people there. Now even though these people have a common bond for all being there at the same time, each one has their own thoughts which are most important to them as individuals regarding the situation. Now with respect to the reason for the event, the home inspection, one of those persons is charged with the responsibility of implementing a Code of Ethics directly related to that home inspection. Which person is that? We all know the answer right? Its the home inspector. So with regard to the main reasons why there are a written Code of Ethics and the person who is responsible for upholding them, which persons thoughts matter the most? If you stay within the context of this hypothetical situation the answer is easy.

[Richard Moore]

Present are a number of equally polite and intelligent people. There is a seller and their agent, a buyer and their agent, and a builder who had recently done some significant additions to the property.

Politely explain that the presence of the seller, the listing agent and the builder will hinder your ability to confidentially report your findings to your client, will likely just prolong the process, and politely suggest they all go and have a three-hour cup of coffee.

...one of those persons is charged with the responsibility of implementing a Code of Ethics directly related to that home inspection.

Wow...do you get a badge for doing that? []

Seriously John, I think you're overanalyzing things. It's all really simple:

1: Client pays you.

2: You do your best for the client.

3: You shoot anyone that gets in the way of that.

OK...maybe just 1 and 2 (and a less violent version of 3).

"Codes of Ethics" sounds very professional but, in reality, they're written to try to prevent a few unethical apples from spoiling the bunch. Most of us (I hope it's most) instinctively understand the job we are are hired for, who is our only concern, and would operate exactly the same way with or without a "code".

[Chad Fabry]

Present are a number of equally polite and intelligent people. There is a seller and their agent, a buyer and their agent

...

That statement is an optimistic assumption and borders on being an oxymoron.

[Les]

I just do not know what to write. We can dance around this maypole for years. "If the pupil hasn't learned, then the teacher hasn't taught."

[John Dirks Jr]

In any event, happy 4th everyone. Be safe.[]

[SonOfSwamp]

Originally posted by AHI

That is a fine answer Walter. It was well thought out. Based on you assessment of things in the real world of home inspections, I expect to do well.

Now consider this hypothetical situation. There is a scheduled event that is just beginning. The event is a home inspection. Present are a number of equally polite and intelligent people. There is a seller and their agent, a buyer and their agent, and a builder who had recently done some significant additions to the property. Last but not least there is the home inspector. So there are 6 people there. Now even though these people have a common bond for all being there at the same time, each one has their own thoughts which are most important to them as individuals regarding the situation. Now with respect to the reason for the event, the home inspection, one of those persons is charged with the responsibility of implementing a Code of Ethics directly related to that home inspection. Which person is that? We all know the answer right? Its the home inspector. So with regard to the main reasons why there are a written Code of Ethics and the person who is responsible for upholding them, which persons thoughts matter the most? If you stay within the context of this hypothetical situation the answer is easy.

I really don't mean to be harsh, but I can't make any sense at all out of the above.

As my favorite writing teacher, James J Kilpatrick once wrote (and I paraphrase): the writer's job is like leading cub scouts down the trail. Just make sure they get to the end of the trail without tripping or stumbling.

I tripped and stumbled every step trying to read your message.

Love ya, man, but if I can't decipher it, most likely nobody can decipher it.

WJ

[Neal Lewis]

SOS,

Just read your new article and I gotta admit, you've a talent for writing. Especially if you can entertain people on the subject of inspecting.

This one made me laugh.

"No matter how much effort you put in, no matter how much pride you take in your work, at the end of the day, your contribution to the universe is a pile of lifeless chicken heads."

[John Dirks Jr]

Walter, A brilliant writer like you must also have excellent reading comprehension. I just dont believe it when you say you dont get my point. Are you trying to confuse me? Its working.

If I have to learn the hard way, so be it. Out of the gate, ethics will be at the top of my list. I wont be focusing on making the most amount of money possible. I just want to make some money. I want to stay in business for the long haul.

[hausdok]

Take Bonnie's writing class. You'll be amazed at how she can effortlessly take something which you think you've written so clearly and show you how what you've produce can be confusing or misleading to those who didn't write it. I think the others who are taking her course would agree that it's a little bit humbling but worth it.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[SonOfSwamp]

Originally posted by AHI

Walter, A brilliant writer like you must also have excellent reading comprehension. I just dont believe it when you say you dont get my point. Are you trying to confuse me? Its working.

If I have to learn the hard way, so be it. Out of the gate, ethics will be at the top of my list. I wont be focusing on making the most amount of money possible. I just want to make some money. I want to stay in business for the long haul.

Seriously, I just don't get it. Best I can do: I've had a few editors -- going all the way back to early college -- who pointed out that many newbie writers have a tendency to write half a thought, then go back to the beginning, and start trying to explain the thought all over again. Some writers -- and many, many HIs -- get stuck in this one-step-forward-two-steps-back mode. And it makes it dang hard for them to explain anything.

You're doing the forward-and-back thing. You're making simple stuff complicated. Readers give up on that kind of stuff. When readers give up on you (and you can see that happening here), you're going to be very limited in what you can get across.

I don't mean to be harsh, but since every HI protocol I've ever seen calls for a written report, HIs are going to have problems if they can't communicate well. You need to learn how to get the scouts through the hike without running them off the cliff.

And not to be sarcastic, but your writing is about the HI average. Sadly, that's far below the capability of the general population.

Try Bonnie's class. And see if you can find a copy of "The Writer's Art," by James Kilpatrick. Strunk and White wouldn't hurt you, either.

Finally, if I, and Kurt, and Les, and Mike, and Katen all tell you the same thing -- you really need to believe us.

WJ

[John Dirks Jr]

This next statement should be clear enough;

The combined efforts of some members of this forum have convinced me to make a change. I will be removing the CYA legal text from the body of my reports. I will construct an appropriate Inspection Agreement which will contain the necessary language to provide me with suitable liability protection. After deciding exactly how the Agreement will be worded, I will hire a local attorney to go over it and verify that it will not conflict with any local laws.

Are there any online sources of Inspection Agreement Language? If there is no risk of copyright infringement, would anyone care to share what language they use?

[kurt]

Originally posted by AHI

Walter, A brilliant writer like you must also have excellent reading comprehension. I just dont believe it when you say you dont get my point. Are you trying to confuse me? Its working.

FTR, I didn't understand what the heck you were trying to say either. It was an amazingly confused and poorly written paragraph.

One of the best realizations I've had was coming to the understanding that there were other's that knew a lot more than I did about certain things.

If I have to learn the hard way, so be it.

That is entirely unnecessary, if one decides to listen to those that know more than them, put aside imagined personal affronts, and take to heart the lesson someone is attempting to impart.

Walter's near genius w/dissecting written communication. You could push a lot of "hard way" learning aside and move swiftly along the continuum by simply accepting what he's trying to tell you.

I'm serious. I used to think WJ was an obnoxious chicken fried hick. Not so. The dude understands more about human interaction and the various consequences of confused communication as anyone I've ever met.

And, he's funny as hell in real life. I've had the honor and pleasure of hosting his family's summer vacation @ my shack a couple times. He's got eye's that see things most folks don't.

The guy's a mensch. A living American treasure. Everyone should read his column @ the Scene. Like any columnist, he's got his clunkers (reinventing oneself every week in a fresh column is brutal work; it's the writer's equivalent of stoop labor), but when he's on, he's a world class humorist on parade, w/fireworks.

[John Dirks Jr]

You guys have have shown a great deal of patience in dealing with me. Thank you all very much for that.

I understand the importance of communication both written and verbal as it applies to the HI world.

Because of your efforts to direct me I plan to focus on improving my communication skills. Exactly how I am going to do that I have not quite defined yet.

The important part is, I admit I have a problem to solve. Isn't that half of the battle?

PS: Should I have broken this into multiple paragraphs as such?

[SonOfSwamp]

Originally posted by AHI

You guys have have shown a great deal of patience in dealing with me. Thank you all very much for that.

I understand the importance of communication both written and verbal as it applies to the HI world.

Because of your efforts to direct me I plan to focus on improving my communication skills. Exactly how I am going to do that I have not quite defined yet.

The important part is, I admit I have a problem to solve. Isn't that half of the battle?

PS: Should I have broken this into multiple paragraphs as such?

Your goal is actually very simple: write like people who write for a living. Don't write like an ass-covering bureaucrat or a high-school kid who thinks he has to use big words to get a passing grade.

Write like the contributors to Family Handyman, or JLC, or USA Today. Lose the convoluted, confusing InspectorSpeak gobbledegook. Just drop it, cold turkey.

Stop writing like a home inspector who's trying to outsmart himself. Write simple, everyday English, same as you'd use if you were talking to a sixth grader.

Paragraphs are good. White space is good.

WJ

[John Dirks Jr]

OK Walter I'll give it a try. I'll start by dumping the redundant legal text. From there the goal will be K.I.S.S. Sound good?