Tohidul Islam
Professor von Uhl
English 21007
April 17, 2019
Technical Description Reflection
In the process of writing the technical description, my goal was to convey the importance of my chosen device, the Dell desktop, to the reader. In my description I explained each part of the desktop and its functions in order to persuade the reader on why the Dell desktop is an important piece of technology. While doing so, I encountered issues with talking about topics that were specific only to the Dell brand; however, I was able to thoroughly explain the major components of the Dell desktop.
There were several weaknesses in my writing, but the most prominent one was the lack of connections between the description of the components and the Dell brand. The topic of my technical description was on Dell desktops; however, my research found that Dell ordered their components from other manufacturers which made it difficult to attribute a component’s performance to the Dell brand. This lack of connection between the Dell desktop and the components of the desktop made my writing seem more like an objective report than something that is persuasive to the reader. Another obvious weakness in my writing was the absence of descriptions of many components that are not essential to operating a computer but very common in modern desktops. Adding descriptions for these optional components would have provided more persuasive information for the reader and may have aided in making connections between the components and the Dell brand. Other less obvious, but still noticeable, weaknesses included grammatical errors and failure to define all computer related vocabulary.
The strength in my writing resides in the thorough description of each core component that is found in every Dell desktop. This lets the reader know exactly what each part does and how Dell desktops improve quality of life by using that component. The writing also progresses from each component to the next in a logical order with each component being related in some way to the component before it. This make it easier for the reader to understand the purpose of each component and how its function affects the other components.
The exigence, or the motivation behind writing the technical description was to inform the audience on the specifics of the Dell desktop and its importance to daily life. The audience will consist of adults or children who are not well versed in computer technology and are looking to understand the functioning and importance of this device. The context, or the relationship between me, the audience, and the technical description is that I am attempting to tell the audience the importance of the Dell desktop through the description of its components in the technical description.
Despite the various weaknesses in my writing, the technical description has helped me to acknowledge the range of linguistic differences between me and my peers who peer-edited my paper, this allowed me to better explain certain terms and create a more comprehensible paper for the general audience. The process of peer-editing allowed me to engage in the collaborative and social aspects of the writing process and helped to enhance my strategies for reading, drafting, revising, editing, and self-assessment. In writing this paper I was also able to take a stance on the benefits of the Dell desktop and enforce it throughout the technical description. By using and citing online articles to describe each component, I was able to practice using online databases and internet resources to strengthen my source use practices and improve the accuracy of my paper.
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