DEAR WWW: WHAT'S THAT BUZZING NOISE?
  
My computer monitor was buzzing - and it was driving me crazy.
 
Well, it wasn't so much buzzing as it was whining. Or quietly screeching.
 
But I was *definitely* at wit's end, so I asked Jeeves what to do.
 
Up popped not only the answer to my question, but an example of some great Web writing from Sam Goldwasser of http://www.repairfaq.org. The site features comprehensive repair guides for consumer electronics equipment and other household devices.
 
Sam is an electrical engineer with a Ph.D. from MIT. He became involved in the Internet in the early '90s when he helped people repair electronics by answering literally tens of thousands of newsgroup requests for information.
 
Eventually his knowledge became http://www.repairfaq.org.
 
This is just a small portion of what his site said in describing my torture:
 
"Sometimes (the whine) is continuous. In other cases, it comes and goes almost as though there is an intelligence at work attempting to drive you crazy...In most cases, this sound, while annoying, does not indicate an impending failure (at least not to the monitor - perhaps to your mental health) or signify anything about the expected reliability of the unit..."
 
Nice! Sam follows all the basic rules of Web writing:
1. He doesn't patronize the audience or intimidate non-techies.
2. He gives valuable information.
3. He keeps it conversational and adds some humor.
 
We can all take a lesson - even if our writing isn't about these machines we sometimes hate to love.
 
Now a research professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Sam said the Web remains his passion. What does he think of Web writing in general? 
 
"Some is good. Some stinks," he said. "When I started writing for the Web, there wasn't that much to look at. I would like to think I developed a style of my own."
 
Thanks, Sam, from all us computer owners. (My computer monitor still makes noise, but I've gotten used to it - just like Sam said I would!)
     
© 2004 Donna Kozik. For information about Donna’s writing services, visit 
http://www.DonnaKozik.com.