Famous Technical Writers
Before becoming a novelist, this famous author worked as a R&D Technical Writer at General Electric in Schenectady, NY, where he first encountered "ice-nine".
Who is Kurt Vonnegut?
Charlotte's Web author E.B. White revised this book, considered the first essential guide to English grammar, in 1957.
What is Elements of Style?
This Googler is an “American internet pioneer”, but he has also used machine learning to translate dolphin speech!
Who is Vint Cerf?
This actor collects typewriters and estimates their collection at around 250, with "90% of them in perfect working order" as of 2019.
Who is Tom Hanks?
"Pick up the ____," the rate of speed at which someone walks or runs
What is "pace"?
This cartoon technical writer famously appears in the comic strip "Dilbert".
Who is Tina the Tech Writer?
The Devsite style guide recommends writing from this point of view.
What is second person?
Google has welcomed dogs at work from the very early days, and they are a huge part of Google culture. This dog was the first canine to come into work at Google.
Who is Yoshka?
Many of our Google colleagues previously worked for this behemoth software company, which greatly advanced typewriter technology in the 70s and 80s.
What is IBM?
Those wacky Brits use this 4-letter word to mean "apartment"
What is "flat"?
This seafaring author is considered a father of technical writing thanks to his detailed descriptions of life at sea.
Who is Herman Melville?
The style guide of the American Psychological Association suggests avoiding this form of comma, leading to oft-heated debates among passionate adherents to the Chicago Manual.
What is the serial comma?
Google’s first Chef, Charlie Ayers, was previously the personal chef for this hugely successful Bay Area rock band.
Who is The Grateful Dead?
This ubiquitous typewriter brand is neither a beer nor a virus.
What is the Smith-Corona?
"Don't touch that ____," the turning know on a radio or television.
What is "dial"?
Daily Double!
This Software Technical Writer wrote “Story of Your Life”, which was adapted into the hit 2016 science fiction film “Arrival”.
According to the Technical Writers Intergrouplet, Google now has at least this many style guides. (All three contestants answer; the closest guess wins.)
What is 29?
In 2007, Google swag included condoms and boxer shorts printed with this infamous early slogan.
What is "I'm Feeling Lucky"?
This infamous 20th-century author of The Western Lands traveled the world using wealth from his family’s typewriter and adding machine empire.
Who is William S. Burroughs?
It's a fact that this word means a collection of facts and figures to be processed in some way.
What is "data"?
Before having his novel “Inherent Vice” adapted to film by Paul Thomas Anderson, this famously reclusive author was a Technical Writer for Boeing in Seattle.
Who is Thomas Pynchon?
These can be smart or curly, but we should stick with straight.
What are quotation marks?
This infamous late-night comedian is rumored to have swapped the Toto Washlet controls between two men's room stalls in Building 40. Pushing the “wash” button in one stall activated the washlet in the next stall over, resulting in some unpleasant surprises. One GUTS ticket read, "Please make it so this never happens to anyone ever again."
Who is Conan O'Brian?
Jack Keroauc wrote On the Road, and Larry McMurtry wrote Lonesome Dove, using this psychopomp of a typewriter.
What is the Hermes 3000?
From French, it can replace the word "place" in "in place of"
What is "lieu"?