Like a two-legged stool, language and content in technical writing do not stand alone. The finished product must meet requirements and satisfy constraints — the moral of this tale.

The author's requirement of clear and correct written communication from his students is explained to them through this story of a misadventure in business communication.

A trendy comment, intended to be a put-down, is to label someone's idea, model, or theory as `unsophisticated'. Recourse to a standard dictionary shows that `unsophisticated' is not a bad thing to be, and that `elegance' is also desirable.