differences - "Authoring" versus "Writing"


In my area of work the word author as a verb has become quite common. However, it seems to have a subtly different meaning than plain vanilla write. For example, one does not write software unit tests; one authors them.


Can anyone offer a clear distinction between the two words? Has author as a verb become a common usage outside of the field of computer software?



Answer



I would understood this subtle difference connotational-wise where authoring includes a higher level of creativity or other mental use. I would also say that all authoring is writing, but that not all writing is authoring.


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