RE: Swaggin' for Dollars

["Paliotta, Mary" <MPaliotta -at- comversens -dot- com>]

Reading the posts on this subject, I couldn't agree more.  But it also
occurs to me that much of the obsession with banal/archaic grammar, etc. is
just a reflection of the frustrations/difficulties we face in our jobs
daily.  It's one thing to speak of how much ground there is yet to cover in
the newest technology industries, and quite another when we're forced to
recount all the ludicrous actions we witness going on right under our noses
at work every day-and that we have so little control over.  Even if it
directly impacts our ability to our jobs! 

For example, I work in software development, and although I'm very proud of
what I do and believe I do it very well, let's face it, the majority of what
I do, or the programmers, or anybody else here, is not 'rocket science'.
Much of it is simply applying common sense and a little attention to the job
at hand which we possess skills for.  It seems to me that if I had some
control in resolving even a fraction of the absurdities that go on around me
every day, I wouldn't get nearly as fastidious as I do sometimes about
inconsequential details that I do have control over.

So I guess, let me ask:  How can a writer to measure the good/poor
management of an organization when job hunting?  Especially when these
industries are all going through such frequent reorganizations, mergers,
etc. (practically each year some major event is taking place)?!  Companies
get away with a lot in all this 'activity' because there's no way to predict
how things will eventually settle down at these places (or where you already
are).  Really, how is it possible to identify places that have just typical
work/industry problems vs. wacked out and out-of-control places that
practically create 5x as many problems as they manage to control in a day?

Just curious, Mary 


-----Original Message-----
From:	Andrew Plato [mailto:intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com]
Sent:	Thursday, April 06, 2000 3:36 PM
To:	TECHWR-L
Subject:	Swaggin' for Dollars


The wise Jason A. Czekalski wrote...
> 
> Well said. I agree with entire post. The high-tech industry is the
> biggest bunch of BS artists on Earth. They have developed the SWAG
> (scientific wild-a__ed guess) Principle to a level never attained
> before.

Not only are you 100% right about this Jason, but this principle actually
extends out to virtually all professions (of varied degrees). One of the
first,
painful lessons I learned (and I relearn every so often) when I started my
company is that there are no rules. All things, all documents, all
technology,
and all laws exist in a fluid state of constant transition and bend-ability.
All you have to do is control the fluid to flow in your direction. 

This is why it is so humorous to me when people get into a tizzy over others
not following the rules. As if there was some mandate from heaven that we
all
must obey the same universal truths. 

Innovators, people who really change the world, more often than not are
merely
people who had the guts to NOT listen to what everybody else said. They did
things their way and asked for forgiveness later. 

Rules are not only meant to be broken and challenged, they must be in order
for
things to evolve. 


> So lighten-up! Appreciate these times for what they are: the DAWN of the
> information age. A time of great experimentation and growth. And best of
> all, we are the folks who get to chronicle this insanity. Try to have
> some fun with it.

Damn right! This is the best time ever to be a tech writer, because there is
so
much complex crap out there that morons need to understand.  Moreover, as
communicators, we are in an excellent position to control this information.
This is why it is so important for tech writers to have technology skills.
It
not only makes you a more skilled writer, it puts you in a position to
control
what people know and learn.

So, live it up folks and quit whining about grammar. Sometimes it is more
important to get the job done, then to get it done right.

SWAG a little and make some $$. Its the American way!

Andrew Plato