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> I feel that tech writers should own 100% their work. That means they are
100%
> responsible for the content. If something is incorrect - it is the
writer's
> problem.
For Pete's sake Andrew, you should know that much of the time TWs can't
comprehensive understanding of a topic as an SME.
Example: About a year ago, as an internship, I did a *complete* makeover of
a medical Web site dealing with certain aspects of neurology. I have spent a
few years in allied healthcare, but I'm not an MD, and certainly not a
neurologist with a comprehensive knowledge of an obscure corner of that
specialty. What I knew on the subject came from studying the material I had
to edit and rewrite, and from the doctor with which I was working
(long-distance). I had no choice but to lean upon the doctor to answer my
questions and proofread my work for errors.
In this case, my responsibility was to do the best job that I could, ask
questions about anything I had any doubts about, and then ask the doctor to
certify that the content was accurate. It's absurd to suggest, as you do in
the quote above, that I should have to understand the specialized material
before I help someone else to communicate a message. This applies to many
different subject areas other than medicine.
David Berg
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