RE: TW Salaries--Is it me, or are people greedier? (Mild Vent)

["Miller, Lisa" <Lisa -dot- Miller -at- Anheuser-Busch -dot- com>]

Elna writes:
"Paying employees as a percentage of revenue is a wonderful socialist concept,
but it
doesn't work in real life.  Revenue itself is based on market factors, which can
turn on a dime, so to speak, and respond to influences that have nothing
whatsoever
to do with employee competence, ability with tools, experience in the industry,
or
anything else that's measurable.  Markets are markets, and they have their own
quirks and forces. Understanding them and being able to deal with them takes
special
skills, most of which are decidedly nonlinear, which is one of the reasons why
technical people so often consider sales folks as so much slime.  Yet those
markets
are what creates the environment in which revenue can be collected. And revenue
is
what pays developers and technical writers (among others)."

It was not my intention to promote or even suggest a "socialist concept."  You
point again to "market factors," and support my previous post when you say "Yet
those markets
are what creates the environment in which revenue can be collected. And revenue
is
what pays developers and technical writers (among others)."  I was not
suggesting paying people a percentage of revenue; I'm saying people ARE paid a
percentage of the revenue.  The bigger the market for the product; the more
revenue it produces.  The people perceived to be most directly responsible for
providing the product receive a higher percentage of the generated revenue.
This isn't a suggestion; it is what happens.

As far as there being more people that can write adequately than there are
people that can code, I would say that this goes back to understanding the value
of technical writing.  I believe that there are as few qualified technical
writers as there are qualified developers.  But, less qualified writers are
hired for less money at the cost of quality because business generally does not
see the value technical writing adds to the bottom line making it easier for
business to hire "cheaper" writers.  

Bascially, I'm saying that a ficticous surplus of writers exists.  This is why
I'm very glad to see colleges offering degrees and advanced degrees in technical
writing.  At least business has a record of valuing the "pieces of paper" that
put the stamp of "qualified" on a person.  I think this may increase the price
we as writers can command.  In this way, sort of via the backdoor, business may
think "hmmm, I'm paying more,so this writing thing must be valuable."  In other
words, business will justify the price by "seeing" that technical writing adds
to the bottom line.

Lisa A. Miller
Technical !  Writer 
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Packaging Team - Corporate Engineering
mailto:lisa -dot- miller -at- anheuser-busch -dot- com
(314) 865-8904

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
                                                          -- Benjamin Franklin



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY.
http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.

Take XML and Tech Writing courses online!  Our instructor-led courses
(4-6 hrs/wk) give you "hands on" experience at your convenience. STC members
get 20% off!  http://www.online-learning.com/index.html.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit 
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.