RE: So you call yourself an architect? -- (still) longish

["SHIELDS,SUSAN (HP-FtCollins,ex1)" <susan_shields2 -at- hp -dot- com>]

Charlie Montgomery said:
>To a purist, the word "architect" may have only one application, but in
>everyday use, it's a good term for describing someone's function within an
>organization. 

I don't agree -- and I don't think my difference of opinion is rooted in
"purist" rigidity. I'm all for using the shadings of connotation that make
language interesting. I disagree because I think that architect is only
*part* of a good term for describing someone's function within an
organization. Be clear! Be specific! "Architect" by itself is ambiguous
(except, I would argue, in the traditional sense). 

>As an aside: The big muscular guy who picks up my garbage cans every
>Thursday has "Sanitation Engineer" stitched on his shirt. My guess is that
>this guy wasn't required to obtain a degree in sanitation engineering to
>perform his function. Anyone want to tell this guy he's just a garbage man?

I expect your guess is correct. But "Sanitation Engineer" is pretty clear,
in its own way, isn't it? If Big Muscular Guy went around calling himself
plain "Engineer," you might be less clear on his function. In any case I'd
have no qualms about calling him a garbage man to his face because I don't
think it's a pejorative term. If he told me he preferred "Sanitation
Engineer," I'd call him that. I wouldn't tell him that he's *just* a garbage
man in any case because that insults his job, not his title. 

>One thing limiting to technical writers is career path. For years, if we
>wanted to increase our salaries, etc. we had to do one of the following:
>
>* work for a company that supports dual career paths
>* decide to become a lead/manager of a Doc department 
>* resign yourself to the industry standard TW salary
>* shift to work outside of the typical TW skill set
>
>The job titles we have access to today were created largely to accommodate
>the expanding media we work in: print, WinHelp, web help, intranet, PDF,
etc. 

At least in part...  Some of the job titles were, obviously, created to
enhance prestige and salaries. Your title should reflect what you do, not
what you expect to get paid or how impressed anyone should be with you. The
company I work for chooses to call me LP Lead. I don't care much for that
title because it doesn't mean much to anyone (even inside the company). But
in this company, as well as others I've worked with, I've found that the
best way to increase my salary and career opportunities was not to get a
better title but to do a better job. Maybe my experience has been atypical
and there are droves of tech writers who did a great job and were limited,
anyway, by their label.

Anyway. 

I'm not setting up as a purist or a reactionary. I am advocating for clarity
as part of the typical TW skill set. If you can't count on a tech
writer/documentation specialist/information architect to be clear...

-----Original Message-----
From: Charlie Montgomery [mailto:Charlie -dot- Montgomery -at- onename -dot- com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2001 1:38 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: So you call yourself an architect? -- (still) longish


Fair enough, but while we're being purists about these terms, let's also
remember to be practical. 

One thing limiting to technical writers is career path. For years, if we
wanted to increase our salaries, etc. we had to do one of the following:

* work for a company that supports dual career paths
* decide to become a lead/manager of a Doc department 
* resign yourself to the industry standard TW salary
* shift to work outside of the typical TW skill set

The job titles we have access to today were created largely to accommodate
the expanding media we work in: print, WinHelp, web help, intranet, PDF,
etc. At some point someone said, "Well, what we're looking for is not
exactly a developer, but someone with excellent organizational and written
skills, and great attention to detail. We need someone who can not only
write and publish, but someone who can manage content in a number of ways."
These are excellent opportunities for many of us to apply current skills to
new (and often higher-paying) jobs.

So, the titles by which we are referred to these days range from vogue yet
vague (Content Mananger, Information Architect, Computer "Scientist," or
"Champion" a la Adobe here in Seattle) to traditional yet accurate
(Technical Writer, Software Programmer). Some border on silly, and others
seem tired and limiting. Nevertheless, the advent of the Web and multiple
ways to publish have opened a lot of doors for us "technical writers."

To a purist, the word "architect" may have only one application, but in
everyday use, it's a good term for describing someone's function within an
organization. 

As an aside: The big muscular guy who picks up my garbage cans every
Thursday has "Sanitation Engineer" stitched on his shirt. My guess is that
this guy wasn't required to obtain a degree in sanitation engineering to
perform his function. Anyone want to tell this guy he's just a garbage man?

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