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Subject:Re: Hardest part of getting started? From:Steven Brown <stevenabrown -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 21 Sep 2001 07:05:25 -0700 (PDT)
Dan,
Since this is a technical writing listserv, I'll my
feedback to tasks related to writing.
Three things come to my mind, which are probably not
unique to a junior writer.
First, assuming most of us are left-brained, introduce
the writer to the company's product line,
organizational chart, and documentation set. I've
always felt most comfortable with a new job when I
understand the big picture BEFORE being given the
departmental style guide or release notes to write.
Second, outline and explain your workflow. How does
the department (and subsequently, each writer) know
what to work on? How is work assigned or prioritized?
How does the software release process work? Where do I
go or what systems do I use to access information to
write release notes, system guides, install manuals,
etc. Is there anything "quirky" about these processes
("A developer named Joe Smith is notorious for not
documenting his bug fixes in the system, so you have
to go into his folder on the network to find out
exactly what he did.").
Finally, when you first assign the writer his first
task, be sure to fully explain your expectations so
that he/she understands what needs to be documented,
how much detail to include, how to structure the
information, etc.
A landmark hotel, one of America's most beautiful cities, and
three and a half days of immersion in the state of the art:
IPCC 01, Oct. 24-27 in Santa Fe. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
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