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> I'm curious, why are you a compulsive writer. Is it to express yourself
> clearly, as a release valve on an over active mind or someting else Sean?
> (anyone else want to jump in here, please feel free.)
Methinks there are a range of personality types that can function well as
tech writers, and some people do well at it despite not having built-in
biases that fit the task.
I'm closer to a compulsive explorer/explainer. I enjoy figuring things out
and trying to explain complex things clearly. This job lets me do both.
Part of the payoff for explaining is that it often lets me clarify things
in my own head.
In terms of the Meyers-Briggs personality classification (see archives for
a previous thread with much detail and discussion), I'm about as far out
on the P end of the J-P scale as one can get. Oversimplifying, J's tend
to explore only until they have enough data to make a decision, make the
decision and move on to the next problem. P's tend to gather data until
they fully understand the problem, avoiding any decision until then. This
is both a strength and a weakness.
The hard parts, of course, are getting things that don't come naturally
right -- in my case remembering to actually do things, not just figure
them out -- and making sure your writing fits the audience's needs, not
just your biases -- in my case, dealing with the practical stuff many of
them are looking for, not just the intriguing theory.
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