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>> Since when is asking SMEs (in this case us, as working technical
>> writers) for their opinions and insights *not* being resourceful? I
>> don't think the student asked anyone to do the homework, but merely to
>> contribute our opinions and expertise. I would hope that a college
>> student would already know how to do well-rounded research.
>So, how _does_ one teach students (or new tech writers)
>how do be resourceful?
In the first year of my degree, a lecturer told us that for the current
assignment we should bear in mind that there were no right answers. There
was a puzzled silence. Someone finally asked, "So, how are you going to mark
our answers?" The lecturer beamed. "You will be marked on the means you use
to find out *an* answer."
Chorus of groans. Lecturer's beam got wider. "Yes, I know thinking is very
painful."
> Or how does one find resourceful
>writers to hire? Or distinguish between resourceful
>or non-resourceful writers?
<g> How to find a peanut butter sandwich? How to make someone *else* make a
cup of tea? <g>
Seriously - I don't know. I once worked with a completely passive writer: if
you told him to do something, he'd do it. (Slowly.) If you *didn't* tell him
to do something, he wouldn't do it. (He lost hours of work his first week:
the instructions he'd been given didn't specifically say "Save your document
every so often", so naturally he hadn't.... and then he made one small
mistake... and everything was gone....) He accomplished little, he made many
irritating small mistakes, and he never volunteered for anything: once he'd
finished his assignment, he wouldn't ask for more, or find out for himself
what the next task was. But he was liked by our manager, because he never
did anything *wrong*, either: evidently he'd come across well at the
interview, and performed nicely at appraisals. It took quite a while before
I realised how little he actually did.
Jane Carnall
Technical Writer, Digital Bridges, Scotland
Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine alone. Apologies
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