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Subject:Re: Just a Tech Writer (medium length) From:Tom Murrell <trmurrell -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 9 May 2002 13:19:00 -0700 (PDT)
--- Victoria Whitehorne <vwhitehorne -at- cgn -dot- net> wrote:
>
> The realization that after many years of being a technical writer, albeit a
> good one with a variety of experience including desigining and developing
> web-based help systems, I'm still "just a tech writer" hit me like a smack
> in the face today. Even though I am involved on the project team through
> the entire process (starting with the proposal and continuing through to the
> delivery of the application to the customer), my skills are still only
> listed on the project plan as the technical writer. It doesn't matter that
> I help the proposal writer identify missing pieces, that I can find gaps in
> the requirements documents, that I can add the user's perspective to the
> interface design, or that I can write test cases. I'm still only the
> technical writer.
You know, I'm just a tech writer, and I'm very happy with that designation. As
just a tech writer, I have done a lot of things from requirements writing, to
marketing information, to user documentation, to web design, to web server
administration. I think being "just a tech writer" is just fine.
> Silly me, I thought that the flexibility and diversity of my participation
> would provide me with some additional credentials.
And here may be the crux of the issue. We all want recognition. Heaven knows I
do. But it seems to me that tech writing is a place where you don't get a lot
of recognition. It doesn't matter what your skill set is or how often people
tell you you've done a good job, when the time comes to recognize the key
contributors on a project, we are seldom mentioned. (YMMV, of course.)
=====
Tom Murrell mailto:tmurrell -at- columbus -dot- rr -dot- com
Personal Web Page - http://home.columbus.rr.com/murrell/index.html Last Updated 03/14/02
--The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.--
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