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RE: New poll question? (Was Re: Pinsky poem in the Atlantic "Jar of Pens")
Subject:RE: New poll question? (Was Re: Pinsky poem in the Atlantic "Jar of Pens") From:"Jane Carnall" <jane -dot- carnall -at- digitalbridges -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 16 May 2002 18:02:41 +0100
>As a technical writer, do people (coworkers, customers,
>internal users, anyone) look to you as an expert on the
>product you document? To what extent, and in what circumstances?
It depends. Usually the people I work most closely with are the people who
ALREADY know more about the product than I do! Also, I find that when
getting information out of people usually the last thing I want them to
think of me as is an expert on the subject - I want them to think of me as a
helpful, well-informed person who asks good questions and adds value to
their product, but to whom they can explain anything. At great length. With
lots of detail. I am never bored. I am fascinated. Really. Tell me more.
Wow. How does this bit work, then?
Sometimes it's appropriate to be known as an expert of the product I am
documenting. But mostly it isn't, IME. <g>
>In your current job as a technical writer, what are you
>considered (by others) to be a Subject Matter Expert of?
MS Word. Finding stuff on the Internet. Grammar, spelling, proofreading, and
making a bad sentence sound good. Spotting inconsistencies.
Jane Carnall
The writers all stand around a cauldron chanting and occasionally tossing in
a small SME. Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine
alone. Apologies for the long additional sig: it is added automatically and
outwith my control.
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