RE: Yahoo has no staff tech writers

[Andrew Plato <gilliankitty -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

"Sean O'Donoghue-Hayes wrote...> 

> I haven't found this as being where I add value. My number one criteria -
> can I comprehend what the SME is telling me and rewrite it so that it is
> clear to the audience, without them ever needing to hear from the SME or
> have the SME's level of knowledge.
> 
> If I can do that we all win, and having the knowledge of a SME is not going
> to get me there. 

Wrong. Based on your definition, all you're doing is intelligently repackaging
the SMEs words. You are not adding insight to the material. To add insight you
have to understand the technology at a intimate level. 

> I am writing for the product, not building it (thought I
> might suggest things). I need to explain a concept so someone else can
> understand, not so they can  rebuild it. I need to be able to think what
> does my audience need to know, and what don't they need to know.

And in order to do that, you need to really have experience that goes beyond the
SME. For example, I've documented  programs where the SME didn't bother to
mention that you need to have administrative rights to the local machine where
the program was installed. 

Unless you understood the nature and use of Windows boxes, you wouldn't know to
ask that question and as such wouldn't put it in the docs. And as such, you might
have a user who attempts to install your company's product, the installation
fails, they bitch, lost sale...crappy docs. 

> Knowledge is handy, BUT, if we decided to only do the jobs that we already
> know where is the challenge - where is the stretching the envelope, where is
> the growth???  

I could tell you, but I would have to kill you. 

Andrew Plato 

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