RE: Programmers as writers?

[Chris <cud -at- telecable -dot- es>]

I have worked with some programmers who are very good writers.  But 
there is a level in technical writing to which very few programmers 
would want to go - unless of course they were responsible for tech 
writing and not programming.  Consistency of style, grammar, usage, 
voice, etc. are things tech writers must pay attention to.  While any 
programmer is able, by definition, to pay attention to most of that 
stuff (voice perhaps being the exception), few have the time to do it - 
they're paid to produce code after all.  And of course there will be 
those who never bothered to learn good writing.  But you'll find that 
type of person in any department - Marketing springs immediately to 
mind.  (After all, who can resist a chance to take a poke at Marketing?)

I have worked with some tech writers who are pretty crappy writers. 
They were unable to focus their work, failed to grasp the underlying 
logic of a system, were overly dogmatic in their approach, unable to 
organize, unnecessarily baroque in their language (thereby proliferating 
convolutions posessed of a marked failure to eschew obfuscatory 
prosaicisms), etc.  But durned if they didn't manage to make everything 
religiously procedural, followed the style guide to a "T", and met their 
deadlines.  Of course, most tech writers at least think they have 
learned good writing, and will do their best to display it out of pride 
if for no other reason.  That doesn't automatically mean they can write 
better than programmers.

Writers/programers...  In today's world there are many divisions of 
labor.  Some make sense and others don't.  But I agree if you're saying 
this one does.