TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Fear and Loathing at the Job Site From:Goober Writer <gooberwriter -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 8 May 2003 05:01:48 -0700 (PDT)
> I can't help feeling that there is more gross
> incompetence among
> tech-writers than in other fields.
I have to agree. I think there are several factors at
work here (IMO):
1. There are a lot of "starving writers" out there who
"fall into" tech writing because it allows them to
write. Now, this doesn't mean every wannabe NYT Best
Seller author who took a tech writing job is inept,
but there are some who take the job for the sake of
having a job, and don't do anything to further their
technical skills, because deep down they do want to be
that Best Seller, not a good tech writer. (I speak
from experience with others here, not from the seat of
my pants. YMMV.)
2. Many employers see or saw tech
writing/documentation as a necessary evil, and so
hire(d) anyone willing to do the job. In some cases
these positions pay very low, so there's no incentive
to do good work or no "power" associated with the
title to get things done well.
3. In any discipline, there are lazy people. So, some
tech writers can be just plain lazy.
4. Some tech writers think that they just need to be
able to write well, and so don't emerse themselves in
the technology surrounding their work.
5. Murphey's Law.
To do any job well, you have to like to do it, want to
do it, want to see the best possible results, and
always want to look into ways to improve.
=====
Goober Writer
(because life is too short to be inept)
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search.yahoo.com
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
