RE: What does it mean to be technical?

[Goober Writer <gooberwriter -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Perhaps we're not defining code well...

> Are you technical enough? Well it depends on your
> subject. I feel knowing
> code is quite important when your job is to document
> APIs. 

I document APIs. I don't write code. I understand the
constructs and think critically about them. Everyone's
been quite happy with the quality of documentation I
deliver.

> Moreover, how can you document code samples if you
> do not understand them?

I didn't say I don't understand the code samples. I
said I don't need to know how to write code to do my
job well.

> Do you ask the developper to do it and then you
> chech for grammar mistakes?

Any "technical" writer who does this isn't worth the
office space he/she occupies.

> How doyou know if it is complete enough? 

How do you know when a turkey is done? How do youknow
when the fresh paint on your walls are dry? Do you
emmerse yourself in the chemical reactions that take
place in order to achieve the "done" result? I'm no
thermonuclear engineer, but I can tell you when a
bird's done and not burnt to a crisp.

> It might also help to speak "programmer", as in
> knowing their vocabulary.

Bullshoy. Code is for the computer. Plain language is
for communicating concepts. A programmer who cannot
articulate the "why" of an application is as useless
as a writer who cannot think critically about
technology.



=====
Goober Writer
(because life is too short to be inept)

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