RE: What does it mean to be technical?

[jenny_berger -at- fairfieldresidential -dot- com]

Talk about knowing your tools -- understanding the basics of an operating 
system should also be included.

If someone says they can't install software because they don't have admin 
rights, it's often because the security on the network allows only users 
with an admin role on the Windows network access to certain files that 
some apps require in order to install successfully. Not all software 
requires these files (because not all software changes existing files on 
install), but some -- like Adobe Acrobat -- do. If I've missed the mark, 
someone correct me, please.

And too, forgive me, but I'm finding it difficult to see how using 
Framemaker or Acrobat is considered a technical topic. Network security is 
a technical topic. Writing more efficient code in X language is a 
technical topic. Now, if you're recompiling software because you optimized 
it to give you better PDF, I can see how that would be a technical topic. 
But using a word processor and a PDF editor? Hrmmm....you're stretching 
it, IMHO, but I might be reading it wrong.

But that's not to take away from your point -- it's good to know how your 
tools work so you can use them efficiently and effectively. But app/tool 
skillz don't pave the Great Golden Path to respect -- at least not in any 
field I've been in. What elicits respect is a thorough understanding of 
the whys and wherefores of the tech behind the tool. I don't have to write 
the code to understand how the tech works (though it helps), but I do have 
to know how the tech works to understand the tool I'm using. I couldn't 
care less how Framemaker generates a book, but I do care about the XML 
that comprises my structured document. Maybe that's just me, but there it 
is. 

Jenny Berger
Technical Writer
Information Systems
Fairfield Residential





"Sharon Burton-Hardin" <sharon -at- anthrobytes -dot- com>
Sent by: bounce-techwr-l-115343 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
05/23/2003 12:14 PM
Please respond to "Sharon Burton-Hardin"

 
        To:     "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
        cc: 
        Subject:        RE: What does it mean to be technical?



 They tell me that they can't install a software because they are don't
have admin rights, what ever that means. And this happens constantly. They
would never open their computer box because they have no idea how.





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