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Subject:Handling List Requests (was Case Study) From:Tom Murrell <trmurrell -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 20 Jun 2003 06:34:55 -0700 (PDT)
--- Jan Henning <henning -at- r-l -dot- de> wrote:
>
> It does not seem to be the obviousness of the question that is the
> problem. If you look at Rayna's posting, it boils down to "I have to
> do this, please tell me everything that I need to know." (slightly
> exaggerated).
I agree that the original post was vague and open to various
interpretations. There have been a variety of reactions from list
members depending on which interpretation THEY CHOSE to give it. The
poster could have reduced the confusion considerably. Readers also
could have chosen different responses and interpretations.
> She may have done something, but if she doesn't say so (And her
> questions definitely sound like she hasn't), all we can assume is
> that she hasn't.
Is that really "all we can assume?" I don't think so. Making that, or
any assumption is a choice. I would not blame the poster for choices of
interpretation that I make about it.
> This annoys some list participants, because:
>
> - She gives the impression of possibly not being able to handle
> projects on her own. If that impression is true, chances are that
> after completing her studies she may not enhance the reputation of
> tech writers as a group.
Asking for help gives the impression that one can't handle projects on
one's own? I find that conclusion annoying. While many of us are lone
technical writers, we all work in some sort of environment where we
need to work with others. Part of working together is to be open about
one's needs. I don't help my organization if I don't call for help and
describe my needs when I need help. It concerns me that the list could
give new people the impression that competent technical writers do not
ask for help.
> - She puts a very vague question that requires a lot of effort from
> us.
Only if one chooses to respond. I agree that the request was vague and
rather all encompassing. That's why *I* chose not to respond to the
request. I felt it would require more of my time to understand the real
need than I wanted to invest. But I wouldn't want to preclude someone
else, who wants to invest the time, from doing so. It took me a while
to figure it out, as I am a slow learner, but I learned that I don't
have to respond to every post or even read every thread to its
conclusion.
> (For example, she gives no indication of the parameters of her
> assignment - Is every kind of case study acceptable? Are there
> thematic restrictions? How big may the study be? etc. And: What kinds
> of topics is she comfortable with?) The more precise her questions
> are, the erasier they are to answer.
These are really good guidelines for posters of requests for help. We
would all benefit from that sort of precision. And you're absolutely
right that the more precise the questions the easier they are to
answer. These guidelines are excellent for all posters, especially new
people who are asking for help.
> - Asking the list takes up the time of a few thousand people. This is
> different than asking your dorm mate for a few tips. It seems
It only takes a lot of time, if any of us choose to devote the time to
it. Again, it hasn't taken any of my time, because I chose not to
involve myself with it. From what I've read of this thread, more people
have devoted their time to a discussion of the appropriateness of the
post than have to the actual post itself. (Including me.) Again, that's
the reader's choice.
> thoughtlesst, not to put in a little effort of one's own before doing
> so, and describing the effort and why it failed - for example "I
> tried to find case studies on Google, but found only references to
> case studies in marketing literature instead of the studies
> themselves. Can somebody direct me to some real studies?"
Again, that is an assumption not based on facts. Nor are there any
facts in the post to suggest the assumption is invalid, either. There
just aren't any facts in the original post to support a lot of
assumptions about the poster or the amount of work already done.
FWIW, I think it is appropriate to kindly respond to the poster
off-list, if one chooses to invest the time, to counsel the poster to
better phrase such requests. Think of it as a teaching opportunity.
We don't make ourselves look very helpful when we just blow up at a
poster. Every post does not require a response from everyone. If I feel
there are too many posts taking up too much of my time, I can go NO
MAIL or DIGEST or even UNSUBSCRIBE. I don't have to take time I don't
feel I have to enter into a debate about the quality of someone else's post.
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