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> This is a point I have tried to make in every
> position I've had as a
> technical communicator, i.e., that documentation, in
> whatever form
> it takes, needs to be an integral part of the
> product and not just an
> accessory that gets shoved into the carton at the
> last minute. In a
> number of cases, the most difficulty I have had
> achieving buy-in
> on this has actually come from the technical writers
> themselves,
> who have looked at things like online/embedded help
> and lean
> documentation as threats to their
> Framemaker-to-printed doc
> existences rather than opportunities to root
> themselves firmly into
> the product development process.
NOW, we're getting somewhere. ;)
Gene, I'm right with you 100%. In fact, your
situations sound identical to mine!
No, Goober is not Gene's alias. ;) I am my own person,
though maybe Gene and I share the same lifeline...
Anyway...
I spent the last 15 months tearing down an ivory
tower. It's dismantled, completely. We're now in the
process of building the "ivory patio", upon which the
entire organization (executives down to drones) will
sit and conduct business.
This is akin to skills vs. theory. You *need* both.
And, both are expendable. You can toss a skill or a
theory as soon as it doesn't fit. FrameMaker isn't the
center of the universe (which apparently is spherical,
unbounded, and consists of 12 regions - much like a
soccer ball), and Information Mapping is nothing more
than a usable fad.
Open yourself up to the company. Let them see how you
work, why you work, and what you work on. Open
yourself up to non-deliverable work. Add value to
other initiatives in the comapny. You'll gain respect,
visibility, power, and a very strong sense of satisfaction.
=====
Goober Writer
(because life is too short to be inept)
"As soon as you hear the phrase "studies show",
immediately put a hand on your wallet and cover your groin."
-- Geoff Hart
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