RE: Thank You from new tech writer

["McLauchlan, Kevin" <Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>]

On Behalf Of Leonard C. Porrello wrote:
> What Kevin say is true (and PC), 

Friends and neighbors, I do apologize. Leonard will no longer be posting
to this list. He called me "PC", and I had to kill him.

> and I agree with Gene's point that one
> doesn't have to be a non-native speaker to write poorly. It is not too
> far a stretch to think that anyone with a writing talent who is fluent
> in a given language--if trained--can learn to write without obvious
> colloquialisms. But I still need convincing. How do the docs that come
> out of India (for your company) stack up against the docs that come
out
> of Canada?

At least one of the writers is a pleasant, motherly sort who had a good,
well-rounded education. I think I can sometimes detect items that she
has written. It's really no big deal, and since US companies are only a
portion of our market, and since even the US companies employ a lot of
immigrant techie people, nobody has complained nor are they likely to.
Another of the India writers is much younger, and a recent grad of a
real technical writing program. She would pass even your Touring test...
er... or would have, while you were alive.

Let me put it another way. Our far-flung empire is "managed" by an
American woman who lives at Headquarters, in Maryland. We check in with
her once in a while. After a bit of startup hand-holding when the India
division was established, the Techpubs manager spends really no more
time and effort herding the India writers than she does me.  She and I
have exchanged e-mails twice this year, talked once by phone last year
and twice the year before, and have never met.   She did journey to
India one time, when they were starting up and hiring writers.  In other
words, my experience with Indian writers is quite positive.   No PC-ness
invoked at all.

Kevin



The information contained in this electronic mail transmission 
may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected 
from disclosure. If you have received this communication in 
error, please notify us immediately by replying to this 
message and deleting it from your computer without copying 
or disclosing it.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.