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> > Actually, it's a pretty good analogy for the
> situation
> > as I perceived it at first.
>
> You perceived a lot more than I could out of "I
> have
> been asked by a client to write a letter that
> communicates
> corrective action information (based on the
> customer's
> complaint) to the customer."
>
Yes, that is correct.
> > However, from the first post that started this
> thread,
> > I got the impression that she was being asked to
> do
> > something *instead of* the tech support people,
> which
> > is a different kettle of fish.
>
> You mean as opposed to being asked to write a
> software
> manual "instead of" the software developers, a user
> manual
> "instead of" the engineers or a service manual
> "instead of"
> the manufacturing technicians?
Let us stick to the point. I meant, as opposed to
having to interface with the customer and do CRM work,
which are normally not TW functions.
> > There is a difference between given a chance to do
> > something new, and having someone else's job
> dumped on
> > you.
>
> The entire profession of technical writing exists
> because
> of decisions made to "dump" the writing that used to
> be
> part of the job of an engineer, programmer or
> "someone
> else" who has technical knowledge that needs to be
> communicated to those who need it because that
> "someone else" is either unable to do it effectively
> or
> needs to devote the time and energy required to do
> it
> to other parts of their jobs that can't be as easily
> offloaded
> to others "instead of" them. Are tech support
> people
> somehow less deserving of writing support?
In this you deliberately misrepresent the thoughts
expressed in my earlier posts. I never once said
anyone was undeserving of anything. I wrote about the
chance of a TW being tasked to take on a
responsibility that should rightly fall to a different
job description.
> I was not aware that the job market for technical
> writers
> had improved to the point where writers felt this
> comfortable
> declaring what kind of writing about technical
> subjects
> should and should not properly be the responsibility
> of a
> technical writer. I guess things must be going
> better than
> I thought they were.
>
And I was not aware that needless sarcasm and
snootiness were acceptable components of a public
debate. Now that you have introduced me to their use,
a whole vista of new and different ways of expressing
thoughts have opened before my eyes. This humble one
thanks you, o mighty and all-knowing sensei.
So, is it your opinion that tech writers should never
express or have any thoughts about what kind of work
they should do? Maybe you believe they should simply
take whatever assignment the boss gives them like good
little robots and never once think about if they are
being mishandled? Maybe you figure that having an
opinion or doubts about one's work is dangerous to
one's career? I didn't know the job market for tech
writers had gotten that bad.
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