Re: What about Technical Writer vs Communicator?

["Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>]

Most US managers tend to associate "communications"
with "Corporate Communications," the department that
generates press releases and all those weasely
"Don't Panic!" messages that executive boards send
out whenever the stock prices drop and we prepare
ourselves for the order to cut a percentage of our
staffs.

"Writing" is associated with "documentation," which is
perceived as based more on reality and thus inherently
more credible. Campaigning to change your job titles from
"writer" to "communicator," "information developer," or
some other "new paradigm" name may make you feel better
in some way, but to most of us managers it just reinforces
our feeling that our offices are becoming this week's
Dilbert strip and our staffs are all morphing into Tina
the techwriter.  And those of us who care fear nothing
more than the possibility that we are becoming Dilbert's
pointy-haired boss.

Gene Kim-Eng



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hemstreet, Deborah" <DHemstreet -at- kaydon -dot- com>
>I am reading the posts with interest and have a few comments in general
> response to several of the posts (none in particular):
>
> 1. When I was working overseas, I fought long and hard to have my job
> title changed from writer to "COMMUNICATOR". This at the inspiration 
> of
> a well-known colleague.
>
> 2. My company was proud to perceive me as a "communicator" and not 
> only
> one who wrote - as reflected by the various tasks they began to give 
> me.
>
> 3. On my return to the US I was stunned to find myself being returned 
> to
> the "writer" title again.

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