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I've never documented a bulldozer, but I can tell you that in order to write the
teardown manual for an aircraft engine or a mass spectrometer you go out onto
the prototype shop floor, look over the shoulder of an
engineer/technician/mechanic while it's being broken down to document and
photograph the operation so you can create illustrations to go with what you're
writing, and then after the drafts are written you look over someone else's
shoulder while that person tries to perform the same operation using what you've
written to verify it. Or you are that other person and the
engineer/technician/mechanic you previously watched watches you to see whether
you're doing it right. Or, if you're sufficiently qualified, you'll get a day
or two in the shop with the prototype all to yourself so you can work with it..
So yes, whenever practical you do indeed operate or work on the equipment you're
documenting, though often under the watchful eye of someone who is trained in
the operation and maintenance of equipment similar to what's being developed.
Unless that someone happens to be you.
Or, you don't do any of those things and just sit at your desk while the
engineer/technician/mechanic spoon feeds you rough input and reviews it for
accuracy after you reformat and edit it into a manual. For half the pay rate of
the writer who can do it the other way.
Gene Kim-Eng
----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith Hood" <klhra -at- yahoo -dot- com>
So is the writing job in the factory?
If we're talking about something like a bulldozer, what documentation can't be
done unless the writer puts his hands on the item? I can't imagine you're saying
that a technical writer can't warn a worker that a component is heavy unless he
tries to lift it himself, or that he can't write a warning that a bulldozer may
run people over unless he knows how to drive one. And I'm 100% certain they
won't have a writer test driving new models of heavy gear, so what hands-on
experience would he get anyway?
Ken, I'm kind of interested in this now. I've never thought about technical
writing in relation to heavy equipment. Could you tell us a bit more about this
job you're hiring for? What are the deliverables?
Use Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word, or HTML and
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and Doc-To-Help does the rest. Free trial: http://www.doctohelp.com
Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
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