Re: Resolved: Technical communicators can create information

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

In today's business environment, :"information" is a product.  It is sold, 
traded, stolen the same as an electronic device or an automobile.  If whatever 
we do to turn unusable or low-value data into useful, saleable "information" is 
perceived as "creating product," it can be the difference between being 
considered a revenue generaing function or a cost center.  It's analogous to the 
continuing effort I have made at every company I've managed for to impress upon 
management that documentation, in whatever form it is generated, is not an 
accessory to product, but part of it.

It's not so much about thinking of yourself as a "creator," but getting others 
to think of you that way.  Especially upper management poring over essential 
resources lists at budget-cutting time.

I have been someone who hands off information to tech writers and a tech writer 
who someone hands off information to.  I much prefer to work at being someone 
who can do both.

Gene Kim-Eng


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Keith Hood" <klhra -at- yahoo -dot- com>
What I really wonder about whenever a topic like this comes up is, why would 
people need to feel they are "creating" information?  Why is it not enough to 
think of themselves as manipulating or refining information?  It's long been my 
belief - founded on first hand observation - that when people start spending a 
lot of time and thought on the philosophical or metaphyhsical underpinnings of 
their work, it's because they're not getting enough out of *doing* their work. 
And that usually comes from not working enough.

I think that when people start to think of themselves as information "creators," 
it's because there is some part of them that has needs which are not being met 
by the work of being an information manipulators.  In that case, maybe they 
should start thinking about a different line of work.  Maybe they should look 
into a line of work where they are the ones who pass the information to the 
technical writers.


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