RE: Re: It doesn't look good for Tina the Tech Writer ... OK, this makes for a good segue

[Ron Hearn <rhearn -at- central1 -dot- com>]

Further to yesterday's discussion on Scot's attitudes toward women, there is this from his blog last week:

http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151737656851/the-era-of-women 



-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+rhearn=cucbc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+rhearn=cucbc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Keith Hood
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 1:56 PM
To: vincentpr -at- trfnova -dot- com
Cc: techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: Re: Re: It doesn't look good for Tina the Tech Writer ... OK, this makes for a good segue

I agree that a good tech writer is just as valuable to the company as an engineer. But my experience has proven to me beyond any possible doubt that the overwhelming majority of managers who make the retention decisions do not agree.

Another certification in a field which is not valued by the people who make the retention decisions is not going to help. That's kind of like having a dozen layers of frosting on a Brussels sprout cake. It's not going to win the baking competition.

What needs to happen is for someone to finally come up with a way to PROVE that the tech writer's work adds value to the product. There has to be some way to express it in numbers and show that the work really does bump up the bottom line on the quarterly report. Until that happens, certifications may be useful in grading applicants for hiring decisions, but they will be meaningless to retention.

On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 3:10 PM, Vincent <vincentpr -at- trfnova -dot- com> wrote:

>    Friends,
>    When the first rush of replies on this flowed in, I got angrier and
>    angrier as I quickly parsed.  Angry at y'all that is (no disrespect
>    intended here) for missing the critical issue against your current
>    chosen profession.  I wanted to write then but I too, as Kathleen
>    understands, must choose my fires to quench.  At the moment, I have a
>    little time.
>    Being too long involved in IT, I have chuckled at select Dilberts now
>    and again when people have point them out, but I have never been an
>    avid fan.  That, and Mr. Adams' gender imbalance :) notwithstanding,
>    the real insult within the Dilbert installment under discussion is that
>    the TW character is being presented as less valuable than an inherent
>    engineer asset.  Nothing could be more untruthful or a better example
>    of program management misperception.
>    Yes, of course certain senior engineers -- and even engineers with
>    seniority -- are essential and invaluable to an R&D team, and deserve
>    to recognized as such.  However, generally speaking, good engineers are
>    readily available and replaceable, but a good technical writer is not.
>     The experienced and capable technical writer, while he or she suffers
>    being regarded as a peer -- and mistakenly by Mr. Adams less -- is
>    actually senior in contribution to most engineers.  Without the
>    documentation process, application worklfow errors, system design
>    errors, database architecture endless loops, and coding foopahs of
>    every rushed and improperly tested kind would make it passed the
>    staging cycle. Without proper documentation there is lessened
>    accountability to management.  The technical writer is above an
>    engineer.  Engineers who don't take a TW's request for a meeting
>    seriously probably shouldn't be trusted to do their own work
>    excellently and should be let go.
>    Having spent some time working inside federal agencies, it always
>    bothered me how silly it is for the way PMP certification is esteemed
>    (again, no disrespect intended, but experience trumps the PMP
>    certificate 100% of the time).  I have long had a dream that technical
>    writers need their own certification, such CPTW (Certified Professional
>    Technical Writer), likened to CPCM, CFCM, and to have that credential
>    promoted and recognized properly.  And while I have spawned many ideas
>    on how to chase that dream, I am only now getting to semi-retirement
>    hours so that perhaps I can.
>    Thoughts?  Reactions?  Anyone want to work on/pursue establishment of
>    CPTW with me?
>    Vincent
>    www.linkedin.com/in/vincentpasqualeruvolo
>
>
>    On 10/17/16, Kathleen MacDowell<kathleen -dot- eamd -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
>
>    It's been interesting to see everyone's interpretations, which are
>    sometimes much deeper than my own.
>    I haven't seen Dilbert for many years, but I've always viewed him
>    similar
>    to a Tom and Jerry (or any other) cartoon.
>    He managed to convey my feelings about some of the idiocies we
>    encounter at
>    work; ah yes, restraining the fist of death.
>    Sad to say, some people have real grudges that are expressed in the
>    real
>    world. And truly, as hard some of the work/life realities are to bear
>    sometimes, we have a lot more pressing things to deal with right now.
>    Most of us are subject to some kind of inequalities, some of us more
>    than
>    others. It would be wonderful if it could be reduced...
>    Kathleen
>    On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 12:46 PM, kafkascampi
>    <[1]kafkascampi -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
>    > Not to be a buzzkill (which means I am totally about to be a
>    > buzzkill), Scott Adams has some controversial views about women in
>    the
>    > workplace. This is one of the reasons I choose not to support him.
>    >
>    > Read more here:
>    > [2]http://comicsalliance.com/scott-adam-sexist-mens-rights/
>    >
>    > Chris
>    >
>    > On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 8:51 AM, Tony Chung <[3]tonyc -at- tonychung -dot- ca>
>    wrote:
>    > > False alarm. A week later Tina agrees to be pointy head's "work
>    wife"
>    > > [4]http://dilbert.com/strip/2016-10-14
>    > >
>    > > -Tony (also in Vancouver)
>    > >
>    > > On Thursday, 6 October 2016, Ron Hearn <[5]rhearn -at- central1 -dot- com>
>    wrote:
>    > >
>    > >> Looks like Tina is getting the axe in today's Dilbert:
>    > >> [6]http://dilbert.com/strip/2016-10-06
>    > >>
>    > >>
>    > >>
>    > >> Ron Hearn
>    > >> Documentation Specialist
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> References
>
>    1. mailto:kafkascampi -at- gmail -dot- com
>    2. http://comicsalliance.com/scott-adam-sexist-mens-rights/
>    3. mailto:tonyc -at- tonychung -dot- ca
>    4. http://dilbert.com/strip/2016-10-14
>    5. mailto:rhearn -at- central1 -dot- com
>    6. http://dilbert.com/strip/2016-10-06
>    7. mailto:rhearn -at- central1 -dot- com
>    8. mailto:rhearn -at- central1 -dot- com
>    9. http://techwhirl.com/
>   10. mailto:techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>   11. http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/
>   12. http://techwhirl.com/
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>   14. http://techwhirl.com/
>   15. mailto:techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>   16. http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/
>   17. http://techwhirl.com/
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