Re: What Technical Writers Do

[Jim Grey <jimgrey -at- IQUEST -dot- NET>]

Vince Putman's button got pushed:
>After over 30 years in this biz, I know we are not credited with
>the sense nor ability to understand a technical subject.  Many times I have
>researched a subject, wrote the original copy, reviewed it with engineers, and
>then have management berate me for using the engineer's time in interviews.
>Then they discredit me by attributing my writings to the design engineers.
<el snippo>
>The worst being the presumption of those who think anyone could do
>what we do.  After all we just pretty it up!

I've been gone from my last company for 4.5 months now.  They didn't
understand or appreciate my skill, either; same song, another verse.  The
company filled my position by moving a gal over from Training, hiring a
guy (who'd never written a manual before) to write a few manuals on
contract, and using a young intern when she wasn't busy.  The other day,
I got E-mail from an application engineer:  "Boy, you don't know what you
got till it's gone.  We just released BLAH 5.0 [a complete rewrite of the
product].  The manual's not even close to ready yet.  I'm using an early
version of it.  The kid [intern] wrote most of it; she just plainly doesn't
understand the product.  But worse, the writing isn't good and doesn't go
in depth.  I used to correct you on the technical side sometimes, but I
could always count on you for the rest.  That's gone.  I'm working on
porting BLORT 3.x to 4.0 [a major upgrade]; God I need you."

They *do* learn.

Peace,
jim grey
--
jim grey          |beebeebumbleandthestingersmottthehoopleraycharlessingers
jimgrey -at- iquest -dot- net|lonniemackandtwangin'eddiehere'smyringwe'regoingsteadyta