Re: Re[2]: Productivity of Technical Writers

[lori m long <llong -at- UNM -dot- EDU>]

On Mon, 13 Mar 1995, Karla McMaster wrote:

> Boy...can I relate to THIS discussion! My cubicle happens to have an interior
> window overlooking a walkway frequently used by people. It's sort of like
> living in a fishbowl. I could close the blinds, but then I'd have no natural
> light...

Yick.  My condolences!

> Only a couple weeks ago a colleague of mine (used to be a tech writer) was
 kind
> enough to tell me that someone else had asked him what I did with my time,
> since they had walked by and I always seemed to be talking with someone. Boy
> was I PEEVED! Like Howard, I am a department of 1. Not only do I have to talk
> to get information, I also have to talk to maintain RELATIONSHIPS. My
 colleague
> (wisely?) declined to name my accuser, so I was denied the opportunity to go
> give this person a lecture about the reality of technical writing, which comes
> down, it seems to me, to at least 35% creating and maintaining relationships
> with info providers/reviewers, 40% staring off into the distance--thinking
> about how I'm going to structure the information, and a mere 25% writing.

> Oh well...guess I need to do some FACE time!


The thing is . . . we SHOULDN'T have to!  management should look at what
we produce and whether or not we meet deadlines -- not how BUSY we look!
There must be a way to deal with this . . . Anyone want to try the media?
*grin*

Land softly,

Lori