TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Explaining what we do From:Gwen Barnes <gwen -dot- barnes -at- MUSTANG -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 30 May 1995 16:23:23 GMT
-> >I am seeking assistance on how to advise a friend at a small
-> >software company who is having to explain to software engineers
-> >what it is technical writers do that makes them so valuable to
-> >the company.
-> Good documentation, precisely because it is so rare (a lot of folks
-> would rather spend money developing the product), is often what
-> distinguishes a good product from a not-as-good product in the eyes
-> of the all-important customer.
Good documentation is an essential *part* of the product, and
technical writers ought to be considered an essential part of the
engineering team.
A product that ships with lousy docs is an incomplete product, and
customers are capable of recognizing that fact and going elsewhere.
Cheers, @DISCLAIMER@
Gwen gwen -dot- barnes -at- mustang -dot- com
MSI * Connecting the world 805-873-2500
