Learning C

["Delaney, Misti" <ncr02!ncr02!mdelaney -at- UCS01 -dot- ATTMAIL -dot- COM>]

Jane, you asked:

     We're under fire at work. Suddenly our boss thinks that tech writers
ought to be able to
     read C and do telephony scripting using C commands. He says that he and
the
     president of our company think that "most tech writers ought to be
capable of this." Is
     this true?

I'd say it's perfectly possible for most tech writers to learn the
fundamentals of C.  The languages aren't the hardest part of programming,
and C is a relatively easy language.  I'm not sure what "telephony
scripting" is, but if the concept makes sense to you, or if you can modify a
template to make it do what you want, it shouldn't be too hard.

I studied computer programming for three years before a kind beau pointed
out that he made an acceptable living as tech writer, got to play on
computers all day, and still didn't have to program the durned things.
 <grin>  I loved the puzzle of figuring out how to make the computer do the
job ... but I wasn't very good at it and it was very slow going.
 Nonetheless, I taught myself the bare-bones fundamentals of c programming
in a weekend.

     The engineers who are currently helping us (two tech writers) say
they've never known
     a tech writer who can write these scripts,

can?  or will?   It's not as much fun as playing with words, and "I can't, I
don't know how" is an age old ploy to get out of chore you really don't want
to learn.

     I have seen books like "Teach Yourself C in 21 days" --- has anyone
tried this and how
     helpful was it? I'm willing to buy the book with the thought that I
might at least become
     knowledgeable about C, though I do not entertain any thoughts of
becoming a C
     programmer.

It's been a real boon to me to understand programming well enough to ask
informed questions of the programmers on the interview team.  I've gotten
more than one job because I had studied programming and could walk my way
through code and explain (roughly) what it does.  I've yet to need the skill
in my day-to-day work, so I think it has to do with making the impression
that you're "a pro".

     Anybody care to jump into the midst of what I suspect is more political
than practical

I'm sure you're right.  But it could be to your benefit anyway, so I'd say
"go for it" if the idea appeals at all.