Re: Techie or Writer? Reply

["Dennis Hays/The Burden Lake Group, Ltd." <dlhays -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM>]

At 12:58 PM 02/18/1996 -0500, someone wrote:
>On Saturday, February 17, 1996 3:00 AM, Guilden wrote:
>...You would not want me to write the repair manuals for Boeing 747 jet
>>engine, for example.

I would consider myself a technical writer (or, at the very least, that's
what they pay me to be) and I would not consider myself to be an engineer or
an aircraft engine designer. However, I did write the repair manuals for
various parts of the DC-10, B-727, DC-9, and A-300 commercial aircraft,
including the engine parts. While, I don't feel qualified to remove and
install the "hot sections" or any other part, my job was to write the
instructions so that others could. I was lucky and had some wonderful SMEs
and large piles of research materials.


Since all of the aircraft I wrote about are still flying, I guess you WOULD
want me to write the repair manuals for these as well as a B-747. And, from
my take regarding the expertise of many others on this list, they are
equally qualified to do the same.

Now, for a moment, just for a tinsey, weensey moment, think of how the
repair manuals might have been written if done by one of the engineers. Got
that? Good. Now, extrapolate that thought:

You're in an a commercial aircraft which has just landed at a small, obscure
airport with engine trouble. Some maintenance men come out, but they, not
being thoroughly familiar with this model with Rolls Royce engines, consult
the set of manuals carried aboard. Do you want them reading your set or the
set written by the engineer?

The engineer is probably very good at his/her job. But how good are they
putting what they do down on paper (or CD-ROM, or the Web, or_____)...

Dennis Hays
The Burden Lake Group, Ltd.
dlhays -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com