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Karla McMaster wrote:
<I've been surpised and interested at the vehemence expressed on this
<topic... [snip]...I can't agree with those who say note-
<taking is beneath them. I needed the notes, anyway, to make sure I had a
<clear understanding of what was going on, and while I was putting them
<into usable format for the team, I would often find inconsistencies, or
<problems, which would be used as a jumping off place for the next
<meeting. There were no laptops at that time--these days, that's what I
<would use. By no means did I do a transcription, however. I just tracked
<the design, as we formed it. And the questions. You know, the important
<stuff.
<At the time, it didn't occur to me that I might be reinforcing a
<stereotype (tech writer as secretary)--I just wanted to get more
<information. I don't think it took long for the team to see that my
<note-taking was not a static operation--that I could actually use the
<process to contribute to the team. I also used the notes as the basis of
<information to pass on to the customer training and support personnel,
<about what was coming down the pipe.
Thank you. And thank you to the others who offered useful suggestions.
To those of you who offered sympathy and pity because the noble tech
writer is being asked to do demeaning work, consider that the problem is
more one of information gathering than division of labor. If I am to
prepare useful and accurate design documents, I would think that taking
extensive notes in design sessions is a good way to build those
documents. To consider this a secretarial task, I would think, is beyond
the skill of most secretaries, except for those with CS degrees.
Michael Collier
michacol -at- upgrade -dot- com
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