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: Any Hardware Writers Out There? From:Chris Knight <knight -at- ADA -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 6 Nov 1997 10:40:24 -0800
I'm a contractor and have done hardware and software docs. I used
to be an electronics technologist, so I started in hardware writing.
My experience has been in instrumentation, telecom, wireless, data
acquisition and control, and audio.
The last few years I've done more software than hardware. Actually,
I haven't seen a piece of hardware in years that doesn't have some
software in it.
However, I have to say that there is something very satisfying in going
into the test lab, strapping on the static protection (for you software
types: that's to protect the equipment from me, not the other way
araound), and checking all the connectors' labels. This stuff is hard!
It stays put, so you'd better get it right.
Software designers are always playing with things--they're so
pliable, plastic, soft!
BTW, that's why, all else being equal, I always estimate 50 to 100
percent more time for a software project than a hardware one.
--
Chris Knight
Consultant, Technical Communication Architect
Vancouver BC, Canada
(currently at Applied Digital Access,
e-mail: knight -at- bcg -dot- ada -dot- com)
Opinions expressed are my own, not ADA's
