Re: Do Technical Writers Deserve Their Own Office?

[Alexia Prendergast <alexiap -at- SEAGATESOFTWARE -dot- COM>]

My experience has been the same as yours, John. Being accessible pays
off, within the group and with other groups. 99% of the time, the open
atmosphere is much more conducive to communication, creativity, and
cooperation. It's also a great way to encourage new writers to ask
questions and get help.

The 1% of the time when it's distracting? I go outside, to an empty
conference room or office, or home. Because I'm doing less writing and
more management stuff these days, I am moving into an office -- but it's
to make sure I don't disrupt the group, not because they disrupt me.

Our group has a primo spot right now -- a bullpen/cubes hybrid near the
kitchen. Since people are in and out of the kitchen all day long, they
see us all the time, which jogs their memory and they stop in to talk to
us about plans, changes, etc.
--
Alexia Prendergast
Tech Pubs Manager
Seagate Software (Durham  NC  USA)
mailto:alexiap -at- seagatesoftware -dot- com

> -----Original Message-----
        ... I'm more responsive sitting among the developers rather than
shutting
> myself off from them. I'm more approachable, I "hear" of things going
> on
> with my products more readily. And besides, when I really concentrate
> on a
> task (get in a zone?), all I hear is my thinking anyway.
>
> We aren't different than developers. They develop information through
> code
> and we develop information through words. It's only when we stop
> trying to
> convince others that we are "different" (which in some eyes, is
> thought of
> to be "better"), will we be given the equality that we ask for.
>
> I'd spend more time learning how to tear walls down and less time
> trying to
> figure out how to put walls up...