Re: What *is* enough?

[Damien Braniff <Damien_Braniff -at- PAC -dot- CO -dot- UK>]

As somebody already said it's all a matter of context - skills for the job
at hand.  I tend to feel that some basic technical knowledge is required
(or at least very helpful!!), but WHAT that knowledge is will be dependent
on what is being documented.  For user docs I sometimes find that it is
useful NOT to know a great deal about the product as this is often the
position of the end user.  In others (e.g. documenting the nuts and bolts
of hardware/software) it is definitely useful to know at least a little
about it before you begin.

There are many flavours of TW of which I am only one.  There have been jobs
I've gone for, which at the interview, I felt I wasn't suitably qualified
(relevant experience/tech knowledge etc) and so gave them a miss.  I'm sure
I could have learned the relevant skills etc but, as in most jobs, time was
of the essence.   In other instances I've taken jobs documenting stuff I
knew nothing about but the employer was prepared to look at the long term
view that I'd pick it up as I went along.  There are software writers,
hardware writers and a myriad of subdivisions of each (not to mention
marketing and other flavours!) and room for all of us.



Damien Braniff
Technical Author
PAC International