Re: Culture, or What it means to be a Technical Writer

[Bill Swallow <bill_swallow -at- ROCKETMAIL -dot- COM>]

I think my company did well when they hired me under the title
"consultant".


===


Bill Swallow
bill_swallow -at- rocketmail -dot- com
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park/4353


Courage is the complement of fear.  A man who is fearless cannot be
courageous.
-- Robert Heinlein



---"Hutchings, Christa" <cwhutchings -at- HOMEWIRELESS -dot- COM> wrote:
>
> Bill Swallow wrote:
>
>         I not only write, but I also design the document, envision the
>         online interface, design the interface, build it, create all
the
>         graphics, perform the usability testing, and monitor the
> installation
>         of the product.  Before all that, there's the initial needs
> analysis,
>         audience analysis, and other planning steps.
>
> AND develop documentation plans and sell them to management, AND
create
> or otherwise obtain illustrations and graphics, AND interview and hire
> contractors and other TWs when needed, AND decide on bindings, print
> shops, etc., AND work with manufacturing to develop a process for
> getting the printed manuals or CDs in the box with the product, etc.
>
> BTW, when I was negotiating with my current employer, they asked me
what
> my title was (at my then current position). I told them "Sr. Technical
> Writer, but a better term is Information Designer, since I do far more
> than write." It didn't sink in, and I am a Sr. Technical Writer here
too
> (actually the only Tech Writer at the moment!), even though, as I
> pointed out above, I do a heck of lot more than just write!
>
> Chris Welch-Hutchings
> Sr. Technical Writer
> Home Wireless Networks, Inc.
> Norcross GA (USA)
> cwhutchings -at- homewireless -dot- com
>
>
> Send commands to listserv -at- listserv -dot- okstate -dot- edu (e.g., SIGNOFF
TECHWR-L)
>
>
>

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