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.
Re: Culture, or What it means to be a Technical Writer
Subject:Re: Culture, or What it means to be a Technical Writer From:"Hutchings, Christa" <cwhutchings -at- HOMEWIRELESS -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 8 May 1998 15:25:20 -0400
Funny - I have always of myself as standing shoulder to shoulder with
the user, facing the engineer. As a TW, my most important task is to
help the user use the product. That means I must look at the product
from the user's perspective, not the engineer's.
In a well run company, the TW is a valued member of the Product
Management team whose opinion is sought out about things like user
interface, etc. After all, if the product ain't easy to use, it ain't
going to be easy to document, and if it ain't easy to document, it ain't
going to be easy to use. (ETC) - <g>
Chris Welch-Hutchings
Sr. Technical Writer
Home Wireless Networks, Inc.
Norcross GA (USA)
cwhutchings -at- homewireless -dot- com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Baker [SMTP:mbaker -at- OMNIMARK -dot- COM]
> Sent: Friday, May 08, 1998 1:58 PM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: Re: Culture, or What it means to be a Technical Writer
>
> K R Wolfe wrote:
>
>
> >Put simply, we bridge the gap between engineer and end user. The end
> user
> >may be service personnel or Joe Blow Computer Geek, but everything we
> do
> >comes down to that.
>
>
> The customer does not buy an engineer, they buy a product. The buy a
> product
> because they want to do something. If we bridge a gap, it is the gap
> between
> the user's task and their tool (our product). The engineer, of course,
> is
> trying to bridge exactly the same gap. We are co-creators, with
> engineers,
> in providing the user with a tool fit for their task.
>
> We do not stand between the engineer and the user, we stand shoulder
> to
> shoulder with the engineer, facing the user.
>
> ---
> Mark Baker
> Manager, Corporate Communications
> OmniMark Technologies Corporation
> 1400 Blair Place
> Gloucester, Ontario
> Canada, K1J 9B8
> Phone: 613-745-4242
> Fax: 613-745-5560
> Email mbaker -at- omnimark -dot- com
> Web: http://www.omnimark.com
>
> &^~~~
> Send commands to listserv -at- listserv -dot- okstate -dot- edu (e.g., SIGNOFF
> TECHWR-L)
>
