Re: Tech writing & incompetence: I am scum (nah, you're not)

["McMARTIN, Robert" <rmcmarti -at- BAEA -dot- COM -dot- AU>]

Rob McMartin replies

        Jeroen Hendrix from Technical Communications wrote:

> <SNIP>
>
> > There is no such thing as a incompetent employee, or Tech Writer.
> There
> > are only incompetent managers.  These are the people who must be
> > satisfied that the product is suitable to bear the companies name.
>
> <SNIP>
>
         <JH> Hm,  that's sounds like a litle frustation (?).

        No frustration, just the policy here at BAeA.

        <JH> To follow this analogy:
> - There is no such thing as an incompetent surgeon, when surgeries go
> wrong, the hospital managers should be blamed.
>
        Horses for courses as the surgeon is the manager, its the
surgeon's team.
        Surgeons also have to follow procedures, and its the job of the
assisting staff to remind him of those
        procedures.

         <JH> - There is no such thing as a incompetent teacher, when
your child's
> education goes wrong, blame the shool's managers
>
        When your child comes home from school its your job as a parent
to ensure that what they have learnt is
        suitable for the future.  Schooling doesn't stop when the child
comes in the door.  If your child can't read
        don't blame the school teacher, you are as responsible for your
child's inability to read as they are.
        If your child's education is wrong you probably can blame the
managers.  They oversee the teachers and what is being taught.


> etc, etc,
>
         <JH> Tecnical writing is a profession, but (unfortunately)
there are no set
> requirements. Some are better qualified than others, but everyone may
> claim he or she is a technical writer. Even this list can't seem to
> agree on minimum requirements.
> This means some are better than others; some will be excellent, a lot
> will be incompetent. Sure, managers are to blame for a lot of things
> in
> this world, but not for everything that's wrong. That would be too
> easy.
> In the end, the good ones will float to the surface, the bad and the
> ugly will go under.
>
        The fianl word will always go to those who sign the paychecks.
You can write the best manual in the world
        but if the manual doesn't match up with the vision if the CEO's
head, its not going to see the light of day.

        Nothing bitter, these are observations I 've seen over the
years.

        Regards

        Rob.

        PS the hypothetical company does exist.  If your nice to me and
ask me offline I might tell you who they are.