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I know this is going to sound like sour grapes, and it's no reflection
on what Melissa is doing, but...back to my old refrain. We as tech
writers need to be comfortable with the applications we use and at least
have some idea of the functionality and how it can be used to improve
our products. But I think the power-user thing is where the production
people come in.
As I say, I'm not putting Melissa down. In many companies, there are no
production people so the tech writer needs to know more about the apps
they use (and some of us just love the toys). However, there is already
too much emphasis on the number of apps a writer can claim knowledge of
and not enough concern about his/her writing abilities. I know we can't
tell companies how to recruit and hire, but I'm afraid that the trend
toward certification in applications is turning us into applications
specialists rather than documentation specialists.
My two buck's worth,
BJ
Melissa Sweet wrote:
>
> I'm currently preparing for the MOUS certification test in Word. I'm
> considered a "power user" by my friends and co-workers - in fact I don't
> know anyone more competent in Word - but I think a certification like
> this should go a long way toward dispelling doubts about an applicant's
> proficiency. What do you guys think?
>
> Melissa
> Microsoft Certified Professional
>
> From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000==
