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Subject:Fire Them All From:Thomas Hudson <t_hudson -at- ZDNETMAIL -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 22 Feb 1999 17:06:24 -0000
Much can be learned listening to a hyper-sophisticated TW mentor a younger colleague. Shall we listen in?
"The main thing wrong with technical writers is their obsession with tools. I learned SQL in a week. A recent client was infested with tool-crazed writers. I fired two of them. I straightened them out."
"Oh, how true, Mr. Hyper-sophist! I learned HTML in 2 days."
"Two days? I learned DHTML in 1 day. The main thing wrong with technical writers is their obsession with writing skill at the expense of technical knowledge. A recent client was overrun with writers who, although fine writers, did not understand technical things, like routers, pipes, and rocket launchers. I fired 6 of them. I straightened them out."
"Oh, yes, yes, Mr. Hyper-sophist! I learned Framemaker in 2 hours."
"Two hours? I learned Javascript in a single hour. The main thing wrong with technical writers is their lack of humor. They're too fragile. A recent client was plagued with humorless writers. I fired 12 of them. I can't stand dour faces. I straightened them out! I replaced them with the CEO's secretary and 6 Word macros. I explain all this in my new, humor-packed book 'How to Successfully Manage Technical Projects by Firing the Writers, for Dummies."
