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.
> Firstly, does the word "managing" (For example, Managing Servers)include the
> setting up/creating/defining process, or are setting up and managing
> (viewing, modifying, removing) separate operations.
They are usually two separate processes. However in many instances the same
person does both. Think, for instance, of installing a Windows NT system:
Microsoft expects that "the user," whoever that may be, will be doing both the
installing and managing. That said, however, in the larger companies who can
afford it, selling company System Engineers are the ones who install <whatever
it is> and they turn it over to the client company System Administrators, who do
the managing.
However, "setting up" can involve a number of different operations, including
physically moving in and connecting hardware, power, network connections,etc.
It can also include the configuration process, which is usually all software but
can involve some special abilities. And finally it can also include loading
different applications that run under the software you're describing. Best to
get a thorough idea of your intended user and the environment in which he/she
works.
> Secondly, if Setting Up and Managing are two distinct task, what word would
> incorporate both of them? Administration perhaps?
System administrators generally have the broadest job descriptions. In smaller
companies, if it isn't someone else's job, it's usually the job of the system
administrator. Hence the term "administration" tends to loosely cover not only
setting up and managing, but an assortment of other tasks as well. Unless your
product is aimed at an industry niche where job responsibilities are carefully
defined and widely understood, your best bet is to use the term "administration"
when talking about things related to setting up and keeping a computer system
running.
