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[techwr-l] Re: Recap of the messasge about screwing up
Subject:[techwr-l] Re: Recap of the messasge about screwing up From:Chuck <writer -at- best -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L, a list for all technical communication issues" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 30 Aug 1999 11:18:46 -0700
John Posada wrote:
<snip>
> What some people forget is that part of our job is to
> figure out a way to gett then to contribute, and since
> maybe some people forget that developers are people
> just like us (ok, most of them, and most of us),
> being nice should be a "tool" in our arsenal just like
> anything alse.
Maybe. But I've also expressed to my main recruiter that I'm simply
getting tired of fighting, fighting to get information, fighting to get
cooperation.
It is not unreasonable to expect that developers and management include
technical writers in the "loop," where information flows to technical
writers as a routine part of the process. I know it can be done because
I have been in environments where it happens. Heck, I even went to a job
interview a few weeks ago where a newly hired tech pubs manager said
that she had been being given information by the engineers without even
asking. I simply bowed down to the miracle at work. Of course I was
excited about the chance to be a part of that environment;
unfortunately, we discovered that I wasn't the right technical fit for
her current needs.
That's not to say that niceness isn't necessary. But I've also been in
far too many situation where I hear about a development meeting, go
there to keep up with developments on the product, and get asked
something along the lines of "What are you doing here? You're the
technical writer."
--
"Online help should ignore first-time users and concentrate
on those people who are already successful using the
product, but who want to expand their horizons."
- Alan Cooper
"About Face: The Essentials of User Interface Design"
Chuck Martin
writer"at"best.com www.writeforyou.com
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