Re: Squashed egos... it ain't pretty!

["Kathi Jan Knill" <Kathi -dot- Knill -at- template -dot- com>]

Tom Murrel wrote:
:
: So, let me ask you all a question.  When was the last time you thanked
the
: people who write the reference material you use everyday in your jobs?
Ever
: drop a note to the dictionary editors or the  thesaurus editors or the
style
: guide writers or the help creators for the software you use in your job?
:
: I confess I haven't done that either, though I am quick to complain when
: those materials are incorrect, incomplete, or (worst of all) don't
conform
: to my notions of what is correct.

While I understand what you are saying, I do not believe that you used the
analogy correctly. Those people who write the dictionary, etc. do not work
for us. I would expect that their bosses either do or do not hand out the
praise to them. To relate what you said to our environment, we would be
looking for praise from the customers of our customers/business, i.e., the
end users. When actually we are talking about praise from our manager or
client (who may or may not be the end user as well). See what I mean?

Now I have been fortunate enough to have end users call me and tell me how
helpful my doc was, but I fear that it was probably the only time that will
ever happen in my career. It is not likely that end users would call a
writer and tell them what a great job they did, how useful their doc was,
etc. That is not to say that they should not, or that we should not call
the writers of our dictionaries, thesaurus, etc. -- although I imagine
there would be a lot of phone calls made because I don't think that any one
writer is responsible for an entire dictionary.

At any rate, I think that it is a given that in this world there are some
who remember to thank and praise and their are others who don't. If you get
praise and it is in a form you find objectionable, then it is up to you to
discuss it with the praiser.  Keep in mind though, that it is most likely
that if praise was given (in whatever form) it was done so with the
unconscientious (or conscientious) thought that it was a nice/right thing
to do.

Kathi Knill
Sr. Technical Writer
Template Software, Inc.
Kathi -dot- Knill -at- Template -dot- com
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't
try. ~ Beverly Sills ~