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.
Subject:RE: Are these words being used? From:Jim Shaeffer <jims -at- spsi -dot- com> To:TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 9 Nov 1999 17:04:53 -0500
Tony Markatos said:
It has been my experience (Tech Writer, QA Analyst, and Systems Analyst,
Development Project Leader) that, except for simple products, it is
impossible to "clearly translate what the SME says" without an in-depth
understanding of the of the product.
Jim Shaeffer (jims -at- spsi -dot- com <mailto:jims -at- spsi -dot- com> ) observes:
A common scenario for Technical Writers goes something like this.
1. A Subject Matter Expert (SME) gives the Tech Writer (TW) a document
that the SME has created.
2. The TW is expected to transliterate the document into correct
English.
3. The transliterated document is returned to the SME for a check of
technical accuracy. If the TW has not slipped in any errors, away the
document goes.
If I can rearrange the words and phrases used by the SME to improve their
flow and grammar (and throw in an occasional synonym), I can do the job
without understanding the technology being discussed.
