Re: Wanted: Dumb Tech-Writer Stories

Subject: Re: Wanted: Dumb Tech-Writer Stories
From: "Carnall, Jane" <Jane -dot- Carnall -at- compaq -dot- com>
To: "'TECHWR-L'" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 09:44:12 -0000

In my last job, I was trying to document a large application and having
*major* problems because the programmers weren't keeping the tech writing
team up to date on the changes they were making. Talking to the programming
team leader didn't help: he didn't want to take either me or the
documentation seriously. I brought the problem to my manager, who suggested
that we take it through to the senior manager for the whole project, whom
the team leader would have to listen to.

We set up a meeting, and I explained the problem, giving specific instances
where the online help was faulty because the programmers had made changes
and hadn't told us about them.

The manager responded: "Oh, what does it matter. No one looks at the online
help anyway."

Jane Carnall
When all else fails, read the manual.
If that doesn't work, do what it says.


Bruce Byfield wrote:
> Maybe list members can help me.
>
> I'm looking for humorous stories about technical-writers.
>
> I want to hear about bad pieces of writing, tantrums about being a
> "professional," misplaced artistic sensibilities, hysterical insistences
on being
> overly-specialized, desperate tactics to get information from SMEs, warped
> perceptions about tech-writers in the corporate world, stupid office
politics,
> and anything else
> that appeals to your sense of humor about the profession.




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