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.
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.
