RE: On degrees and the like...

["Anthony Markatos" <tonymar -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Eric Ray asks:

There must be an answer [how to properly train TWs] beyond serendipity and 
relying on the good fortune to stumble into the right internship or 
mentoring relationship, but I don't know what that answer is.

Any other thoughts?

Tony Markatos responds:

The answer is straight-forward: Training programs need to focus on teaching 
the main thing that needs to be done to create clear, concise, comprehenisve 
technical communications - not on all the "other things that may need to be 
done".

The main thing that needs to be done: Obtain a rigorous understanding of 
end-user's goals.  (I agree with Yourdon: This is ninty-eight percent of the 
REQUIRED work.)

Other Things That May Need To Be Done:

* Write technical communications.
* Understand the technology.
* Page Layout.
* Other design issues.
* Understand how to use production tools.

Until educational institutions develop training programs that focus on 
teaching students how to obtain an understanding of end-user goals (the 98% 
of required) work, - and not on teaching "all the other stuff that may need 
to be done" - they will continue to produce confused TWs.

Tony Markatos
(tonymar -at- hotmail -dot- com)



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