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.
--- Tom Johnson <johnsont -at- starcutter -dot- com> wrote:
> There are those
> who want to apply a method or technique that they feel is good for every
> situation. A lot of times this is how they are most comfortable or
> proficient at working. It may not be what is best for you.
> I've seen situations where consultants just don't get it when you say you
> don't want this whiz-bang technology used. They seem to think the people
> who hired them are Luddites.
Tom, you are absolutely right. This is a very serious problem with MANY
consulting and 3rd party providers. They have a method and if you want to work
with them you must accept it.
In my experience, consulting firms that force methods and technologies on
clients don't survive for long. Eventually, their hubris catches up with them.
There are famous business case studies regarding consultants who just would not
listen to their clients and mandated useless methodologies on them. There are
quite a few tech writing shops that try to do this as well. One of the most
recent was the story about Scient, an Internet consulting firm who reamed a
client for millions enforcing methodologies nobody wanted.
The question here is really one of savings: does an outsourced tech pubs save
money?
Yes it can. But like any complex question, the answer is not as simple as
hiring Joe Schmoe from Schmoe & Associates. It is good to be diligent and make
sure whatever third party is hired, is delivering work that really helps.
Andrew Plato
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35
a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-Based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver 4 ($100 STC Discount)
**WEST COAST LOCATIONS** San Jose (Mar 1-2), San Francisco (Apr 16-17) http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.
Sponsored by ForeFront, Inc., maker of ForeHelp Help authoring tools
for print, WinHelp, HTML Help, JavaHelp, and cross-platform InterHelp
See www.forehelp.com for more information and free evaluation downloads
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
