Re: lurkers and lurking

Subject: Re: lurkers and lurking
From: Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- jci -dot- com
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 14:33:17 -0500


>Sure, we lurk. We are trying to learn, because to a great extent, we are
the
>tech writers of the future [...] and we are better trained, better
educated,
>and better motivated [...]. Remember the Cultural Revolution in China?

Better trained and better educated, without asking questions? Sorry, I
don't buy that at all. Someone doesn't ask questions when I explain
something, there are two possibilties:

1) I have explained it perfectly.

2) They're too ignorant to realize whet they don't know and scared to tell
me that.

Despite what I've been told about my ego, I refuse to believe #1 happens
with any significant frequency.

Remember the words of the wise man, who screamed "Dare to be Stupid!" To
swing this around to more mainline techwr-l practice, acting stupid can
actually get you more and better co-operation from an SME. If something
doesn't sound right to you (such as having the "OK" button cancel an
operation) you can often get farther by simply being stupid than by
asserting that you're right and the person who designed it is wrong. "Why?"
and "what if...?" questions can often make the SME feel like educating you,
rather than fighting you. Which means you find out more, which is a Good
Thing.

As for "what if the hiring manager reads this?" If I've squared off with
anyone over something and that person decides against hiring me because I
thought they were wrong and told them so in no uncertain terms, well, I
wouldn't want to work for them in the first place, so they did me a favor.

Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
----------------------------------------------
In God we trust; all others must provide data.
----------------------------------------------
Opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.
If JCI had an opinion on this, they'd hire someone else to deliver it.


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