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--- Ellen Vanrenen <ellen -dot- vanrenen -at- clear-technology -dot- com> wrote:
> John,
> If I got the request you refer to, I too would immediately appeal
> to TECHWR-L, and my credentials are somewhat more substantial than
> those you describe.
>
>> Unfortunately, what is happening is that the companies are going
to
>> these newbies and saying "Create a Network Admin manual for our
>> enterprise network spread out over over 6 countries and let me
have
>> it in FM in three weeks, JavaHelp next month, and while your at
it,
>> give me an XML file" because they were able to make those request
>> before, and the newbies, because they've never openned their
mouth,
>> are going "Huh?...Wha??? techwr-l...HELP ME!!!!!
Sure...I would too. However, you would know where to start. Instead
of saying "Can someone send me a link to a Network Admin manual so I
can see what one looks like.", you'd post any number of questions
about specific details based on your undersrtanding and based on what
you are doing. You'd ask questions about ingredients, not what does
one look like.
Also, if you got a request like that, you'd know how difficult it was
and instead of accepting it as is, you'd push back to the customer
based on real-life expereince..."Mr. Client...what you are asking for
is a document of roughly 1200 pages. I cannot make that timeframe.
However, in that timeframe, I can gice you the complete document
outline and the first 3 chapters. When your SMEs are done going over
those chapters, I'll have the next three chapters....etc."
=====
John Posada, Senior Technical Writer
"I'm not flying...I'm falling with style"
---Buzz Lightyear
-----------------------------------------------
Current gig ending 4/30
Resume: http://www.tdandw.com/Resume_Posada_022202.doc mailto:john -at- tdandw -dot- com, 732-259-2874
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