RE: RE: real tech writers? RE: Out-of-Work Tech Writers and Switching Careers

Subject: RE: RE: real tech writers? RE: Out-of-Work Tech Writers and Switching Careers
From: "Sharon Burton-Hardin" <sharon -at- anthrobytes -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 07:56:05 -0700


Want respect? Here is something to think about:

I have been teaching RoboHELP and FrameMaker at the local University and for
STC groups for nearly 10 years. In the first hour of the class, I hand out 3
identical floppy disks with some files on them. I tell the 15 or so
technical writers they are to make a folder on the hard drive called Sharon
and copy the contents of the floppy to that folder. Then I watch while I
talk about what we are going to do for the class.

Of the 15, 3 cannot do this without help. Serious help. They don't know how
to make a folder, how to copy, etc. These same people can't find these files
when we open the program and are lost for the duration of the class.

These are professional technical writers, not people who wandered by and
thought this was an interesting class. 20% cannot do a basic Windows task
because they do not know how. This number has held up thru every class for
nearly 10 years. Regardless of the age and sex of the students, 20% of us
are incompetent with our tools. 1 in 5.

Think there is a reason why we don't get respect? Even if you do not work in
the software world, our computers are our basic tool. We MUST know how to
use them well. Think your co-workers don't know that 20% are incompetent
with our most basic tool? Think this incompetence is limited to only your
computer? Not me.

I think this incompetence is a large part of why we struggle for respect in
the workplace.

My thoughts. I may need more coffee.

sharon

Sharon Burton-Hardin
CEO, Anthrobytes Consulting
909-369-8590
www.anthrobytes.com

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-71429 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-71429 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of Goober
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 7:38 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: RE: real tech writers? RE: Out-of-Work Tech Writers and
Switching Careers

> Actually, I complained of nothing. I stated, and I
> believe that I can make a
> case for this assertion, that tech writers are, as a
> class, less respected
> and less well paid than many other professions
> because of the way our
> profession has evolved in the computer age.

Oh please, if you want respect you have to earn it.
Period.




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References:
Re: RE: real tech writers? RE: Out-of-Work Tech Writers and Switching Careers: From: Goober

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