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Subject:RE: observation of tech writer status From:LDurway -at- pav -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 30 Oct 2002 16:03:12 -0600
> I know that there are on-going discussions about how tech
> writers don't get any respect (whether it's true or not is
> another issue), but a couple recent situations puts a slight
> twist to this tired topic.
>
> [...]
>
> Comments? Thoughts? Is this your situation? Just trying to
> start up a conversation.
I've found that I can earn the respect of developers once I've
had a chance to demonstrate that I can learn & understand the
material. I frequently detect holes in their user interfaces
that they hadn't anticipated, so they learn to listen when I
drop by and say, "what if the user does x while y...?" I think
the niche of the tech writer, insofar as technical contributions
are concerned, is not just as spokesperson for the user (battling
cruddy interfaces) but also as a generalist among technical
specialists, one who sees the big picture and understands how
(and whether!) the parts fit together. Actually, testers &
marketers can also serve in these niches. I try to prove myself
in these niches, and I almost always get respect as a result.
I think developers are more likely to notice the niche
contributions I just described than to notice our core competency,
which is clear, concise explanations, handy organization, and so on.
I think the craft of writing, in itself, is a little bit alien from
the average developer, so I don't expect them to notice the
quality of my writing. When they do, though, boy howdy, it's
Miller Time! Only once in my 17 years in the biz has a developer
watched me transforming a muddy paragraph and commented, "wow!"
Looks like I went beyond your original question and addressed the
next one, which is, what is the nature of this respect & the
means by which one may earn it?
Respect may also depend on corporate culture
and circumstances. For example, if the writers are on the same
hallways with developers, they are more likely to be accepted as
teammates, but if they are sequestered elsewhere, would they get
as much respect? I think aesthetic appeal of the doc products
matters, too. I know that when we got fancy new cover art for
our manuals here, everyone suddenly took notice and said what a
great job we were doing. Same damn content, new covers. Go figure.
Lindsey
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