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Subject:Re: A sobering encounter (So now what?) From:"Jeff Hanvey" <jewahe -at- lycos -dot- co -dot- uk> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 2 Dec 2002 10:49:50 -0500
Amen, Keith..
The whole point is that companies are being repeatedly burned by the "font >
fiddlers" (as they are called here). If you want respect, if you want tech
writers to earn respect, then get in a *do* the job. Learn a little about
what is being produced by your company, ask *relevant* questions about
content
I've had two major tech writing gigs. Both times, I've stepped in behind
Frame "gurus" who worried so much about Frame that the quality of their
writing suffered. Seeing this irritates me because I have to fix the mess -
and not just the documents. I have to restore the company's faith that the
tech writer is actually adding value - reformatting docs to be readable has
been a part of it, but mostly, it has been rewriting the docs to be usable
Of course, I'm preaching to the choir here: most of the techwr-l active
posters are well aware of their role, and act appropriately.
----- Original Message -----
From: <kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com>
Employers don't want PR - they want results. Show them that you can solve
problems for them. Demonstrate your awareness of their needs - maybe point
out problems they didn't know they had
But I really feel that it's up to each of us individually to do that
Instead of an STC study showing the world how important FrameMaker is,
show a single company how YOU can add value. YOU - as a PERSON, not just
as a generic tech writer. You should present yourself - your brain, your
skills, your personality - as a valuable resource to your employer
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