TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Re: Hi-Tech Company Hasn't Used Tech Writers in Years
Subject:Re: Hi-Tech Company Hasn't Used Tech Writers in Years From:"Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 27 Oct 2003 09:31:54 -0800
This used to be a typical practice (it may still be, but I've been out of the
industry for a long time now). Military personnel in the field take the
500 page manuals that design engineers and technical writers produce,
tear out the 50 or so pages that contain the information they *really*
need, then redline it to reflect the way things are *really* done. I had a
chuckle when I read that post about the "former lifer" who needed to stop
"living in the past" and get used to the "real world," because that manager
would no doubt retort that it's the civilian weenies and the DoD procurement
desk jockeys who are living a fantasy and have no idea how the "real world"
works. In one of my defense jobs, the program director (one of those "former
lifers") decided that the field instructions would be written not by the design
engineers or tech writers, but by the test engineers, because we at least were
out there crawling around inside the structures and actually putting things
together, sometimes pulling all-nighters in the dead of winter to get ready for
a morning test, and would have some idea what it was really like to have to
work off the instructions under actual conditions. He used to joke that what
he really wanted to do was set off lots of alarm klaxons and an occaisional
grenade in the distance so we really get the "feel" of it.
Sarge thought long and hard, scratched his chin, and a look of
frustration came over his face as he clearly couldn't explain what was
wrong. "Ahhhh, don't worry about it. The maintenance crew is just going
to enlarge a page out of the Illustrated Parts Breakdown manual, and use
that to assemble the thing."
Sigh.....
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.520 / Virus Database: 318 - Release Date: 9/18/2003
RoboHelp for FrameMaker is a NEW online publishing tool for FrameMaker that
lets you easily single-source content to online Help, intranet, and Web.
The interface is designed for FrameMaker users, so there is little or no
learning curve and no macro language required! Call 800-718-4407 for
competitive pricing or download a trial at: http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l4
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
