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.
> However, there is (or should be) some 'skills' that we all have in
> common. We should ALL be able to write clearly and concisely etc
I don't think that is a core competency. Does a TW manager need to do
that? Does a help author, one involved with single sourcing where
they receive thew content have to do that? How about a web designer,
a translator?
The core is to produce/participate in a deliverable that meets the
job's requirements.
I still say we need to get above the day to day skill for
certification. What do we do at the overall level?
- We manage our project or part of the project.
- We commit to doing whatever it is that we do within the parameters
of what we are allowed.
- We determine what it is we need to do, line up/arrange for the
resources needed to do our job.
- We manage the expectation of what we can deliver vs what they want
from us.
To do these things, we need to know things....like what? In the 4-5
gigs in recent memory, they've all had in common:
- Understand how to document business processes and IT processes
- Understand general Windows technologies
- Have an understanding of user Interface concepts
- Be able to present a start-to-end project plan of what I needed to
do, the resources needed, and the expected result.
- In what form I was going to deliver the deliverable based on the
systems available to me, their limitations, and how my targeted
audience is able to access it.
I think this is the direction we should be looking at...not whether I
can write the clearest paragraph using the least number of words.
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
?I can win an argument on any topic,
against any opponent. People know this,
and steer clear of me at parties.
Often, as a sign of their great respect,
they don't even invite me."
Dave Barry
Now Shipping -- WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word! Easily create online
Help. And online anything else. Redesigned interface with a new
project-based workflow. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
