Re: cluetrain, derailed. New engine?

["Damien Braniff" <Damien -dot- Braniff -at- asg -dot- com>]

<<customers who recoil at using traditional business models and look to
works such as cluetrain for a new spin and new attitude>>

Nothing really new in that. In over 20 years as a writer I've worked at
places where the requirements have ranged from the 'keep it like
everybody else - it's what the customers expect' to 'it's got to be
different so it makes us stand out' and just about every possible
variation in-between. All were valid choices and that's what it's about
really - choices.

I'm lucky in that I have a job that I enjoy doing but, in the end, it IS
a job. And I see that job as proving the best possible (as I see it!)
advice regarding the documentation needed for the
widget/software/whatever. Depending on the circumstances I may recommend
a traditional paper docset, in another case it may be all online with
falshy demos etc and so on. What I do is use my expertise to suggest a
solution but, if the customer wants it carved in stone then that's what
the customer gets. You can't force people to take advice, simply provide
the best you can and then do what they want ;-)

Getting back to the manifesto, it's a 'personal' thing. I have books at
home that I've read again and again that my wife calls twaddle but _I_
get something out of them. I've read TW books that came highly
recommended that I thought were next to useless. Any
manifesto/book/film/whatever needs to 'speak' to you but few talk to
everyone. To some they shout, to others they whisper and to others they
say nothing at all!

Working with clients is a bit like the discussion on methods - there is
no ONE way to do it and we all have a method that works for us, often
being continually tweaked to meet specific situations.

Damien

Damien Braniff
Sr. Technical Writer
damienb -at- asg -dot- com

Waterfront Plaza
8, Lagan Bank Road
Belfast, N. Ireland BT1 3LR
Tel: +44 (0) 28.9072.3124
Fax: +44 (0) 28.9072.3324

ASG | www.asg.com

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today!. http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help includes a one-click RoboHelp project converter. It's that easy.  Watch the demo at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -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.