RE: Guess what: we suck!

["Al Geist" <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>]

Chris Borokowski wrote:

"I don't think the solution is to stop hiring technical writers, but
maybe it is to raise the bar on technical writer standards and the
struggle to get information from SMEs. Technical writing can clearly be
improved. Most manuals I read are somewhere from awful to mediocre. I
can't blame the profession, because that's like saying that all humans
are bad because some litter, maim, smoke menthols and cheat."

I don't smoke or cheat, but I've been to maim (I really like the ocean) and
I littered once before a cuff off the back of the head made me realize the
errors of my ways.....

Okay, seriously, Chris has a point. It is unbelievable how many manuals
border on the mediocre. More importantly, it's unbelievable how many
managers praise those same manuals as being better than their competition.
It shows me that few managers actually read the drivel, most only worry
about having the "Documentation complete" checkbox checked at the end of a
project. I can't place all the blame on them. A large part must be shared by
sales and their impossible promises to customers...."sure we can have a
1,000 page Service Manual completed in two weeks."

And I'm not whining.......

Al Geist
Technical Writing, Help, Marketing Collateral, Web Design and Award Winning
Videos
Voice/Msg: 802-872-9190
Cell: 802-578-3964
E-mail: mailto:al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com
URL: http://www.geistassociates.com (Online portfolio and resume)
See also:
URL: http://www.geistimages.com (Fine art photographic prints for home or
office and beautiful note cards for all occasions.)


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