Re: Anyone Can Write - Just Look At The Job Descriptions

[Ken Poshedly <poshedly -at- bellsouth -dot- net>]

Regarding the discussion of lack of respect for tech writers, tech writing or 
even proper writing in general by teckkies (i.e., engineers) who perceive 
themselves as being higher up on the food-chain, it brings to my mind an 
incident described to me by my wife which occured some years ago.

She herself is a transportation engineer (a good thing to be in Atlanta in 
particular and Georgia in general). After we met, she started showing me some of 
the engineering reports her firm did for various clients; for example, an "IJR", 
or "Interstate Justification Report", details months -- or even years -- of 
study and statistics as to whether or not a new interstate interchange should be 
added at a certain location. It consists of an executive summary for those who 
have no time and no real interest in reviewing the hard data, and it also 
includes pages and pages of text, charts, maps and graphs of the hard data as 
well.

I began some "gentle" copyediting of some reports for her and pretty soon, my 
wife became a much better writer (and was already a great engineer).

For a few months back in late 1990, she taught a transportation engineering 
night class to seniors completing their program at a local university; she would 
demonstrate the various software packages her firm used and even brought sample 
reports to show what these students were going to be doing after securing their 
own jobs. (The reports were already old enough that there was no problem with 
confidentiality.)

One of her last assignments to this predominantly male class was for them to 
each prepare an engineering report based on facts she provided; the report was 
to resemble the kind her firm does.

The reports she got back were eye-opening for even her, to say the least. One 
evening, she asked one of the students (about age 23 or 24 or so) why most of 
the reports were so badly written -- even for college seniors.

His reply was that at least "he" didn't believe he would have to worry about 
good writing; he foresaw that he would immediately get a cushy job making $35K 
or so (this being in late 1990) and have a secretary who "would take care of all 
that stuff".

The late Rodney Dangerfield got it right-on as far as tech writing is concerned, 
"No respect! No rrespect at all!"

No replies required. It goes on at some companies and it doesn't at other 
companies. I'm just venting. 


-- Ken in Atlanta




________________________________
From: "Cardimon, Craig" <ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com>
To: Gene Kim-Eng <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>; "beelia -at- pacbell -dot- net" <beelia -at- pacbell -dot- net>; 
Ed <glassnet -at- gmail -dot- com>
Cc: "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Mon, August 8, 2011 8:12:09 AM
Subject: RE: Anyone Can Write - Just Look At The Job Descriptions

I also try to use such things to my advantage. Many people simply don't 
understand what we do. If someone asks me to "make it pretty," I may do one of 
two things. I might ask them if they want me to edit it. Some people get it. 
Some are scared that you will put words in their mouth. I might ask them if they 
want me to work my editorial magic on it. Most are okay with that phrasing.

Craig

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com 
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of 
Gene Kim-Eng
Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2011 11:00 PM
To: beelia -at- pacbell -dot- net; Ed
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Anyone Can Write - Just Look At The Job Descriptions

I suspect this is one of those YMMV things.  For me it's a positive because I 
choose to see it as one and try to make it work to my advantage.

Unfortunately, it's also possible that the statement in question has a different 

tone when it begins with "he" rather than "she."

Gene Kim-Eng


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "beelia" <beelia -at- gmail -dot- com>


> In my experience, when someone says "make it pretty", he is telling
> the company how important and clever he is, and how insignificant the
> contribution of the tech writer is.

> Gene, I rarely disagree with you, but you're missing the patronizing
> tone that usually accompanies "she makes me dot my i's and t's".  What
> he really means that his i's and t's are about as important as washing
> his socks.

> By "pretty", they mean that the content is perfect, but it isn't in
> the company format - or he doesn't know how to number the pages and
> put in headers and footers.
>
> Usually these guys (and they are always guys) are really insecure, do
> mediocre work, and their documents are so bad they need a total
> rewrite.
>
> Whenever I hear "make it pretty" I don't get mad - I just lose respect
> for that person and try to avoid working with him (because I might end
> up doing his job and not getting credit for it).
>
> I spent decades letting stuff like this slide because I needed the
> job. Considering the unemployment rate, I guess that might qualify as
> being "in a pretty good place."
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