[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Author Index (this month)][Thread Index (this month)][Top of Archive]

Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing"

Subject: Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing"
From: "William Sherman" <bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2016 22:11:45 -0400


----- Original Message ----- From: "John G" <john -at- garisons -dot- com>
To: "Rick Lippincott" <rjl6955 -at- gmail -dot- com>
Cc: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2016 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing"


Joe Chapline was the first SOFTWARE technical writer. When he was the
keynote speaker in the 1995 InterChange conference, he brought a copy of
the EckertâMauchly System User's Guide (I don't remember if it was BINAC
or
not). He spoke about his preference to hire non-technical people who could
write over technical people who couldn't.



The logic, or lack of, never fails to astonish me. Why would someone
immediately handicap themselves on their requirements for a position?

If you were producing a romantic musical, instead of choosing between pretty
people who can't sing and singers who are ugly, why not actually look for
pretty singers?

If you need brain surgery or you will die, do you choose between the brain
surgeon who passes out at the sight of blood and the iron gut surgeon you
wouldn't trust to lace a football? Or would you get the hardy iron gut
surgeon who can sew a vein together from the inside out?

If you were looking for technical writers, why choose between non-technical
people who can write and technical people who can't? Wouldn't hiring
technical people who can write be the desirable choice?


What this guy is really describing is his method of getting writers for a
much cheaper cost, as the lower skill level you hire, the less you have to
pay.

And I have found you typically get what you pay for. If not immediately,
then in the near future when it all comes back to bite you. Just remember
American Airlines Flight 191.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Visit TechWhirl for the latest on content technology, content strategy and content development | http://techwhirl.com

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

You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com


Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and info.

Looking for articles on Technical Communications? Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com

Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions? Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives

Follow-Ups:

References:
RE: Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing": From: Gene Kim-Eng
Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing": From: Rick Lippincott
Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing": From: John G

Previous by Author: Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing"
Next by Author: Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing"
Previous by Thread: Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing"
Next by Thread: Re: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing"

[Top of Archive] | [Author Index (this month)] | [Thread Index (this month)]

What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:

Sponsored Ads