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Sue (Heim) did have a good list of problems. Here's a few more:
1. Writing with an inadequate word processor
2. Writing for a (vaporware) product produced on a different Continent
3. Writing for a company that has no clue what a Tech Writer does...
4. ...or thinks that a Tech Writer just formats the text, photocopies the
document, then sends it out the door.
5. Having an engineer tell you how to write - in a grammatically
incorrect email message.
Well, anyway - we all have horror stories, and I'm glad we're collecting
them!
Sue called some of this "trying to shoot at a moving target." IMHO,
Tech Writing is more like using a broken bow and arrow to shoot at a
moving target inside the Fun House Hall of Mirrors. You're doing great
when you can fix the bow and point the user in the right direction.
David (The Man) Blyth (dsb -at- thomsoft -dot- com)
Technical Writer
Thomson Software Products
My opinions are not necessarily those of my employer (but they should be).
