Re: Productivity of Technical Writers

[Howard Gold <howardg -at- SAVVY -dot- COM>]

>>I don't know how everyone else goes about it, but when I'm assigned the
task of writing something, I spend a lot of time "processing" the
information.  During that time I look like I'm doing nothing.  Then
something clicks and I start writing.  At that point, it all sort of
"gushes" out.  During that time you can't get me off the computer to save
my life.  I often type until the wee hours . . . it helps to have a
machine at home *grin* .

Of course! Management loves having a 250 book completed in 30 days. But I
get annoyed -- okay, mad -- when bosses complain that I'm_socializing_.
I'm a staff of one, so when I need input or clarification I need to see an
 engineer, QA
tester or manager. I also, from time to time, need to take a break to
talk about tea and weather. If a programmer on a team sips his coffee to
chat with a team-mate, that's okay. When I talk to ANYBODY about
ANYTHING, I have to justify it. Well, I'm supposed to justify it, but I
don't. I just hand over the latest document and go back to the coffee
machine.

I guess we just have to LOOK busier -- what a friend mine has called
_face-time_ (putting your face in the tube when a boss strolls by).

-Howard Gold            howardg -at- savvy -dot- com