Re: Reorganization Question

[Robert Plamondon <robert -at- PLAMONDON -dot- COM>]

>I prefer to be a Writer on an Engineering team rather than one of "n"
>writers in a documentation department.  However, from the responses to
>this topic that I've seen, this puts me in the minority.

The questions, "Where should I put my desk?" and "Who should decide if
I need training, or a raise, or a promotion?" often have different answers.
It's usually a good practice for a writer to be part of a development
team for the duration of a project, but that doesn't mean that he
should report to an engineering manager.

By analogy, there were plenty of reporters who spent the Gulf War
attached to military units.  The benefits of close contact and
cameraderie were all very real, but the commanders of these units didn't
get to tell the journalists what, how, or when to write.  General
Schwartzkopf is an admirable person, but I wouldn't want him to be the
one who decided what got published, who got promoted, and what new
software to purchase.  His interests and expertise lie in a different area.

        -- Robert
--
Robert Plamondon, President/Managing Editor, High-Tech Technical Writing, Inc.
36475 Norton Creek Road * Blodgett * Oregon * 97326
robert -at- plamondon -dot- com * (541) 453-5841 * Fax: (541) 453-4139

                  TECHWR-L List Information
To send a message about technical communication to 2500+ list readers,
E-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot-  Send administrative commands
         ALL other questions or problems concerning the list
       should go to the listowner, Eric Ray, at ejray -at- ionet -dot- net -dot-