Re: HELP! Software Jockeys vs. Real Tech Writers

[Matt Ion <soundy -at- ROGERS -dot- WAVE -dot- CA>]

On Sat, 27 Sep 1997 21:39:31 -0600, rossa wrote:

>They think technical writing is word processing
>and consequently end up hiring people who know a lot about software
>packages and cool PC tools and toys but don't know how to do research and
>writing. I seem to be the only one who is serious about producing good
>documentation. Does anyone out there have suggestions for educating these
>people? We don't have a chance of establishing a professional department
>if the IS managers don't know how to hire professional writers.

Sorry, I sent that last one off a little prematurely.

My first thought is to teach them through example.  Get copies of the
best, most well-produced documentation you can find, and of the worst,
most hideous, painful, confusing documentation you can (a really thin
motherboard manual poorly translated from an Asian language will serve
well, in my experience).  Explain to them the the good manual had actual
TECHNICAL WRITERS working on it.  The bad one didn't.

An even better example of the second would something with good pictures,
nice graphic layout, but really crappy, confusing writing.  You could
then readily point out the difference between a manual done by someone
who knows word processing, and someone who is a real TECH WRITER.




 Your friend and mine,
 Matt
 <insert standard disclaimer here>
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