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RE: Baseline Skillset for Technical Writers?

Subject: RE: Baseline Skillset for Technical Writers?
From: Sybille Sterk <sybille -at- wowfabgroovy -dot- net>
To: PHILA -at- Mail -dot- VIPS -dot- com, "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 23:33:15 +0000

I can certainly subscribe to this! I've worked as both, technical author and translator, and the difference is marginal (in a way, of course). For both audiences you have to find the 'language' they understand, i.e. the information has to get through to the reader, therefore to write good documentation you should know your audience.

Something my boss said a few days ago, when I mentioned the fact I'd never had anything to do with the stuff I was currently documenting: "You are the ideal person to document it then. You'll ask all the right questions!"

Sybille

At 14:26 17/12/99 -0500, PHILA -at- Mail -dot- VIPS -dot- com wrote:

I'm seeing an unspoken assumption here that all of us document
computer-related products. Having done my time on the mechanical/electrical
side of the fence, I lean toward Win's contribution:
[...]
Or, as one of my teachers used to say, "Be a translator. The best
translators don't just transliterate words, they bridge cultures."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sybille Sterk
Technical Author and Translator (German)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Email: sybille -at- wowfabgroovy -dot- net
Web Site: www.wowfabgroovy.net
ICQ: #26779340



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