Summary: Experience/No experience

[Colin Green <CGreen -at- illuminet -dot- com>]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to all who replied to this posting. This thread has been very
informational and my brother wants me to pass on his sincere thanks. 

I also want to apologize to the list, as well. I see two things in
hindsight. First, my posting may (or may not) have been off-topic. That is,
my brother wasn't looking for a tech writing career, per say, but, then
again, he may be. He doesn't know yet what "specifically" he wants to do,
other than to take his film production experience and apply it to a day job
in an office position - and get himself out of bartending. (At least until
the film thing takes off - which could be never.) Tech writing might be
perfect for him. Eight years ago I was the "starving artist" and I
discovered tech writing, which turn out to be a very good gig for me.
Although my social skills and cultural jokes are guaranteed lost on a
certain percentage of engineers, my employers have been happy with my work,
and some even confess to enjoying the added "color" (others stare blankly).

Second, the secretarial thing. It is my personal bias to respect to those
who earn it, regardless of whether they mop floors or design bridges. And to
those who don't earn respect, I don't care what their title is (e.g., an
incompetent CEO). However, little drives me more crazy in tech writing than
people who confuse tech writing with secretarial work. It's not even a
status thing for me: it's simply not the same job. I think most of us have
had experience with this. I fear that by forwarding my brother's questions
about "data entry" vs. "word processing" that I may have made such an
intimation. Big apology there (and a sentence fragment). 

Thanks again to everyone who responded. Seriously, this has been edifying to
a fellow in need. 

FYI - I will be unsubscribing from the list to go out of office for a short
time. So, if this thread continues I will not be receiving the messages.

Gratefully,

Colin


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